March 2022 Summaries

Airwallex’s monthly business-account update expands SWIFT payment coverage to Israeli shekel, South African rand, Mexican peso, and Turkish lira, while noting that SWIFT fees still apply. It also introduces faster, lower-cost local-currency payouts from Hong Kong and Greater China to recipients in Egypt, Bahrain, and Israel, reducing reliance on SWIFT transfers. UK customers can now assign up to three card administrators as contacts for each Company Card to authorize transactions, with future plans to allow employees to access card details and submit receipts through Airwallex Expenses. An upcoming Xero integration will let businesses add Airwallex multi-currency payment links and QR codes to invoices so customers can pay directly into their Airwallex accounts.

Apple Pay is Apple’s digital wallet service, allowing users to make online, in-app, transit, and peer-to-peer payments from compatible Apple devices without manually entering card details. It uses tokenisation to replace card numbers with randomly generated transaction data and device authentication such as Touch ID to help protect payment information. For eCommerce businesses, Apple Pay can reduce checkout friction by pre-filling payment, billing, and shipping information and avoiding some 3D Secure steps, potentially helping address cart abandonment and improve conversion rates. Online merchants can enable it by working with a compatible payment processor, activating Apple Pay within their payment infrastructure, and connecting it to their website or checkout platform. Apple does not charge merchants to accept Apple Pay, while providers such as Airwallex offer tools to simplify registration, integration, multi-currency settlement, and fraud protection.

Startups commonly choose between debt financing, which provides borrowed capital that must be repaid with interest while preserving founder ownership and control, and equity financing, which exchanges ownership shares for capital without fixed repayments. Debt can offer tax deductions and flexibility once repaid but may strain cash flow through mandatory payments and high interest rates, particularly for early-stage businesses, while equity can supply larger investments, flexible cash flow, and investor expertise but dilutes control and future profits. Funding sources include angel investors, crowdfunding, venture capital, and small-business credit cards, each suited to different stages and needs; founders are encouraged to weigh their cash-flow outlook, growth plans, and desired autonomy when deciding. The piece also promotes Airwallex’s multicurrency business accounts as a way for startups receiving international investment to manage funds, payments, and foreign-exchange costs.

Davie Group is an Australian e-commerce consolidator that operates brands including The Oodie and Pupnaps across clothing, wellness, beauty, and pet care, reporting rapid growth since founder David Fogarty launched the business and projecting nearly $250 million in revenue the following year. Its strategy emphasizes selling products it considers high quality, building repeat-customer communities, and avoiding drop-shipping to retain greater control over delivery and customer experience. Rapid international demand created inventory constraints in 2020, including presales and costly air freight intended to meet holiday delivery expectations, while the company has since focused on expanding supply-chain capacity, hiring staff, and developing operational infrastructure. Davie Group uses Airwallex to consolidate multi-currency accounts, payments, and card spending across its growing portfolio of brands. Its planned growth combines expanding existing brands, introducing new ones, and acquiring additional businesses, with the United States identified as a priority market, Singapore as an international launch point, and a possible IPO under consideration.