WorldFrist Home > Blog > Business Banking Insights > WorldFirst vs Wise Business: Fees and features comparison

WorldFirst vs Wise Business: Fees and features comparison

Last update: September 8, 2025

Contents

Searching for the best international business account in New Zealand? We compare WorldFirst with Wise Business.

Key takeaways

WorldFirst allows you to access a multi-currency account for free. Wise charges NZD 40 for the same
Payments between World Accounts or Wise users are instant and free
WorldFirst offers local currency accounts in 15+ currencies; Wise supports 23
Both WorldFirst and Wise offer multi-currency debit cards for businesses with expense management and spend control features

WorldFirst and Wise are global payment providers that offer business accounts in New Zealand for making secure international transactions. But which one can support your business’s global expansion?

Let’s compare the World Account with the Wise Business account.

What is WorldFirst?

WorldFirst, an international payment provider and part of Ant International, helps nearly one million businesses to streamline cross-border transactions.

The World Account is a multi-currency account that lets you send, receive, hold and convert funds – all from one digital account. You get local currency account details in 15+ currencies, so your business can get paid like a local. From your account, you can also make payments in 100+ currencies to suppliers around the world.

Fast-growing businesses use WorldFirst to receive payments from 130+ international marketplaces and payment gateways, make quick payments to suppliers, convert funds at competitive exchange rates, or withdraw money to their bank accounts.

The World Account gives you access to Mastercard-powered multi-currency debit cards that let you pay in 150+ currencies, with zero foreign exchange fees in 15 of these (as long as you have sufficient funds in the currency of the transaction). You can earn cashback for all the payments you make with your World Card.*

*T&Cs apply.

Opening a World Account and receiving payments is free.

What is Wise Business?

Wise offers accounts that enable users to send and receive payments in multiple currencies. For an additional fee of NZD 40, you also get access to Wise’s multi-currency account that lets you hold funds in 23 currencies. Wise also offers a business debit card.^{1 6}

WorldFirst vs Wise Business: The fees breakdown

Take a look at the fees for both providers to compare the business accounts before making a decision.

	WorldFirst fees	Wise Business account fees ²
Monthly fee	Free	Free
Multi-currency account fee	Free	NZD 40 (one time)
Receiving funds	Free	for AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, HUF, NZD, RON, SGD, TRY and USD (non-wire) SWIFT payments have a fixed fee, which depends on the currency
Holding funds in multiple currencies	Free	Free
Sending payments to other users in the same network	Free and instant to other WorldFirst users	Free and instant to other Wise users
Sending payments to other accounts	Domestic payments to New Zealand or Australian accounts: Free Cross-border payments and local payments in currencies other than NZD or AUD: 0.4%, capped at AUD 15	From 0.23% (fee varies by currency)
Converting currencies	Major currencies: Up to 0.6% Minor currencies: From 0.67%	From 0.23%
Getting a debit card	Free (up to 20 cards)	Free (up to three cards)⁹
Payments to 1688.com suppliers	Up to 0.8%	Not supported

*Fees checked in March 2025

Calculate how much you can save with WorldFirst

Amount

Converted to

1.00 USD = 0.5841 NZD

Exchange rate as of 08:47 UTC

World Account vs Wise Business Account: Feature comparison

Supported currencies

WorldFirst and Wise Business offer multi-currency accounts to their customers. With one business account, you can open multiple local currency accounts to send, receive and hold funds in various currencies. For each account, you get an account number and bank details.

	WorldFirst	Wise Business²
Multi-currency account fee	Free	NZD 40 (One time)
Local currency account details	15+ currencies (including GBP, USD, EUR, AUD, JPY, NZD, SGD, HKD, CNH and CAD). WorldFirst also provides offshore accounts for AED, CHF, SEK and PLN.	23 (Including AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, HUF, NZD, RON, SGD, TRY and USD)
Sending funds	100+ currencies	50+ currencies¹

WorldFirst

Wise Business²

Multi-currency account fee

Free

NZD 40 (One time)

Local currency account details

15+ currencies (including GBP, USD, EUR, AUD, JPY, NZD, SGD, HKD, CNH and CAD).

WorldFirst also provides offshore accounts for AED, CHF, SEK and PLN.

23 (Including AUD, CAD, EUR, GBP, HUF, NZD, RON, SGD, TRY and USD)

Sending funds

100+ currencies

50+ currencies¹

Details checked in August 2025

Account-to-account transfers

When sending money from one World Account to another in the same currency, payments are instant and free. Payments between Wise accounts in the same currency are also free.

Marketplace and payment gateway integration

WorldFirst supports 130+ global marketplaces and payment gateways, including Amazon, AliExpress and Stripe. Simply add the local currency account number and banking details to your marketplace seller account to collect payments in your customers’ local currencies.

It’s easy to download an account verification letter directly from your World Account if the marketplace requires proof of account ownership.

Wise also supports the collection of sales from major marketplaces and gateways like Amazon and Stripe in up to nine currencies.¹

You can get local bank account details to receive payments or pay invoices.

Payments to China

With a local CNH currency account, WorldFirst allows customers to pay Chinese suppliers in their preferred currency, whether that’s USD, CNH or another one entirely, and collect funds in CNH. It’s also the only payment service provider that’s integrated with 1688.com, one of China’s leading online B2B marketplaces. With World Pay, you can use your World Account balance to pay 1688.com suppliers in a few clicks and they’ll receive the funds instantly.

Wise Business doesn’t offer a CNH currency account for receiving funds. They’ve partnered with a licensed third-party payment provider, regulated by the People’s Bank of China, to allow payments in CNY, but strict guidelines apply to who can use this service.¹⁰

Multi-currency cards

World Card is a multi-currency debit card that supports payments in 150+ currencies, wherever Mastercard is accepted. World Account holders can apply for a World Card for free online to streamline business spending and manage expenses.

When using the World Card to make payments in 15 supported currencies, you pay zero foreign exchange fees (as long as you have sufficient funds in your account in that currency).

You can get up to 20 virtual World Cards at no extra cost and simplify accounting by setting custom limits for each card.

As an added bonus, every payment earns you 1% cashback* every month.

*T&Cs apply.

Wise also offers multi-currency debit cards for businesses. The debit card is powered by Mastercard and linked to the Wise Business account.

Wise Business users can get one physical card and up to three virtual cards at a time.⁹ The card supports transactions in 40+ currencies.⁶ Wise doesn’t offer cashback.

Both the World Card and Wise card use 3D Secure (an additional layer of protection at checkout for online transactions) to prevent card fraud.⁷ You’ll receive a 6-digit verification code, usually via SMS or email.

WorldFirst or Wise: Which is better for global businesses?

The right payment provider for you will depend on your exact business needs. The key differences between WorldFirst and Wise Business lie in what they charge – and which currencies they support.

Sources:

https://wise.com/nz/business/
https://wise.com/nz/pricing/business
https://wise.com/nz/large-amounts/
https://newsroom.wise.com/en-CAS/223579-wise-unveils-new-look-as-it-reaches-16-million-customers-served-worldwide-and-continues-global-expansion
https://wise.com/help/articles/2571907/what-currencies-can-i-send-to-and-from
https://wise.com/nz/business/card
https://wise.com/help/articles/2935771/where-will-my-wise-card-work
https://wise.com/help/articles/2932693/how-is-wise-regulated-in-each-country-and-region
https://wise.com/help/articles/2935762/how-do-i-order-a-wise-card
https://wise.com/help/articles/2955298/guide-to-cny-transfers
https://wise.com/help/articles/1AqrRndtxosydM2GLR3U6T/getting-started-with-your-wise-digital-card

Disclaimer: The information contained is general only and largely our views. Before acting on the information you should consider whether it is appropriate for you, in light of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Although information has been obtained from and is based upon multiple sources the author believes to be reliable, we do not guarantee its accuracy and it may be incomplete or condensed. All opinions, estimates, mentioned products/services and referenced material constitute the author’s own judgement as of the date of the briefing and are subject to change without notice. WorldFirst shall not be responsible for any losses or damages arising from your reliance of such information.

Based in Sydney, Jim is responsible for the WorldFirst business across Australia and New Zealand. He brings with him over 25 years of experience helping Business Owners, CFO’s and Treasury Managers overcome the challenges with cross border payments and navigating volatile foreign exchange markets.

Jim Vrondas

Author

Country Manager ANZ at WorldFirst

The simpler way to pay and get paid

Save money, time, and have peace of mind when expanding your global business.

Get started

Multi-currency accounts, competitive FX, and global transfers — Everything you need to pay and get paid internationally

Who We Are >

Named a Top Global Fintech Company by CNBC & Statista, we’ve supported 1.5M+ businesses since 2004.

WorldFirst vs Wise Business: Fees and features comparison

What is WorldFirst?

What is Wise Business?

WorldFirst vs Wise Business: The fees breakdown

Calculate how much you can save with WorldFirst

World Account vs Wise Business Account: Feature comparison

Supported currencies

Account-to-account transfers

Marketplace and payment gateway integration

Payments to China

Multi-currency cards

WorldFirst or Wise: Which is better for global businesses?

Continue reading

How to dropship from 1688

How to receive international payments: 3 top methods

How to pay international employees: A payroll guide for AU and NZ businesses

How to find new suppliers for your Amazon business?

Foreign transaction fee: Meaning and when it applies to you

Mastering the inventory equation as an Amazon seller

The simpler way to pay and get paid

Save money, time, and have peace of mind when expanding your global business.