Quick answer

For UK Amazon FBA sellers paying overseas suppliers, Wise Business wins on FX rates and predictability; Revolut Business wins on integrations and team features. We use Wise as our primary supplier-payment account because mid-market FX rates compound to thousands of pounds per year saved at our volume. We use Revolut alongside it for in-team expense cards and faster domestic transfers. Most UK FBA sellers under £50K monthly revenue should start with Wise Business and add Revolut later if needed.

What each account actually is

Wise Business (formerly TransferWise): a multi-currency business account specialising in cheap international FX. UK regulated. Local account details in 9+ currencies. Mid-market exchange rates with a transparent fee per transfer.

Revolut Business: a UK-regulated business account with stronger feature breadth — corporate cards, expense management, sub-accounts, integrations, FX (with monthly free allowance, then markup).

Both are FCA-regulated. Both protect deposits via FSCS-equivalent safeguarding (not FSCS itself — they're EMIs not banks). Both work for receiving Amazon UK payouts and paying suppliers globally.

What matters for UK Amazon FBA sellers

Five criteria that actually move the needle:

  1. FX cost when paying overseas suppliers — Asian wholesale, US tools, EU brands
  2. Receiving Amazon disbursements in GBP without conversion losses
  3. Sending payments to UK suppliers (BACS / Faster Payments)
  4. Card spend on stock purchases + tools (TopCashBack, repricer subs, etc.)
  5. Integration with accounting (Xero, Link My Books)

Let's compare on each.

1. FX cost — Wise wins clearly

Wise: mid-market rate + a transparent fee per transfer (typically 0.43% for major currencies). What you see is what you pay.

Revolut: free FX up to a monthly limit (varies by tier — £10K–£50K free per month), then 0.6% on top of mid-market for major currencies, 1.5% on weekends. After the monthly limit, rates worsen further.

Worked example — paying a £10,000 USD supplier invoice:

WiseRevolut (within free allowance)Revolut (above allowance)Traditional UK bank
Rate basisMid-marketMid-marketMid-market + 0.6%Bank-spread (often 3–5%)
Fee~£43£0£60£25–£40 (plus rate spread)
Effective cost£43£0£60£300–£500

For Amazon FBA sellers paying USD/EUR/CNY suppliers, Wise saves £300–£500 per £10K transfer vs traditional banks. Vs Revolut: at low volume Revolut is free, at scale Wise wins.

Real numbers from Emporify: across 2025 we paid ~£280K in non-GBP supplier payments. Switching from a high-street bank to Wise saved us roughly £8,400 in FX. That's a full-time VA's quarterly salary.

2. Receiving Amazon disbursements

Both accounts give you GBP details for receiving Amazon UK payouts directly. Same speed, same reliability.

Tie.

3. Sending UK payments (Faster Payments / BACS)

Wise: Faster Payments included on Business tier (free for first ~10/month, then £0.20/payment). BACS available.

Revolut: Faster Payments included on all tiers (limits vary). BACS available.

Slight edge to Revolut if you're sending 50+ UK payments per month (cheaper at high volume). Negligible difference for typical FBA operations.

4. Card spend

Wise: physical and virtual debit cards. No spend rewards. Useful but boring.

Revolut: physical and virtual cards, multi-currency with auto-FX, team cards with permissions, expense management. Up to 1% cashback on certain card types.

Revolut wins if you're managing a team's expense spend. For solo operators, neither is significantly better than alternatives like Capital on Tap (which gives 1% cashback unconditionally).

For UK Amazon FBA stock purchases specifically, we use Capital on Tap as the primary card (1% cashback compounds to thousands at our volume) and reserve Wise / Revolut cards for direct-debit subscriptions.

5. Accounting integration

Wise: native Xero integration. Auto-syncs every transaction. Categorises FX gains/losses cleanly. Excellent for VAT-registered FBA sellers.

Revolut: Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent integrations. More fields but slightly more manual setup.

Slight edge to Wise for FBA-specific use because Link My Books (which most established UK FBA sellers use) syncs cleanest with Wise + Xero. See best uk fba accountant amazon sellers.

Tier pricing (May 2026)

Wise Business:

Revolut Business:

For a typical UK FBA seller: Wise's no-monthly-fee model is cheaper unless you need Revolut's premium features (sub-accounts, advanced expense management).

Where each wins decisively

Wise wins decisively when:

Revolut wins decisively when:

What we actually use at Emporify

Wise Business as primary:

Revolut Business as secondary:

Capital on Tap for stock purchases (1% cashback unconditional).

Total stack cost: ~£20/month (Revolut Grow) + per-transaction fees on Wise. Cheaper than a single Barclays Business account would be.

Common mistakes UK FBA sellers make

1. Using a high-street bank for international suppliers

Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds business FX rates: typically 3–5% above mid-market. On £10K of supplier payments per month, that's £300–£500/month bleeding out. Switch to Wise immediately.

2. Holding all working capital in GBP

If you regularly pay in USD/EUR, hold balances in those currencies via Wise's local accounts. Saves repeat conversions.

3. Not integrating Wise with Xero

Manual reconciliation eats hours per month. Native integration auto-categorises and tags FX gains/losses cleanly.

4. Choosing Revolut for "more features" without needing them

The features cost £19–£79/month. Worth it for managed teams; wasted for solo operators.

5. Using business debit cards for stock spend instead of credit cards

Debit cards = no cashback, no float, no buyer protection on expensive purchases. Use a 1% cashback business credit card like Capital on Tap or Amex Business Gold for stock.

FAQ

Is Wise Business better than Revolut Business for UK Amazon FBA?

For most UK FBA sellers, yes. Wise has cheaper FX at any scale and a no-monthly-fee model. Revolut wins on team expense management and free FX up to monthly limits. Most UK FBA sellers under £100K monthly revenue should start with Wise.

Are Wise Business and Revolut Business protected by FSCS?

Neither is a bank, so neither is covered by FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme). Both are FCA-regulated EMIs (electronic money institutions) and use safeguarding — your funds are held in segregated accounts at major UK banks. Risk is lower than unregulated providers but slightly higher than a fully-licenced bank.

Can I receive Amazon UK payouts to Wise or Revolut?

Yes — both provide GBP account details (sort code + account number) accepted by Amazon Seller Central for disbursements. Same reliability as a traditional bank account.

What FX rate does Wise Business use?

Mid-market (interbank) rate plus a transparent fee per transfer (typically 0.43% for major currencies). What you see is what you pay — no hidden spread.

Does Revolut Business charge for FX?

Free up to a monthly limit (varies by tier: Free tier £100K/year, paid tiers £10K–£50K/month). Above the limit, 0.6% markup on weekdays, 1.5% on weekends.

Which is better for paying USD or CNY suppliers?

Wise. The mid-market rate plus 0.43% fee is consistently cheaper than Revolut's 0.6% above-allowance rate. For a £10K USD payment, Wise costs ~£43 vs Revolut's £60.

Can I integrate Wise with Xero for VAT-registered Amazon sellers?

Yes — Wise has a native Xero integration that auto-syncs transactions and categorises FX gains/losses cleanly. Combined with Link My Books for Amazon settlement, this is the cleanest accounting stack for UK FBA. See best uk fba accountant amazon sellers.

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