Wise vs Revolut Business vs Mercury: which account in 2026
What each account charges to receive, convert and send money, and which kind of business each one suits.
On this page
Wise is the cheapest of the three for converting currencies, Mercury is a US business bank with no wire fees on dollars, and Revolut Business sells plans with a monthly fee and a currency allowance. Pick by where your business is based, which currencies you invoice in and how much you convert each month.
What each account is
Wise Business is a multi-currency account built around the mid-market exchange rate. Wise's business pricing page lists conversion fees from 0.23%, depending on the currency, a one-time setup fee of $31 and local account details in 22 currencies. Local details mean your clients can pay you by domestic transfer in their own country instead of an international wire.
Mercury is a US business banking platform. Mercury's pricing page lists three plans: Mercury at $0 a month, Mercury Plus at $29.90 and Mercury Pro at $299. Domestic wires are free on all three, and so are USD international wires on the standard option. Non-USD international wires carry a 1% currency exchange fee. The page also states up to $5M of FDIC insurance. Mercury is aimed at US-based companies, so check its current eligibility rules for your entity before you plan around it.
Revolut Business sells plan tiers. According to WorldFirst's Revolut review, UK plans start from £10 a month for Basic, with higher tiers above it. Each plan includes a monthly currency exchange allowance of £1,000 on Basic, £15,000 on Grow and £60,000 on Scale. Past the allowance, exchange costs 0.6%, with an extra 1% outside market hours. International transfers cost £5 each beyond the plan allowance. Sources disagree on the exact prices of the higher tiers, so read Revolut's own fee page for your country before you decide.
A $5,000 example
Say a US client pays you $5,000 and you want to end up holding euros. Here is what the published fees suggest. These are illustrations, because your plan, country and the day you convert all change the result.
Wise: converting at the lowest listed rate of 0.23% costs $11.50. A currency pair priced at 0.5% would cost $25. If the client pays by ACH into your USD details, receiving is free. If they send a wire, Wise's receiving page lists a fixed $6.11 fee for a USD wire.
Mercury: the $5,000 arrives free in USD. Sending it onward as a non-USD international wire costs 1%, which is $50. Mercury is not built to be a cheap currency converter. It is built to be a clean US dollar account.
Revolut Business Basic: the £1,000 monthly allowance covers roughly the first $1,300 at no charge. The remaining $3,700 or so costs 0.6% during market hours, about $22, and more if you convert at the weekend. A higher plan raises the free allowance but adds a monthly fee, so it only pays for itself if you convert regularly.
On this invoice, Wise is cheapest in most cases and Mercury is the most expensive way to convert. That does not make Mercury a bad account. If you invoice and spend in US dollars, you never pay that 1%.
Where you are based decides more than the fees
Fee tables are the easy part. The harder question is whether you can open the account at all.
Mercury is a US product. If your business is not a US company, find out whether you are eligible before you spend time comparing its fees. The same warning applies to card issuance and service availability, which can change by country.
Revolut Business is strongest in the UK and Europe. Its full UK banking licence came through on 11 March 2026. According to Tech.eu's report, the regulator lifted the restrictions on the licence Revolut received in 2024, which had capped customer deposits at £50,000. UK customers now get the protections of a licensed bank, including FSCS cover. If you bank in the UK, that matters more than a small difference in conversion fees. The product you can open in other countries differs, so check the country page.
Wise is available in many countries and gives you local account details in the main invoicing currencies without needing a US or UK company. For a business based outside the US and UK that invoices in dollars, euros and pounds, it is often the practical default.
Whatever you pick, read the account's own terms for your country. Availability, limits and card rules change.
What the fees do not show
A comparison table leaves out three things that decide the real cost.
Currency pairs are priced separately. Wise's "from 0.23%" is the floor, not the price for every pair. Use the calculator for the exact pair and amount before you invoice.
Plans are a bet on volume. A Revolut plan with a monthly fee only beats Basic if the free allowance saves you more than the fee. For a business that converts a few thousand dollars a month, Basic or Wise usually wins.
Your client's side can cost more than yours. If a client pays through a card processor or PayPal first, their payment fee comes before any of the account fees above. Our post on what cross-border payments cost walks through that layer, and multi-currency invoicing explains how to choose the invoice currency so you convert less.
Which one to pick
Choose by pattern, not by brand.
If you are outside the US and UK and invoice in dollars, euros and pounds, start with Wise. Local details in the main currencies and a low conversion fee fit most small service businesses.
If you run a US company, invoice and spend in dollars, and want free domestic wires and strong FDIC cover, Mercury fits. Use another account when a non-USD invoice arrives.
If you are based in the UK or Europe and want one account for payments, cards and multiple currencies, price Revolut Business Basic against the plan above it using your real monthly conversion volume.
For a business in the UAE, our guide to business bank accounts in the UAE covers local banks and the questions to ask. Many people end up with a local account plus one multi-currency account.
How Delivvo works with whichever account you choose
Delivvo does not hold your money, so the account choice stays yours. The client pays through a gateway you connect, and the gateway pays out to your bank or multi-currency account. Delivvo takes 0% of every payment and is never the merchant of record. If you change accounts later, you change the payout setting at the gateway and your invoices, contracts and client history stay exactly where they are.
The flow:
- A client fills in your inquiry form, and you send a quote built from your packages and add-ons.
- The client signs the contract and pays the deposit from the same link.
- In your payment settings you connect a processor such as Stripe, PayPal or Square, and set the payout account at the processor.
- Each invoice is numbered in order, carries your business details and shows a Pay button. A payment schedule of up to 12 payments splits larger projects.
- You deliver the files through the client portal, and the money line shows what has been paid and what is outstanding.
The concrete detail is the verification code on every invoice and receipt. A client's finance team, your bank or your accountant can enter the code and see the issuer, number, dates, amount and status. That helps when a multi-currency account asks for proof of where a payment came from.
Clients open the portal with a one-time code, so nobody has to remember another password. See the payments page for the gateways, and the no transaction fees page for what Delivvo charges, which is nothing on top of your gateway.
For the wider picture, see how payments work and the CRM for service businesses.
FAQ
Is Wise cheaper than Revolut Business?
For converting currencies, usually yes. Wise lists conversion from 0.23%. Revolut Basic charges 0.6% after a £1,000 monthly allowance, with an extra 1% outside market hours. A higher Revolut plan raises the allowance for a monthly fee.
Can I open a Mercury account if I am not in the US?
Mercury is a US business banking platform. Eligibility depends on your entity and country, so check its current rules on the Mercury site before you apply.
Does Mercury charge for wires?
Domestic wires and standard USD international wires are free. Non-USD international wires carry a 1% currency exchange fee, according to its pricing page.
Which account is best for receiving dollars from US clients?
Wise gives you USD account details, and ACH receiving is free. Mercury works if you have a US company. Compare the receiving fees for your exact payment method, because wires and ACH are priced differently.
Do these accounts take a cut of my client payments?
Their fees are for converting and sending money, not for taking a share of sales. Your payment gateway or card processor charges its own fees before the money reaches the account. Delivvo takes 0% on top.
Delivvo runs the whole client cycle for service businesses, from the first inquiry to the quote, contract, deposit, invoice and delivery, so getting paid into the account you chose is the last step and not a project of its own. Clients pay you directly through your own gateway, and Delivvo takes 0%. Start free