Airwallex Setup Guide for Faculty

The Global Conservatory is operated by Kalinklo Limited, a Hong Kong-registered company. We picked Airwallex as our recommended payout rail for three reasons:

1. Same-jurisdiction trust

Airwallex was founded in Hong Kong in 2015 and is licensed by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. They understand the regulatory framework, the foreign-exchange landscape, and the cross-border movement of money in our region better than any US-centric processor.

2. Built for the global gig economy

Airwallex was designed from day one for businesses paying out to contractors in many countries. Companies like Shopify, McLaren, Brex, Qantas, Xero, Afterpay, and SHEIN use Airwallex for the same reason we do — it converts and deposits in 130+ countries' local currencies at institutional FX rates, not the punishing retail rates traditional banks and PayPal use.

3. Faculty get more money

For a $100 payout to, say, a teacher in Brazil:

• PayPal typically takes 4-5% in international fees plus a punishing FX margin (usually 4% or more above the mid-market rate). Net to faculty: roughly $87-90.
• Airwallex converts at institutional FX (typically 0.5-1% above mid-market) and deposits to a local Brazilian bank account in BRL. Net to faculty: roughly $97-99.

Over a year of weekly lessons, the difference is hundreds of dollars staying with the teacher instead of disappearing into payment-processor fees.

Airwallex is a regulated financial services company offering business and individual accounts that:

• Receive payments from anywhere in the world (in this case, from us)
• Hold balance in multiple currencies if you want
• Convert between currencies at near-mid-market rates
• Deposit to your local bank account, in your local currency, automatically or on demand

This is what airwallex.com looks like today — the homepage every faculty member will land on:

↑ The Airwallex homepage. The purple "Get started" button (top right or in the hero) is what you'll click to begin sign-up.

They are licensed and regulated by major financial authorities including the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), and equivalent regulators in the US, EU, Singapore, and elsewhere. Your money is held in segregated accounts, not commingled with Airwallex's operating funds.

It is not a cryptocurrency, an investment platform, or a high-fee wire service. Think of it as a modern, regulated, low-cost, cross-border alternative to a traditional bank's international transfer service.

Before you start, gather:

• A government-issued photo ID (passport, driver's license, or national ID card)
• Proof of address (bank statement, utility bill, or government letter, less than 3 months old)
• Your local bank account number (or IBAN, depending on your country)
• Your tax ID number (if your country requires one)

↑ Click Get started in the top-right purple button, OR enter your email in the hero form (highlighted in gold).

↑ The sign-up page. Type your email, click Get started, and continue to the next step.

↑ The KYC step. Upload front + back of your ID and a selfie holding it. Most approvals come back in under 5 minutes.

Once your account is set up, you can log in to your Airwallex dashboard any time at:

https://www.airwallex.com — click "Log in" in the top right (the purple text link, just to the left of the "Get started" button).

Sign in with your email and password. Airwallex uses two-factor authentication (2FA) by default — you'll receive a code via SMS or authenticator app to confirm each login. Keep 2FA turned on; it protects your money.

Once you're signed in, you'll see a dashboard like this. Your balances, recent incoming payments (from us), and withdrawal options are all on the home screen:

↑ A typical TGC faculty dashboard. Your TGC payouts arrive each week, you can hold them in any currency, withdraw any time.

From the dashboard you can:

• View your balance in any currency you've held money in
• See incoming payments (from us, week by week)
• Trigger or schedule withdrawals to your local bank
• Convert balances between currencies at the displayed FX rate
• Update your tax forms or banking details
• Order a free virtual or physical Airwallex debit card (if you want to spend the balance directly)

Once your Airwallex account is set up:

Once you're connected, your payout cycle looks like this:

• Day 0 — lesson completed. The student attended and the lesson was delivered.
• Day 7 — payout released. Seven calendar days after each completed lesson, we send your full rate to your Airwallex account in USD.
• Day 7-9 — funds visible in Airwallex. Usually instant; occasionally takes 1-2 business days for international transfers.
• Day 7-12 — local bank deposit. If you've enabled auto-withdrawal to your local bank, the funds convert to your local currency and arrive in 1-3 business days.

You can see every payment in your Airwallex dashboard and in your TGC teacher portal under /teacher/earnings — both views stay in sync.

We support PayPal as an alternative, but the actual maths matters. Here's a real example, $100 payout from us, going to a teacher in Brazil:

For a faculty member earning $1,000/month, the difference between Airwallex and PayPal can easily be $30–50/month in unnecessary fees. Over a year, that's $360-600 staying with you instead of with PayPal. Over five years, that's a great holiday — paid for by switching to Airwallex.

This is why we strongly encourage Airwallex. But the choice is yours, and you can switch any time in your /teacher/profile.

Is Airwallex really free?

Yes. Personal accounts have no monthly fee, no setup fee, no minimum balance. The only cost is a small FX margin if you convert currencies — and that's much smaller than PayPal's.

Is my money safe?

Airwallex is regulated by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the UK FCA, ASIC in Australia, and equivalent bodies in the US and EU. Customer funds are held in segregated accounts at major banks (HSBC, Barclays, etc.) — not on Airwallex's balance sheet — so they're protected even in the unlikely event of company failure.

Can I use Airwallex if I'm not in Hong Kong?

Yes. Airwallex serves individual customers in 130+ countries. You'll get a local-currency account in your home country (BRL in Brazil, INR in India, GBP in the UK, etc.). The full list is on the Airwallex website under "Solutions → Global accounts."

Does Airwallex report to my tax authority?

Airwallex complies with local reporting laws — for US faculty earning over $600/year, they issue a 1099. They also handle GDPR-compliant data processing. You're still personally responsible for your own tax return.

What if Airwallex doesn't operate in my country?

Use PayPal. The full list of supported Airwallex countries is on the Airwallex website — check there before signing up if you're unsure.

Can I switch from PayPal to Airwallex later?

Yes — any time, in /teacher/profile. The change takes effect on your next payout.

Do I need a business / company to sign up?

No. Airwallex offers personal accounts for individual professionals. Most TGC faculty sign up as individuals.

How do I get help with Airwallex itself?

Airwallex has 24/7 chat support inside the dashboard (bottom-right of every page). For TGC-specific questions about how payouts route, email us at info@theglobalconservatory.com.