Melio vs Plastiq (2026): Fees, Speed & Features Compared

A supplier asks for a bank transfer. A contractor wants a check. Your business credit card is sitting there with plenty of available credit, but the vendor does not accept cards.

That is the problem Melio and Plastiq are built to solve. Both let you fund a business payment with a card and have the recipient receive the money through another method, such as ACH, a wire or a paper check. The similarity is useful, but it can also make the two platforms look more interchangeable than they really are.

The difference becomes clearer once you look at how you pay bills.

Melio puts more emphasis on accounts payable, accounts receivable, accounting integrations, bank-funded payments and contractor tax workflows. Plastiq takes a more card-centered approach, with no monthly subscription, unlimited users and a stronger emphasis on payments to suppliers, including international payments.

That distinction drives much of the Melio vs Plastiq decision. A company paying dozens of domestic invoices from a bank account has different priorities from an importer putting large supplier payments on a business credit card.

The pricing also deserves a fresh look. Older comparisons often quote Plastiq’s card fee at 2.9%, but its published pricing now lists 2.99%. The figures below are based on the companies’ published pricing and information checked in September 2026.

Melio vs Plastiq: quick answer

Melio is generally the more economical choice for domestic bank-funded payments, especially when accounting integrations, contractor tax forms and invoicing matter. Its free ACH allowance can keep routine bill payments inexpensive.

Plastiq becomes more interesting when the card is central to your payment strategy. There is no monthly subscription, users are unlimited, and international supplier payments are a major part of the product’s proposition.

The choice gets even clearer when you consider payment volume. Someone making 10 ACH payments a month does not have the same cost calculation as a finance team processing 100. A company paying an overseas factory also has a very different set of requirements from a local service business.

Melio vs Plastiq at a glance

What is Melio?

Melio is a US business payment platform that covers accounts payable and accounts receivable. A company can pay a vendor by bank transfer, credit card, wire or check, then use the same platform to send invoices and collect customer payments.

That broader accounting workflow is an important part of the product. Melio is not limited to the question, “How can I get this supplier paid?” It also handles pieces of what happens before and after the payment.

The platform supports accounting connections, bill capture, invoice management, approval workflows and contractor tax tools as plans increase. It also supports businesses using QuickBooks and other accounting software rather than limiting the workflow to one accounting ecosystem.

Another important part of Melio’s pricing model is its free ACH allowance. Every plan includes a number of free ACH payments each month, with the allowance increasing as you move through the paid tiers.

For a landscaping company paying dozens of local suppliers, for example, that can matter more than saving a few cents on a card transaction. Most invoices may never need to touch a credit card at all.

What is Plastiq?

Plastiq started with a narrower problem: paying vendors with a credit card even when those vendors do not accept cards.

The basic process is straightforward. You enter the payment, Plastiq charges your card, and the recipient receives the funds through ACH, wire or check. The platform now operates under Priority and offers Pay for making payments, Accept for receiving payments and Connect for payment APIs.

Plastiq does not use a monthly subscription structure. Instead, accounts have access to features such as approvals, bulk payments, user roles and permissions, bill data capture and accounting synchronization, with fees generally attached to individual transactions.

That structure changes the calculation for a growing team. You do not have to add a subscription tier simply because several employees need access. The cost is concentrated around the payments themselves.

Melio vs Plastiq pricing and fees

Fees are one of the most important parts of this comparison because the platforms charge differently depending on how you fund and deliver a payment.

Melio combines subscription plans with transaction fees. Plastiq has no monthly subscription but charges transaction and delivery fees.

Melio subscription plans

New Melio accounts receive a 90-day trial with unlimited ACH payments. After the trial, an account that does not move to a paid plan falls back to Go. Melio also says data connected to premium features is deleted when the subscription ends, so businesses should export anything they need before downgrading.

Melio transaction fees

These fees create an important distinction: Melio’s paid plans are not automatically cheaper simply because they include more free ACH payments. The subscription also buys workflow features, users, approvals, accounting connections and tax tools.

Plastiq fees

Plastiq’s published pricing lists a 2.99% fee for card payments, with no account subscription. Delivery fees sit on top of that charge.

ACH delivery costs $0.99, paper checks cost $1.49, domestic wires cost $8.99 and international wires cost $39. Plastiq also lists expedited delivery options, with same-day and next-day services and overnight checks starting at 0.2%. Certain card types or networks can trigger an additional card network fee of around 0.05%, which is displayed before the payment is confirmed.

What the difference looks like on a $10,000 payment

Imagine a business paying a $10,000 supplier invoice by credit card and having the supplier receive an ACH payment.

With Melio, a 2.9% card fee comes to $290.

With Plastiq, 2.99% comes to $299, followed by the $0.99 ACH delivery charge, making the total $299.99.

The difference is $9.99 on a $10,000 transaction.

That is not a huge difference by itself. It becomes more noticeable across a high volume of payments, but card rewards can change the calculation again.

A card earning 2% cash back would return $200 on the $10,000 transaction. That leaves an approximate net cost of $90 with Melio and $100 with Plastiq before considering any other card terms.

The same calculation works with a 1.5% rewards card, although the savings are smaller.

The larger point is that a 2.9% or 2.99% payment fee needs a reason to exist. Rewards, payment float or an early-payment discount may justify it. Paying a card fee simply to avoid a free or inexpensive bank transfer usually does not.

Bank-funded payments: Melio has the cost advantage

This is one of the clearest differences in the Melio vs Plastiq comparison.

Plastiq lists a 0% base fee for bank-funded payments, but the $0.99 delivery charge remains. Melio provides free ACH payments up to the allowance attached to the plan, then charges $0.50 for additional ACH payments.

Consider two monthly workloads.

At 40 ACH payments, Melio Go would cost $17.50 for the 35 payments beyond the five-payment allowance. Plastiq would cost approximately $39.60 in delivery fees.

At 100 ACH payments, Melio Go would cost $47.50, compared with $99 through Plastiq.

The paid Melio plans need a closer look, though. Buying Core solely for the extra free ACH payments does not immediately pay for itself. The additional workflow capabilities can be much more valuable than the transfer allowance.

At the monthly rate, the Unlimited plan starts to outperform Go on ACH transfer costs alone at roughly 165 payments per month. For many companies, that is not the reason to upgrade. Approval workflows, accounting synchronization, tax forms and additional users are more compelling reasons.

Paying vendors by credit card

The basic card-payment experience is similar on both services. You enter the vendor information, select a delivery method, add your card and review the fee before confirming the payment.

The practical differences appear in card acceptance, international transactions and issuer restrictions.

Melio supports American Express through its app. Plastiq’s support for American Express has differed from what some older third-party reviews report, so businesses should verify the available card at checkout rather than relying on an old comparison.

International card payments also have restrictions. Melio supports Visa and Mastercard for global card payments. Plastiq requires a Visa Business or Mastercard for its global payment service and says consumer Capital One cards are not supported for global payments.

There is another variable that neither platform completely controls: the card issuer.

Some issuers treat rent, mortgage and similar third-party payment categories differently. A transaction can be declined or treated differently from a normal purchase. For a large payment, testing the workflow with a smaller transaction is a sensible precaution.

Using card payments for cash flow

The attraction of paying a supplier by credit card is not necessarily the rewards.

A business may simply want more time before cash leaves its bank account. The vendor gets paid through Melio or Plastiq, while the business settles the card balance later.

Plastiq makes this concept central to its positioning, presenting the card fee as a potential working-capital cost over a 60- to 90-day cycle.

The calculation only works when the card balance can be paid on time. Carrying a revolving balance at a high interest rate can wipe out the benefit of the payment float very quickly.

For a company waiting on customer invoices, the distinction can be meaningful. For a company already carrying card debt, adding another large payment may create a much more expensive problem.

Payment speed

Delivery times are worth checking before scheduling an important payment.

Melio’s comparison page, updated in February 2026, gives Melio faster delivery figures than Plastiq for certain routes. It lists same-day card-to-ACH delivery when scheduled before 9 p.m. ET, compared with up to three days for Plastiq. Card-to-check delivery is listed at five business days for Melio and eight for Plastiq.

There is an important qualification here. Plastiq’s own pricing page lists paid same-day and next-day options, so the comparison should not be treated as a simple “Melio is faster” rule. Expedited delivery has a price.

Melio’s instant bank transfer and same-day ACH option costs 1%, capped at $75. On a large invoice, that can be substantial. Scheduling payments before they become urgent is often the cheaper approach.

International payments: Plastiq has a stronger proposition

International payments are one area where Plastiq’s positioning is particularly clear.

Its global payments offering describes next-day wires to suppliers in more than 45 countries, payments in more than 20 currencies and a guaranteed market rate displayed through its calculator. The recipient does not need a Plastiq account.

Melio also supports international payments, including USD and local-currency payments.

A USD payment funded by bank transfer costs $20 through Melio. Faster USD delivery costs 1%, with a stated range of $30 to $95. A card-funded global payment adds the 2.9% card fee plus $20 for standard USD delivery or $30 for the faster route.

Consider a hypothetical $5,000 card-funded international payment:

• Melio: $145 card fee + $20 delivery = $165
• Plastiq: $149.50 card fee + $39 international delivery = $188.50

Those figures do not account for exchange-rate differences. That matters because the currency conversion rate can have a larger financial impact than a small difference in the published transaction fee.

The supplier’s country also matters. Check the supported destination and the final exchange rate shown during checkout before comparing the headline prices.

Accounting integrations and tax tools

For a company that lives in QuickBooks Online or Xero, Melio has a meaningful advantage.

Melio supports QuickBooks Online and Xero, with the free Go plan allowing up to 10 syncs and Core and higher plans allowing unlimited syncing. Boost adds QuickBooks Desktop support, while Unlimited adds NetSuite. Melio also offers an Amazon Business integration.

That matters because payment software can create another bookkeeping task when the accounting workflow is poorly connected. A payment that still needs to be manually entered into the ledger is not really saving much administrative work.

Plastiq includes accounting synchronization on every account, although its integration list is narrower and the product puts more emphasis on payment processing than on the wider accounting workflow.

Melio also goes further with contractor tax administration. Core and higher plans include W-9 collection, taxpayer ID validation and Tax1099 integration for e-filing.

Imagine a company paying 12 independent contractors throughout the year. Having W-9 information and 1099 preparation tied to the payment workflow may be more valuable than shaving a few dollars off individual payment fees.

If your bookkeeping is already centered on QuickBooks, it is also worth comparing Melio with QuickBooks Bill Pay before moving your payment process.

Approvals, users and team controls

Melio uses its subscription tiers to separate some of its team and approval features.

Custom approval workflows begin with Core. Boost adds advanced user roles, while Unlimited removes the per-user charge. Additional users on Core and Boost cost $10 per month each, or $8 when billed annually.

Plastiq takes a simpler route. Unlimited users, roles, permissions and approval workflows are included without a monthly subscription.

For a 12-person company where several employees submit or approve payments, that difference can become significant. Plastiq’s pricing does not increase simply because more team members need access.

Larger finance departments may need more sophisticated approval and audit functionality than either platform provides. In that situation, it is worth looking at Bill.com approval workflows as a separate category rather than assuming one of these two platforms will cover every finance-control requirement.

Getting paid: Melio’s accounts receivable tools

Melio is not only a bill-payment service.

All plans include invoicing, payment links and customer payment collection. Customers can pay by bank or card, with bank payments free to receive and card payments charged at 2.9%. The business can choose whether to absorb that card fee or pass it to the customer.

Plastiq Accept also allows customers to pay by card while the business receives the money through ACH or check, with Plastiq describing the receiver side as free.

That distinction matters when payment collection is part of the same workflow as outgoing bills. A service business that sends invoices every week may get more value from Melio’s broader AP and AR setup than from a platform focused primarily on card-funded payments.

If your customer payments already run through another processor, compare the complete workflow rather than just the transaction rate. The differences between Melio and Stripe can become important once recurring payments, checkout and customer records enter the picture.

Financing options

Both platforms provide ways to spread payment costs, but the terms are structured differently.

Plastiq’s short-term financing ranges from 2.75% to 10.65% per transaction and is available to registered businesses. On a $10,000 payment, that works out to between $275 and $1,065, depending on the rate offered.

Melio’s Pay over time option starts at 2.9%. It applies to payments funded through a bank account, is unavailable for the first payment and uses Lead Bank through Credit Key for lending.

These products should not be evaluated solely on their starting rates. Approval, eligibility and the actual offer presented to the business matter more than the advertised minimum.

Before accepting financing, check the total repayment amount and the lender’s disclosure. A payment method that solves a short-term cash-flow problem can become expensive when the financing cost is treated as an afterthought.

Security and compliance

Both platforms publish substantial security and compliance credentials.

According to Wise’s review, Plastiq has held PCI DSS Level 1 certification since 2015 and has a SOC 2 Type II report. Melio has SOC 2 Type II as well as ISO/IEC 27001, 27017 and 27018 certifications.

For day-to-day users, operational reliability is often more relevant than a list of certifications. A payment can still be delayed because a transaction needs review, a vendor’s information is incorrect or an ACH detail does not match.

That is why a new supplier should not be paid for the first time at the last possible minute. Send a smaller test payment when appropriate and give important payments some breathing room.

Customer support

Melio offers live chat and email support on every plan, priority chat from Core, and premium phone support on Boost and Unlimited.

Plastiq directs customers toward its help center and email support.

Phone support may matter to a finance team dealing with a payment problem close to a deadline. With Melio, that higher-touch support begins on a paid tier costing at least $55 per month.

For a business making occasional payments, paying for a subscription just to get phone support may not be worthwhile. For a company moving substantial amounts every week, response time can carry a different value.

Who should choose Melio?

Melio is particularly compelling when most payments are domestic and bank-funded.

Picture a landscaping company with 60 vendor bills each month. Most suppliers accept ACH, the bookkeeping runs through QuickBooks Online, and several contractors need W-9 documentation. Melio’s free ACH allowance, accounting synchronization and tax tools address several administrative tasks at once.

Another example is a consulting company that invoices customers while paying subcontractors. Having accounts receivable and accounts payable in the same platform can simplify the payment workflow.

Melio is also worth considering when your team needs more structured accounting controls as it grows. The paid tiers add approval workflows, user roles, additional integrations and other features beyond the basic payment function.

Who should choose Plastiq?

Plastiq becomes more attractive when credit-card-funded payments are a regular part of the financial strategy.

Consider an importer paying six overseas factories. A card-funded supplier payment can provide additional time before the cash leaves the business account, and Plastiq’s international wire capabilities may fit the payment schedule.

The absence of a monthly subscription also changes the economics for a company with a larger group of occasional users. Everyone can have access without adding individual seat charges.

Plastiq’s financing option may also be relevant for registered businesses making occasional large purchases, provided the financing offer is acceptable and the business can comfortably manage the repayment.

Can you use Melio and Plastiq together?

There is no requirement to choose only one.

A business could use Melio for routine domestic ACH payments and keep Plastiq for international supplier payments or situations where putting a large purchase on a card provides useful payment float.

That approach makes the most sense when the two platforms solve different problems rather than duplicating the same workflow.

For vendors who already accept PayPal, you may also want to compare PayPal business payments, since there is little reason to route every payment through a card-funded bill-pay platform when a vendor already offers a convenient direct payment method.

Frequently asked questions

Is Melio cheaper than Plastiq?

For bank-funded ACH payments, Melio is generally cheaper. Its plans include free ACH allowances, followed by a $0.50 fee for additional ACH payments. Plastiq charges $0.99 for ACH delivery.

Card payments are much closer, with Melio charging 2.9% and Plastiq charging 2.99% before delivery fees.

Does Plastiq charge a monthly fee?

No. Plastiq does not have a monthly subscription. Users pay transaction and delivery fees instead, and unlimited users are included.

Which is faster, Melio or Plastiq?

Melio’s comparison page lists same-day card-to-ACH delivery under certain conditions and compares that with up to three days for Plastiq. Both platforms also offer faster delivery options for additional fees, so the checkout estimate should be treated as the final reference for a specific payment.

Can I pay international vendors with Melio or Plastiq?

Yes. Both support international payments.

Plastiq emphasizes wires to more than 45 countries and payments in more than 20 currencies. Melio supports USD and local-currency payments, although its international network is described as narrower in the source comparison. Confirm the destination, delivery method, exchange rate and final fee before sending a large payment.

Do Melio and Plastiq work with QuickBooks?

Both provide accounting synchronization. Melio supports QuickBooks Online across its plans and QuickBooks Desktop on Boost and higher tiers. The exact integration available to you should be confirmed against your accounting setup before switching.

Did the Xero acquisition change Melio?

Xero completed its acquisition of Melio in October 2025. Melio has stated that it continues to support customers using QuickBooks and other accounting software, so the acquisition does not mean the platform is limited to Xero users. Current pricing and product details should still be checked directly before making a purchasing decision.

Melio vs Plastiq: final verdict

The simplest way to compare Melio and Plastiq is to start with the payment itself, not the feature checklist.

A company paying mostly domestic invoices from a bank account will usually get more mileage from Melio. Its free ACH allowance, low overage fee, accounting integrations, invoicing and contractor tax tools make it particularly practical for recurring finance work.

Plastiq is more compelling when the credit card is the starting point. Its 2.99% card fee is slightly higher than Melio’s 2.9%, but the platform has no monthly subscription, unlimited users and a stronger emphasis on global supplier payments.

The numbers can also change depending on volume. A few ACH payments a month will not create the same cost difference as 100 or more. Likewise, a company earning meaningful card rewards may view a 2.9% card fee differently from a company using a card simply because a supplier does not accept cards.

Before committing to either platform, take one real invoice and run the payment through both checkout processes. Look at the complete fee, delivery date, payment method and exchange rate where applicable. That final screen reflects the transaction you are actually about to make, which is more useful than relying on an old comparison built around pricing that may have changed.

For routine domestic bill pay and accounting-heavy workflows, Melio has the stronger case. For card-centered payments, unlimited users and international supplier transactions, Plastiq deserves a closer look.