Gimme Swag: opening new doors with Airwallex

Gimme Swag: impressions worth collecting

At first glance, Gimme Swag appears to make toys and other collectibles. And they certainly do: The company crafts branded, one-of-a-kind toys, releasing them through limited-edition drops that help brands engage more with loyal fans. But there's so much more behind the soft fabrics and eye-catching figurines – namely, the experience that goes with them.

Gimme Swag works with the world’s most exciting content creators and game companies, producing collectibles that bring their brands to life. As an end-to-end partner, Gimme Swag handles design, production, fulfillment, and customer service – meaning creators can focus entirely on their work. With unique “swag” in hand, creators can delight audiences across the globe—and share a piece of their brand that fans can touch, display, and cherish.

The challenge

The international expansion problem

As Gimme Swag expanded into new markets, CEO Daven Johnson identified one key pain point: The company lacked a centralized platform to accept audience payments and payout to international vendors and partners, all in their preferred currencies.

While implementing solutions for accepting payments in multiple currencies, Daven found that conversions came with their own challenges. Hidden fees and pricey exchange rates quickly cut into revenue, while imprecise currency conversions created needless friction.

Before Airwallex, Daven primarily used PayPal (alongside a few other payment partners). While PayPal does accept payments in different currencies, he explains that the final numbers can sometimes be difficult to reconcile. For Gimme Swag, additional partners also provide greater reliability and flexibility.

Daven Johnson

Founder & CEO of Gimme Swag

“We just want to continue to expand, which is why we’re always looking for strong global partners."

While local partners are always an option, he explains, managing multiple entities is unnecessarily time-consuming and complex.

Daven further highlights the importance of customization and clear communication, especially when dealing with international customers and partners. “When we’re presenting product costs, we don’t want to display an incorrect conversion or prices in an unfamiliar currency. This might confuse a potential customer, and we may lose them as a result.”

The solution

Airwallex: the universal language of payments

With Airwallex, Daven can confidently approach payment acceptance. As Gimme Swag scales, he’s particularly thrilled to meet customers where they are and save on growing international transactions along the way. Even better? He can do it all with one Airwallex solution.

“Let’s say we continue to expand in Korea,” Daven says. “Or perhaps further markets in Latin America or Europe – where we already have a very strong presence, we can make things as easy and convenient as possible by conducting smooth local transactions and prioritizing their preferred currencies and payment methods. We’re letting our clients know that we hear and support them – and that’s critical to our business.” 

With Airwallex as its partner, Daven can not only expand Gimme Swag’s global presence to better serve its customers but also provide them with the convenience of local payment methods and familiar pricing in their preferred currencies.

Reimagining relationships with vendors

Along the way, Daven sees great potential for Gimme Swag’s vendor relationships – the company’s production centers, manufacturers, and more. With Airwallex, Daven can pay international vendors immediately – on the same day or even faster. The result? Greater trust and loyalty – along with quicker service over time.

Airwallex also wins out when it comes to cost-efficiency. For Daven, access to the interbank FX rate – without hidden transaction fees or forced conversions – opens the door to stronger partnerships abroad. 

“Let’s say I have to pay out royalties to a partner down in Australia,” Daven says. “He might initially request it through PayPal. But if there’s an option to use local transfer rails without incurring additional fees on his side, he’d probably opt for that instead.”

Cost-efficient integrations and accounts

Gimme Swag also gets more out of other payment partnerships by leveraging powerful integrations. As the company expands, Daven looks forward to harnessing Airwallex’s PayPal integration – and skipping the conversion fees he’d encounter with PayPal alone. 

In this case, Gimme Swag’s Airwallex account functions as a local currency account. The company can transfer funds from PayPal to its Airwallex account in its original currency, circumventing any associated conversion fees typically charged by PayPal.

Headache-free set-up, followed by ongoing support

According to Daven, getting started with Airwallex was seamless: "Onboarding was quick and intuitive, while our product docs were easy to digest." 

But where Airwallex's service stands out, he explains, is continued support – its efficiency, thoroughness, and consistency.

“Airwallex is accessible and reachable,” he says. “There weren’t any hoops to jump through to get someone to answer a question – your team is incredibly white-glove. And beyond that, your team also flagged a few transactions we needed to look at. Things like that are super helpful, especially because we aren’t living in the portal right now.”

A new era of growth and partnerships

When it comes to payments and cash flow, Airwallex has already eliminated several of Gimme Swag’s expansion hurdles. But the path ahead is even more exciting. Daven explains that Airwallex will be vital for strategic planning and partnerships, simpler and more flexible payouts, and new local payment methods (LPMs) to accept funds from customers. 

“I see Airwallex as a one-stop shop for payment acceptances, global payouts, and so much more,” Daven says. “Now, we can do so many things, meaning we can level up in different ways.”

As for what’s next, Daven feels more optimistic than ever. 

“Here’s how I’d put it to other businesses: you can start in one place with Airwallex, and then you can grow.”

Daven Johnson

Founder & CEO of Gimme Swag

“I see Airwallex as a one-stop shop for payment acceptances, global payouts, and so much more. Here’s how I’d put it to other businesses: you can start in one place with Airwallex, and then you can grow.”