Accounting · head to head
Hnry vs Mesh Payments
Hnry
Accounting
Accounting for sole traders and the self-employed
- From
- 1/per $100 income
- Rated
- -
Mesh Payments
Accounting
Virtual card and spend management platform aimed at SaaS and travel spend
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Mesh Payments has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Hnry service limited to self-employed sole traders in New Zealand only; Mesh Payments cashback only applies above a monthly spend threshold published at around fifty thousand dollars, so smaller programmes pay the per user fee and never see the rebate that justifies it.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Hnry and Mesh Payments actually diverge.
| Attribute | Hnry | Mesh Payments |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | 1/per $100 income | Free |
| Pricing model | usage-based | Per user per month |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web | Web, iOS, Android |
Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Accounting).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Hnry
Nothing recorded that Mesh Payments does not also cover.
Only in Mesh Payments
- Per vendor virtual cards
- Physical and virtual employee cards
- Subscription and renewal tracking
- Receipt capture and matching
- Approval workflows
- Travel spend controls
- Accounting sync
- Cashback programme
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Hnry
- Calculating quarterly tax without manual bookkeepingnot Mesh Payments
- Logging expenses via photo instantlynot Mesh Payments
- Sending unlimited invoices with auto-follow-upnot Mesh Payments
- Automatically withholding income taxes year-roundnot Mesh Payments
Mesh Payments
- A software company trying to stop shadow SaaS renewals by giving every vendor its own capped cardnot Hnry
- A finance team that wants receipts matched at the point of spend rather than chased at month endnot Hnry
- A business issuing single use cards for contractor and agency payments with hard limitsnot Hnry
- A team funding trip specific spend with a card that expires when the trip endsnot Hnry
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Hnry
- Service limited to self-employed sole traders in New Zealand only
- 1% + GST fee with $1,500 annual maximum cap
- Minimum $0.50 fee per transaction for payments under $50
Mesh Payments
- Cashback only applies above a monthly spend threshold published at around fifty thousand dollars, so smaller programmes pay the per user fee and never see the rebate that justifies it.
- Revenue depends on interchange, which means Mesh has a structural interest in card spend running through its rails and less incentive to support bank transfer or direct debit payment methods that many suppliers prefer.
- Card issuing is limited to the entities and countries Mesh's issuing partners support, so groups with subsidiaries outside that footprint must run a second card programme and lose the single view they bought Mesh for.
- The free Pro tier caps at three users, which is below the size at which spend control actually becomes a problem, so it functions as a trial rather than a usable plan.
- It is a spend and card tool rather than an accounts payable system, so invoice heavy businesses still need a separate AP platform and end up reconciling two sources of supplier spend.
Pricing, plan by plan
Hnry
1/per $100 incomeNo published plan breakdown. See the Hnry review.
Mesh Payments
Free- ProFree
- Up to 3 users
- Virtual and physical cards
- Receipt capture
- Premium$13/month
- Unlimited users
- Approval workflows
- Subscription management
- Enterprise$undefined/month
- Multi entity support
- SSO and advanced controls
- Custom approval hierarchies
Which should you pick?
Choose Hnry if
Nothing in the data separates Hnry from Mesh Payments on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.
Choose Mesh Payments if
- You need per vendor virtual cards.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want physical and virtual employee cards.
Questions people ask
- Is Hnry or Mesh Payments better?
- Neither clearly leads. Hnry starts at 1/per $100 income and Mesh Payments at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Hnry or Mesh Payments?
- Mesh Payments has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at 1/per $100 income for Hnry and Free for Mesh Payments.
- Does Hnry or Mesh Payments run on more platforms?
- Hnry runs on Web. Mesh Payments runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Mesh Payments for free?
- Yes. Mesh Payments has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Hnry starts at 1/per $100 income.
- What is Hnry best used for?
- Hnry is most often used for calculating quarterly tax without manual bookkeeping, logging expenses via photo instantly, sending unlimited invoices with auto-follow-up, automatically withholding income taxes year-round. Of those, calculating quarterly tax without manual bookkeeping and logging expenses via photo instantly are not what Mesh Payments is typically brought in for.
- What can Hnry do that Mesh Payments cannot?
- Mesh Payments covers Per vendor virtual cards, Physical and virtual employee cards, Subscription and renewal tracking, Receipt capture and matching.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Hnry: How much does Hnry charge?
Hnry charges 1% plus GST of independent income paid into your Hnry Bank Account, with a maximum annual fee of $1,500. Minimum fee is $0.50 per payment for transactions under $50.
SourceMesh Payments: Is the free plan really free?
Yes for up to three users, with cards and receipt capture included. Beyond three users you move to the paid tier.
Hnry: Are there joining fees for Hnry?
No, Hnry has no joining fees, upfront payments, or credit card required to sign up.
SourceMesh Payments: How does Mesh make money on a thirteen dollar plan?
Interchange on card spend. The subscription is a minority of revenue, which is why the cashback programme has a monthly spend threshold attached.
Hnry: Is the Hnry fee tax deductible?
Yes, Hnry automatically claims its fees as a business expense on your behalf, making them tax-deductible.
SourceMesh Payments: Can Mesh replace our accounts payable process?
Not fully. It controls card spend well but invoice capture, supplier onboarding and payment runs are better served by a dedicated AP tool.
Related pages
More on Mesh Payments
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