How to choose a crypto card

There are dozens of crypto cards, and the differences that matter are not the ones on the glossy pages. Cashback percentages and metal finishes are easy to compare. Whether the card will still work after a month, and what it quietly charges on the way, are not. Below are the seven questions that decide it, and where our card lands on each.

1. Does it need your passport?

Exchange cards do, always, because the exchange is the custodian of your funds. Cards sold by resellers often say no and then require verification at a threshold. Ask what the threshold is and what happens at it. CryptoCardex opens the card with an email address; the per card limits in your account are the ceiling, and nothing asks for a document under them.

2. What does a top up really cost?

Three numbers: the percentage, the network fee, and the exchange rate if the card holds a currency other than the one you send. A card that advertises 1% but holds euros and sells you USDT at its own rate can cost more than one that charges 3% and credits dollars at one to one. Ours is the second kind: 3% plus the real network fee, USDT to US dollars at par.

3. Which currency is the balance in?

If you mostly pay US based services, a dollar balance avoids conversion on every charge. If the balance is in euros or a local currency, every dollar subscription costs a conversion fee. CryptoCardex balances are in US dollars; a purchase in any other currency is converted at the Mastercard rate plus 2.5%.

4. What is charged per purchase?

Look for a per transaction fee and for whether the issuing bank's fees are passed on. We charge $0.10 on each approved purchase over $1 and pass the issuer's own purchase fee on at cost. Both are printed on the pricing page, next to the line that says that anything not listed there is not charged.

5. Does it go into Apple Pay and Google Pay?

Many virtual cards do not, which rules out shops and contactless. If you need that, buy a card that says so plainly. Our virtual card is for online use only; the Apple Pay card at $59.99 goes into both wallets. The guide to the three cards explains the split.

6. Who issues it?

A card is only as reliable as its issuer and the licence behind it. A seller who will not say who issues the card is asking you to trust a logo. Our issuer and the rules we operate under are described in the AML and KYC policy, and the about page says who runs the service.

7. What happens when a payment fails?

It will, sooner or later, because merchants place holds and ad platforms get suspicious. The question is whether anyone answers. Support here is by email and Telegram through the contact page, and the most common failure causes are written up in one article so you can fix them yourself at three in the morning.

Where that leaves CryptoCardex

Email sign up, $49.99 once, a dollar balance topped up with USDT or USDC at par, 3% plus network fee on the way in, 2.5% only on non dollar purchases, $0.10 per purchase, no monthly fee, Mastercard acceptance, Apple Pay on the $59.99 card and a metal card at $459.99 for cash. If a different card scores better on the question that matters most to you, buy that one; the point of the checklist is that you know which question that is.

If you decide on ours

1. Open the card. Sign up with an email address and pay $49.99 once for the virtual Mastercard. The card number, expiry date and CVV appear in your account about two minutes later. No passport and no selfie.
2. Top it up with crypto. Send USDT or USDC on TRON, BNB Chain, Polygon or Ethereum to the deposit address shown in the account. The top up costs 3% plus the network fee, and the balance is held in US dollars.
3. Pay at the checkout. Enter the card like any other Mastercard: number, expiry, CVV, the name from your account and the billing address it asks for. The merchant sees an ordinary card payment, not crypto.

Questions people ask

Is a crypto card with cashback better?

Only if the cashback exceeds the fees, which it rarely does once conversion and monthly charges are counted. Compare the whole cost of a typical month, not the headline percentage.

Virtual or physical?

Virtual for everything online. Physical if you need cash or a card to hand over. Most people start virtual and add the physical card when they travel.

What is the catch with no KYC cards?

Limits. Unverified cards have ceilings per purchase and per balance. If you need to move tens of thousands a month, a verified product is the right tool.