Image: ether.fi
ether.fi Cash Card review: fees, cashback and limits
Self-custody Visa with 3% back and the option to borrow instead of sell.
Quick answer
ether.fi Cash is a self-custody Visa card that pays 3% cashback on the free Core tier (on up to $2,000 of spend a month) and 4% on VIP. You can spend your balance or borrow against your crypto with no fixed repayment schedule. Physical cards cost $60 on Core, and FX runs about 1% plus up to 0.5% margin depending on tier.
ether.fi Cash at a glance
| Best for | Crypto holders who want strong cashback and would rather borrow against ETH or other assets than sell them. |
|---|---|
| Skip it if | You don't want any borrowing or liquidation risk, or you need a card in a country outside its roughly 85 supported markets. |
| Network | Visa |
| Card issuer | Third National |
| Custody | Self-custody (you keep control of your assets) |
| Card type | Credit-style card, spend or borrow against your assets |
| Virtual or physical | Virtual and physical |
| Cashback | 3% to 4% back |
| Annual fee | Core free. Luxe $199 a year (or qualify by deposits, staking or points). Pinnacle $999 a year (or qualify). VIP by invitation. |
| Apple Pay / Google Pay | Yes / Yes |
| Identity check (KYC) | Required |
| Where it works | Trackers list about 85 supported countries, including the UAE, Argentina, Australia and much of Europe. ether.fi says availability varies by region. |
ether.fi Cash fees
| Card cost | Core: 1 free virtual card, physical card $60 including shipping. Luxe and up: 1 free physical card. |
|---|---|
| Annual or membership fee | Core free. Luxe $199 a year (or qualify by deposits, staking or points). Pinnacle $999 a year (or qualify). VIP by invitation. |
| FX and cross-border | About 1% base FX rate plus margin: up to 0.5% on Core, up to 0.25% on Luxe, no added margin on Pinnacle and VIP |
| Crypto conversion | No separate conversion fee listed |
| ATM withdrawals | ATM withdrawals on all tiers. Free ATM withdrawals on Pinnacle and VIP (trackers list 10 a month). Limit $500 per withdrawal, 3 per rolling 24 hours. |
| Other fees | Borrowing has no fixed repayment schedule, but borrowed balances carry interest and liquidation risk if your collateral falls |
Visa applies its own exchange rate on top of any card markup. Check the fee page in the ether.fi Cash app for your country before you load money. To see what ether.fi Cash would cost you in a year compared with every other card, try the cost calculator.
What a $100 purchase costs with ether.fi Cash
These are ether.fi Cash's own fees on the Core tier, before the card network's exchange rate and any ATM or top-up costs. Its FX markup of 1.5% is higher than the median of 1% across the 60 cards we track with a published FX fee, and cheaper than 18 of them. For a full year based on your own spending, use the cost calculator.
Where it ranks by our score: #4 of 36 in Europe (EEA)#3 of 20 in United Kingdom#2 of 27 in Latin America#2 of 24 in Asia-Pacific#2 of 16 in Middle East
Cashback and rewards
- Core: 3% on up to $2,000 of spend a month (max about $60)
- Luxe: 3% on up to $10,000 a month, plus 10% back on subscriptions up to $10 a month
- Pinnacle: 3% on up to $50,000 a month, plus 20% on subscriptions up to $20 a month
- VIP: 4% on up to $50,000 a month, plus 30% on subscriptions up to $30 a month
- 5% back on ether.fi travel bookings, all tiers
| Tier | Price or requirement | Cashback | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | Free | 3% (to $2K/mo) | 1 free virtual card, physical $60 |
| Luxe | $199/year or $15K deposit, 30K ETHFI staked or 5K points | 3% (to $10K/mo) | Metal card, 2 lounge passes |
| Pinnacle | $999/year or $100K deposit, 150K ETHFI staked or 25K points | 3% (to $50K/mo) | Free ATM withdrawals, unlimited lounge passes |
| VIP | $500K deposit or 500K ETHFI staked, invite only | 4% (to $50K/mo) | Executive support |
Deposits and withdrawals
How to top up
- Fund from the assets you hold in your ether.fi account
- Borrow against your portfolio instead of selling it
Fees: No top-up fee listed. Onchain network fees apply when you move assets in.
How to withdraw
- Move assets back out to any wallet, since you keep custody
- ATM cash withdrawals
Fees: Network fees for onchain transfers. ATM free on Pinnacle and VIP.
Supported assets: ether.fi supports 250+ assets across 15+ networks on its platform. Check the app for which assets count toward card spending and borrowing.
Where ether.fi Cash works
Trackers list about 85 supported countries, including the UAE, Argentina, Australia and much of Europe. ether.fi says availability varies by region.
Products may not be offered in all jurisdictions. Check the app before applying.
Limits and perks
Limits
- Daily spending: $30,000 Core, $50,000 Luxe, $100,000 Pinnacle
- ATM: $500 per withdrawal, 3 withdrawals and $1,500 per rolling 24 hours
Perks
- Airport lounge passes (2 on Luxe, unlimited on Pinnacle and VIP)
- Airport fast track at eligible airports (Luxe and up)
- Identity theft protection
- Insurance-backed account protection up to $500,000 (announced, full terms not live yet)
- Visa concierge and Visa Signature benefits
Pros and cons
What's good
- 3% cashback on a free tier is rare
- Self-custody, so your assets stay under your control
- Borrow against crypto instead of selling and triggering a taxable sale in some countries
- Low FX margin on higher tiers
What's not
- Core cashback caps at $2,000 of spend a month
- $60 for a physical card on Core
- Borrowing means interest and liquidation risk if prices drop
- Not available in every country
Our take on ether.fi Cash
ether.fi Cash is the card a lot of DeFi people actually carry. It's self-custody, it pays 3% back on the free Core tier, and it lets you spend by borrowing against your crypto instead of selling it. That last part is the real hook. If you hold ETH and don't want to sell, you can pay for things with a loan against your portfolio and repay whenever you like.
That flexibility has a cost you need to respect. Borrowed money accrues interest, and if the value of your collateral falls far enough, your position can be liquidated. Treat the borrow feature like a credit line, not free money.
On rewards, Core's 3% only applies to the first $2,000 you spend each month, so the max is about $60. Luxe raises the cap to $10,000 and adds a metal card and subscription cashback. You can get Luxe by paying $199 a year or by holding enough on the platform, which makes it reachable for a lot of regular users. Pinnacle and VIP are for big balances.
FX is reasonable: about 1% at the base rate plus a small margin on Core and Luxe, and no added margin on Pinnacle and VIP. A physical card costs $60 on Core, so many people stick with the free virtual card in Apple Pay or Google Pay.
One of the best cashback cards in crypto if you're comfortable with self-custody. Use the borrow feature carefully, and start on Core before paying for a higher tier.
How much people spend with ether.fi Cash
Spending trackerHow we scored ether.fi Cash: 7.8/10
Methodologyether.fi Cash FAQ
Is the ether.fi Cash card free?
The Core tier is free and includes one virtual card. A physical card on Core costs $60 including shipping. Luxe costs $199 a year unless you qualify through deposits, staking or points.
How much cashback does ether.fi Cash pay?
3% on Core, Luxe and Pinnacle with monthly spend caps of $2,000, $10,000 and $50,000. VIP pays 4% on up to $50,000 a month.
Can I borrow with the ether.fi card?
Yes. You can spend using a loan against your portfolio with no fixed repayment schedule. Interest applies, and falling collateral values can lead to liquidation.
Is ether.fi Cash self-custody?
Yes. Your assets stay under your control rather than being held by a custodian.
Sources
- ether.fi CashCard features, borrowing, perks, account protection
- ether.fi membership comparisonTier prices, qualification and cashback caps
- DefiLlama card details: ether.fiFX margins, ATM limits, daily limits, country count, verified Aug 30, 2026
We checked these sources on 15 October 2026. Fees and rewards change often. Spotted something out of date? Report a correction and we'll check it within two working days.
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