Crypto card fees explained, from FX markups to ATM charges
Quick answer
A crypto card's real cost is mostly FX markup, crypto conversion and ATM fees, not the card price. On a $100 purchase in a foreign currency, cards on Crypto Cards Guide range from about $0 extra (Bleap, Krak, Platinum-tier Plasma One) to $2 or more (RedotPay, Nexo outside European currencies), before the card network's own exchange rate. Check those three fees first, then look at cashback.
Most people pick a crypto card by its cashback rate. That's backwards. A 2% reward means nothing if you're paying 2.2% in fees every time you buy something abroad. Here's what to check, in the order it usually costs you money.
FX markup
An FX markup is what the card program adds when you pay in a currency that isn't the card's own currency. It's on top of the exchange rate Visa or Mastercard uses.
This is the fee that quietly eats rewards. Some cards add nothing (Bleap, the Krak Card, Plasma One Platinum, MetaMask Metal). Others add 1% to 2%. Nexo is unusual: 0.2% on European currencies during the week, but 2% on others, and more on weekends.
How to check: look for "FX fee", "foreign transaction fee", "cross-border fee" or "non-USD fee" in the issuer's fee page. Some cards list two separate charges, like Tuyo, which adds 1% on non-USD purchases and another 1% on purchases made outside the US.
Crypto conversion fee
If you spend anything other than a stablecoin in your card's currency, something has to be sold. Cards charge for that as a percentage or hide it in the rate.
- MetaMask Card: no fee on local-currency stablecoins, 0.875% on tokens like wETH
- RedotPay: 1% when crypto is converted
- Kolo: 1% on every card payment, even with stablecoins, and 2% when you pay in another currency
Easy win: hold your spending money as a stablecoin in the same currency as the card. You'll skip most conversion fees.
ATM fees
ATM fees are where crypto cards differ the most. A few examples from our listings:
| Card | ATM fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kolo | $1 + 0.65% | $500 max per withdrawal |
| Bitget Wallet Card | 1% or $5, whichever is higher | $5 minimum hurts small withdrawals |
| KAST | $3 + 2% | $500 max per withdrawal |
| Bleap | Free to €400 a month, then 2% | EEA only |
| Nexo | Free monthly allowance by tier, then 2% | Minimum €1.99 after the allowance |
The ATM owner can add its own fee on top, and the card can't control that.
Card and membership fees
Watch for three separate things that all sound like "the card fee":
- Issuance: a one-off price for the card. RedotPay charges $10 virtual and $100 physical. ether.fi charges $60 for a physical card on its free Core tier.
- Annual or membership fee: a yearly price for a tier. KAST Premium is $1,000 a year. ether.fi Luxe is $199 a year unless you qualify another way.
- Subscription plans: some cards tie rewards to a monthly plan. Crypto.com's Level Up starts at $4.99 a month.
Top-up and withdrawal fees
Getting money in and out costs money too. Onchain deposits cost a network fee, which is tiny on chains like Gnosis, Solana or Plasma and bigger on Ethereum mainnet. Bank rails vary a lot. Plasma One, for example, lists SEPA deposits from $0.30 and bank withdrawals from 0.10% to 1% plus the rail fee depending on tier.
Small fees that add up
- Declined transactions: RedotPay charges $0.50 after three free declines a month. KAST lists $0.50 for declines due to low balance.
- Small authorizations: RedotPay charges $0.20 each after five free a month.
- Weekend surcharges: Nexo adds 0.5% to FX on weekends.
- Replacements: a lost metal card can cost $99 (MetaMask Metal).
A quick way to compare: the $100 test
Imagine you spend $100 in a currency that isn't your card's own, using a stablecoin. Add up the FX markup and any conversion fee. That number, not the cashback headline, tells you what the card really costs abroad.
| Card | Approx. extra cost on $100 | What makes up the cost |
|---|---|---|
| Bleap | about $0 | No FX or conversion fee from Bleap |
| Plasma One Platinum | about $0 | 0% markup, needs 100,000 XPL locked |
| Plasma One Lite | about $1 | 1% markup |
| MetaMask Card (free) | about $1 | 1% cross-border fee |
| Bitget Wallet Card | about $1.70 | 1.7% on non-USD currencies |
| RedotPay | about $2.20 | 1.2% FX plus 1% conversion |
| Nexo (other currencies, weekday) | about $2 | 2% FX |
These are estimates from published fees. Visa and Mastercard's own exchange rates apply on top, and terms change, so always check the card's page before you travel.
Bottom line
Before you compare cashback, compare FX, conversion and ATM fees for the way you actually spend. If you mostly spend at home in the card's currency, rewards matter more. If you travel or live outside the US, low FX matters most. Our comparison table lets you sort by both.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most expensive fee on a crypto card?
For most people it's the FX markup on foreign currency purchases, followed by crypto conversion fees. A 2% FX fee on $500 a month of travel spending is $120 a year, more than most card fees.
Is a crypto card with no annual fee actually free?
Not always. A card can have no annual fee but still charge for the physical card, FX, crypto conversion, ATM withdrawals and declined transactions.
Do crypto cards charge fees on weekends?
Some do. Nexo adds 0.5% to its FX fee on weekends. Kolo lists no weekend surcharge.
Why does my crypto card charge a fee for small purchases?
Some cards add a flat fee to small transactions in a foreign currency. KAST, for example, is listed as charging $0.10 on non-USD purchases under $25.