Card intelligence
Effective cashback: what crypto cards actually pay
A 3% headline rate with a $129 annual fee is not really 3%. We ran every card in our directory through one honest formula: rewards after any published monthly cap, minus a share of the annual fee, at three real spending levels. Updated 18 October 2026.
#1 at $1,000/mo
Spritz Card
5.00%
$50.00 back per month · 5%
#2 at $1,000/mo
PayPal Debit Mastercard
5.00%
$50.00 back per month · 5%
#3 at $1,000/mo
Ethena Pay Card
5.00%
$50.00 back per month · 5%
| # | Card | Published rate | Monthly cap | Annual fee | Effective @ $1,000 | Est. back |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Spritz Card | 5% | Not published | Not published | 5.00% | $50.00per month |
| 2 |  PayPal Debit Mastercard | 5% | Not published | $0.00 | 5.00% | $50.00per month |
| 3 | Ethena Pay Card | 5% | Not published | Not published | 5.00% | $50.00per month |
| 4 |  Gemini Credit Card | 4% | Not published | $0.00 | 4.00% | $40.00per month |
| 5 |  Uphold Debit Card | 4% | $300.00 | $99.99 | 3.17% | $31.67per month |
| 6 |  Plutus Card | 3% | Not published | Not published | 3.00% | $30.00per month |
| 7 |  ether.fi Cash | 3% | $2,000.00 | Not published | 3.00% | $30.00per month |
| 8 |  Solid Card | up to 6% | $50.00 | $0.00 | 3.00% | $30.00per month |
| 9 |  Venmo Credit Card | 3% | Not published | $0.00 | 3.00% | $30.00per month |
| 10 |  Bybit Card | up to 10% | Not published | $0.00 | 2.00% | $20.00per month |
| 11 |  Ripio Card | 2% | Not published | Not published | 2.00% | $20.00per month |
| 12 |  Bitrefill Card | 2% | Not published | Not published | 2.00% | $20.00per month |
| 13 |  Coinbase One Card | 2% to 4% | Not published | Not published | 2.00% | $20.00per month |
| 14 | Trade Republic Card | 2% | Not published | Not published | 2.00% | $20.00per month |
| 15 | Jupiter Card | 2% | Not published | $0.00 | 2.00% | $20.00per month |
| 16 |  Fold Bitcoin Credit Card | up to 5% | Not published | $0.00 | 1.50% | $15.00per month |
| 17 |  KAST Card | 1.5% | Not published | Not published | 1.50% | $15.00per month |
| 18 |  Tria Card | 1.5% | Not published | $20.00 | 1.33% | $13.33per month |
| 19 |  Crypto.com Visa Card | 1.5% | $750.00 | $49.90 | 1.08% | $10.84per month |
| 20 |  MetaMask Card | 1% | Not published | Not published | 1.00% | $10.00per month |
| 21 |  CL Card, Ledger-compatible | 1% | Not published | Not published | 1.00% | $10.00per month |
| 22 |  KardPay Card | up to 2% | Not published | Not published | 1.00% | $10.00per month |
| 23 |  Gate Card | up to 8% | Not published | $0.00 | 1.00% | $10.00per month |
| 24 |  Bitpanda Card | 1% | Not published | $0.00 | 1.00% | $10.00per month |
| 25 |  Blockchain.com Visa Card | 1% | Not published | Not published | 1.00% | $10.00per month |
| 26 |  BitMart Card | 1% to 10% | Not published | $0.00 | 1.00% | $10.00per month |
| 27 | Shakepay Card | 1% | Not published | $0.00 | 1.00% | $10.00per month |
| 28 | Hyperbeat Card | 1% | Not published | $0.00 | 1.00% | $10.00per month |
| 29 | CoinJar Card | 1% | Not published | Not published | 1.00% | $10.00per month |
| 30 |  Wirex One Card | 0.5% to 8% | Not published | $0.00 | 0.50% | $5.00per month |
| 31 | Plasma One Card | 2% | Not published | $199.00 | 0.34% | $3.42per month |
| 32 |  Bit2Me Card | up to 7% | Not published | Not published | 0.25% | $2.50per month |
Ranked by net effective cashback at $1,000 monthly spend: rewards after any published monthly cap, minus one twelfth of the published annual fee. 32 cards modeled.
Promotional “up to” rates (23) — not ranked
These cards advertise a maximum rate (“up to X%”) with tier, staking, or spending conditions, but no published base rate. The figure below assumes you actually earn the maximum, which most users won’t. Verify the qualifying conditions on the provider page before counting on it.
- Bitget Cardup to 20% · 20.00% if max earned
- MEXC Cardup to 10% · 10.00% if max earned
- Oobit Cardup to 10% · 10.00% if max earned
- WhiteBIT Nova Cardup to 10% · 10.00% if max earned
- DeCardup to 10% · 10.00% if max earned
- LBank Cardup to 10% · 10.00% if max earned
- Satoshi Tango Cardup to 10% · 10.00% if max earned
- Bitazza Freedom Cardup to 9% · 9.00% if max earned
- Bitunix Cardup to 8% · 8.00% if max earned
- Whop Business Cardup to 5% · 5.00% if max earned
- Gnosis Pay Cardup to 5% · 5.00% if max earned
- BingX Cardup to 5% · 5.00% if max earned
- Blackcatcardup to 5% · 5.00% if max earned
- CoinZoom Visa Debit Cardup to 5% · 5.00% if max earned
- eToro Money Cardup to 4% · 4.00% if max earned
- Vivid Money Cardup to 4% · 4.00% if max earned
- Young Cardup to 3.6% · 3.60% if max earned
- Binance Cardup to 3% · 3.00% if max earned
- Nexo Cardup to 2% · 2.00% if max earned
- Kraken Debit Cardup to 2% · 2.00% if max earned
- XPlace Cardup to 2% · 1.18% if max earned
- Xapo Bank Cardup to 1% · 1.00% if max earned
- Pionex Cardup to 1% · 1.00% if max earned
36 cards in our directory advertise no cashback program, and 92 publish too little rate data to model. Figures are estimates from our October 2026 listings; provider terms are the authority.
Methodology
How the numbers are computed
Rate used
The first published base rate: the lowest paid tier ('Tier 1 pays 1%'), the base of an 'X% to Y%' range, or the first rate stated. Cards whose only stated rate is a promotional 'up to X%' are listed separately, not ranked.
Monthly caps
Only explicit monthly reward caps are applied ('$25/month cap', 'monthly cap (USD 750)'). Tier thresholds ('first $1,000 at 4.5%') are noted in the listing but simplified in the math.
Annual fees
The first published yearly figure, or a monthly fee annualized x12. Cards stating 'no annual fee' count as $0. One-time issuance fees are not annualized.
Formula
Effective % = (min(spend x rate, monthly cap) - annual fee / 12) / spend. Computed at $500, $1,000 and $2,000 monthly spend.
These are modeled estimates from our own directory listings, not provider quotes. Figures were computed 18 October 2026; cashback programs change frequently, so confirm current terms on the provider page before applying. Spending crypto can have tax consequences depending on your jurisdiction.
FAQ
The short answers
What is effective cashback?+
The headline rate (say, 3%) is what a card advertises. Effective cashback is what you actually keep: rewards after any monthly cap, minus a share of the annual fee, divided by what you spent. A 3% card with a $129 annual fee pays less than 3% unless you spend enough to dilute the fee.
Why do some cards show an 'up to' rate instead of a ranking?+
Some cards only advertise a maximum rate ('up to 10%') tied to tiers, staking, or spending conditions, with no published base rate. We list those separately and do not rank them, because ranking them on the maximum would mislead. Always check the qualifying conditions on the provider page.
What is not included in these estimates?+
Staking or lockup requirements, reward lockup periods, excluded merchant categories, regional differences, reward-token price volatility, and welcome bonuses. Tiered programs ('first $1,000 at 4.5%, then 1%') are simplified to the advertised base rate, so actual returns can be lower above the first tier. Provider terms are the authority.
How often is this updated?+
The table is computed from our card directory listings, which carry their own verified-on dates. Cashback programs change often; treat this as a comparison starting point and confirm the current terms on the provider page before applying.