Learn, step by step
Crypto Card Tutorials
Nine lessons in the order we would teach them: how a card works, the industry stack behind it, who really issues it, what it costs, what the cashback is really worth, and what to do when things go wrong.
New lesson · Start with lesson 2 if you already hold a card
How a Stablecoin Card Program Actually Works
Five layers sit between your tap and your coins, and the brand on the card is only one of them. What each layer does, what each one earns from your spending, why cashback pays out more than the card makes, and what it really costs to launch a program, from PaymentScan's industry research and our own issuer data.
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8 min read
How Crypto Cards Work
Start here. Top-ups, spending and settlement explained in plain language: what happens between loading crypto onto a card and the merchant getting paid.
Read lesson 1 →
12 min read
How a Stablecoin Card Program Actually Works
The industry view: the five layers behind every program, what each layer earns, why cashback pays more than the card makes, and what it costs to launch one. Built on PaymentScan's launch research.
Read lesson 2 →
9 min read
Who Issues Your Crypto Card, BIN by BIN
The brand on the card is rarely the company behind it. How to find your real issuer, and the map of which platform sits behind the major programs.
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9 min read
Crypto Card Fees Explained
Spreads, FX markups, ATM charges and the hidden costs that never make the landing page, with the fee types to check before you top up.
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9 min read
The Cashback That Actually Reaches You
Headline cashback minus FX fees and caps: what $1,000 of foreign spending really earns on six well known cards.
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8 min read
Cashback: Advertised vs Reality
The traps behind the headline rates at $1,000 a month of spending: caps, tiers, token payouts and the exclusions in the small print.
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10 min read
Crypto Card Security Incidents
The documented breaches and exploits at card programs so far, and what each one teaches about custody and where your money actually sits.
Read lesson 7 →
8 min read
What Happens If Your Card Shuts Down
Programs close. What happens to your balance, your pending cashback and your rights, and the steps to take the day it happens to your card.
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9 min read
Crypto Cards and Taxes
Spending crypto is a taxable event in most places. What using a crypto card really costs you at tax time, and the records to keep.
Read lesson 9 →
Finished the lessons? Put them to work.
Browse the directory of 201 cards with issuers, fees and custody models side by side, follow the monthly spending tracker, or read the individual guides and comparisons.