Wirex Card: crypto cards rating breakdown
Wirex Limited (FCA e-money) · UK, EEA and elsewhere
It is here as a worked example of token-gated cashback, not as a card a US reader can get.
It is here as a worked example of token-gated cashback, not as a card a US reader can get.
How the score is built
Each criterion is scored 0–10 and weighted. The median column is the middle score across every entry in this ranking, so a row reads as a position rather than a number.
| Criterion | What we measured | Weight | Score | Category median | Rank | Weighted gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reward you actually keep | — | 25% | 2 | 5 | 9 of 11 | -0.75 |
| Is the real cost disclosed? | — | 25% | 3 | 4 | 7 of 11 | -0.25 |
| Issuer and program safety | — | 20% | 4 | 6 | 10 of 11 | -0.40 |
| US availability | — | 15% | 0 | 0 | 6 of 11 | 0.00 |
| Net value on public terms | — | 10% | 1 | 5 | 10 of 11 | -0.40 |
| Product | — | 5% | 6 | 6 | 6 of 11 | 0.00 |
Measured 15 July 2026 · weights and method · decided by reward you actually keep, worth -0.75 points against the median
Reward you actually keep: 2/10
Not the headline percentage — the reward net of what earning it costs. Where the rate is gated behind staking a volatile issuer token, we price that stake against the token’s real drawdown and ask whether a cash alternative exists. A card that pays a flat rate in Bitcoin with nothing to lock up keeps its whole number; a card whose 8% requires locking a token down 96% from its high does not.
Scored 2 of 10 against a category median of 5, which places it 9th of 11 among crypto cards on this criterion. At a 25% weight that is 0.75 points below the median contribution of the weighted total. The best score in the category is 10, the worst 0.
Is the real cost disclosed?: 3/10
The cost that touches every purchase is the crypto-to-fiat conversion spread at the till, and almost nobody states it as a number. We check whether the spread and the foreign-exchange markup are published. Two exchanges disclose more than the US market leader; several disclose nothing and say only that charges “may apply”.
Scored 3 of 10 against a category median of 4, which places it 7th of 11 among crypto cards on this criterion. At a 25% weight that is 0.25 points below the median contribution of the weighted total. The best score in the category is 10, the worst 0.
Issuer and program safety: 4/10
Who actually issues the card — the real bank or e-money institution behind the brand — and what happens to your balance if the program stops. Program suspensions are not hypothetical: the 2020 Wirecard collapse froze several of these cards overnight, and BlockFi’s card died with its bankruptcy. A real, named, regulated issuer scores; an opaque one does not.
Scored 4 of 10 against a category median of 6, which places it 10th of 11 among crypto cards on this criterion. At a 20% weight that is 0.40 points below the median contribution of the weighted total. The best score in the category is 9, the worst 0.
US availability: 0/10
Whether an American can actually get the card, and in which states. Several of the highest-headline cards are unavailable in the US entirely, which for our audience settles the matter regardless of the rate.
Scored 0 of 10 against a category median of 0, which places it 6th of 11 among crypto cards on this criterion. At a 15% weight that is exactly level with the median of the weighted total. The best score in the category is 10, the worst 0.
Net value on public terms: 1/10
The honest arithmetic on a realistic $24,000/year of spending, from the issuer’s own published terms and public token prices — including the opportunity cost of any locked capital and the token’s realised return. Where the net is positive we say so; where it is negative we show the working.
Scored 1 of 10 against a category median of 5, which places it 10th of 11 among crypto cards on this criterion. At a 10% weight that is 0.40 points below the median contribution of the weighted total. The best score in the category is 8, the worst 0.
Product: 6/10
The app, Apple and Google Pay support, virtual cards, and ATM access — the ordinary things that make a card usable.
Scored 6 of 10 against a category median of 6, which places it 6th of 11 among crypto cards on this criterion. At a 5% weight that is exactly level with the median of the weighted total. The best score in the category is 8, the worst 0.
Other measurements
- cashback by tier
- Base 0.5% · Premium 1% · Elite 3% · Private 5% · Bespoke 8%, paid in USD PUBLISHED[source]
Questions about this score
What is the stake trap in crypto cards?
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A high headline cashback rate that requires holding or locking the issuer's own token to unlock it. The requirement has two costs never counted in the marketing: what that capital would have earned elsewhere, and what happens if the token falls while you hold it to keep your tier. Price both and a 5% or 8% headline can become a loss.
What does Wirex’s 8% cashback require?
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The Bespoke tier: a portfolio of at least $50,000 with at least 10% of it, $5,000 or more, held in WPAY, both at the same time. Lower tiers need less — Premium, at 1% cashback, needs $500 with 1% in WPAY. Cashback is paid in USD. Wirex’s cashback page states no monthly cap.