KAST vs Bitpanda

Bitpanda costs less across the spending levels we test. The full fee, reward, availability and safety comparison is below.

Verdict

  • Bitpanda leaves more money in your pocket at all three spending levels we test: $75 a year more at $500 a month, $48 a year more at $2,000 a month, $534 a year more at $5,000 a month.
  • KAST is a custodial card, so the provider holds your balance. Bitpanda is custodial as well.
  • On our safety check, KAST scores 44/100 (Fair) and Bitpanda scores 68/100 (Good).
  • Overall, Bitpanda rates 54/100 against 33/100 for KAST, helped by its reach: it is offered in 21 countries and territories against an unpublished number for KAST.

Net value per year at $2,000 a month (20% foreign spend, one $200 ATM withdrawal a month)

  • KAST · Standard+$192
  • Bitpanda · Standard≤ +$240

≤ one fee is not published and counts as zero.

Crypto card comparison
FeatureKASTBitpanda
Countries offeredList not published21 countries
Card networkVisaVisa
CustodyCustodialCustodial
KYCFullFull
Top-up assetsUSDT, USDCEUR, BTC, ETH, USDC
Top-up or conversion fee0%Not disclosed
FX markup1.75%0% (better)
ATM fee2% + $32%
Annual fee (base tier)FreeFree
Card issuanceVirtual Free · Physical $40Virtual Not disclosed · Physical Free
Cashback1.5% to 3% (better)1%
Apple Pay / Google PayApple Pay, Google PayApple Pay
Safety score44/10068/100 (better)
Overall rating33/10054/100 (better)
Get the cardGet KASTGet Bitpanda

Yearly cost at three spending levels

Monthly spendKASTBitpanda
$500-$15
Standard
≤ +$60
Standard
$2,000+$192
Standard
≤ +$240
Standard
$5,000+$66
Standard
≤ +$600
Standard

Net value per year: cashback minus conversion, FX, ATM and fixed fees. US dollars, 20% foreign spending, one $200 ATM withdrawal a month. The card cost calculator runs the same comparison with your own habits.

Where the money goes at $2,000 a month

LineKAST
Standard
Bitpanda
Standard
Top-up and conversion fees$0Not disclosed
Spending fees$0$0
Foreign exchange markup-$84.00$0
ATM fees-$84Not disclosed
Annual, monthly and subscription fees$0$0
Cashback+$360+$240
Net per year+$192+$240

Fees

KAST charges 0% to convert or top up and 1.75% on spending in a foreign currency. Bitpanda charges Not disclosed and 0%.

ATM withdrawals: KAST 2% + $3; Bitpanda 2%.

A virtual card costs nothing with KAST and an undisclosed fee with Bitpanda. A physical card costs $40 and nothing. Neither card has an annual fee on its base tier.

Cashback and rewards

KAST cashback: 1.5% to 3%. Bitpanda cashback: 1%.

KAST tiers: Standard: 1.5% on the first $2,000 a month; Premium ($1,000 a year): 2% on the first $10,000 a month; Private ($10,000 a year): 3% on the first $40,000 a month.

Bitpanda tiers: Standard: 1%.

KAST: Premium and Private also earn KAST Points (1% and 2%), which this model does not value.

Bitpanda: Cashback applies only when a crypto asset is the payment asset. Payments from EUR, stablecoins, stocks or metals earn none. ATM withdrawals cost at least €2.

Availability and KYC

KAST does not publish a country list. KAST shows supported countries only in the app during sign-up.

Bitpanda is offered in 21 countries, including France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. Bitpanda says you must live in a country in the euro area. Its fee table also lists Swedish, Norwegian and Danish krone versions of the card.

KAST needs full KYC and Bitpanda needs full KYC.

The card finder checks both cards against your country, KYC level and must-have features.

Limits, wallets and card types

KAST publishes ATM withdrawals of up to $750 a day.

Bitpanda publishes ATM withdrawals of up to €500 a day.

KAST works with Apple Pay and Google Pay, and Bitpanda works with Apple Pay. KAST issues a virtual card you can use straight away.

Custody and safety

KAST scores 44/100. Licensing: we could not confirm a licence for the card issuer on its own website. No incidents or enforcement actions found in the last 36 months. KAST's terms say accounts, cards and custody are provided by licensed partners and the card is issued "by the Issuer under license from Visa", without naming the issuer.

Bitpanda scores 68/100. Licensing: issued by a bank or e-money institution regulated in a tier-one jurisdiction. The card is issued through Transact Payments Malta Limited. 2026-08-14: Austria's FMA fined Bitpanda GmbH €70,000 for breaches of MiCA white paper and marketing rules. The case did not involve customer funds. Bitpanda's custody policy says client crypto-assets are held as trustee, operationally and legally segregated from Bitpanda's own assets.

Full reports: KAST safety check and Bitpanda safety check.

About each card

KAST Card is a custodial Visa card from KAST. It tops up with USDT and USDC.

Bitpanda Card is a custodial Visa card from Bitpanda (card issued by Transact Payments Malta Limited). It tops up with EUR, BTC, ETH and USDC and its balance is held in EUR.

Which card fits you

KAST fits if

  • Most of your spending is in your home currency, where its lower conversion fee counts most.
  • You want a higher cashback ceiling (up to 3%).

Bitpanda fits if

  • You spend in foreign currencies often, since its FX markup is lower.
  • You weigh licensing and fund segregation heavily, since it scores higher on our safety check.

Read more: KAST fees and details · Bitpanda fees and details

KAST vs Bitpanda: questions

Which is cheaper, KAST or Bitpanda?
At $2,000 a month with 20% foreign spending and one $200 ATM withdrawal, Bitpanda leaves $48 more per year. The result can change with your spending, so the comparison above lets you enter your own amount.
Can I use KAST and Bitpanda in the same country?
One of the two issuers does not publish a country list, so we cannot confirm overlap. Country list not published for KAST; 21 countries for Bitpanda.
Is KAST or Bitpanda safer?
Bitpanda scores higher on our safety check (68/100 against 44/100). The score looks at licensing, custody, fund segregation, proof of reserves and incident history.
Which card has better cashback, KAST or Bitpanda?
KAST pays 1.5% to 3% and Bitpanda pays 1%. Caps, tier rules and fees decide what you keep, which is why the yearly figures above include both.

Sources

  1. KAST Card: fees · checked September 24, 2026
  2. KAST Card: availability · checked September 24, 2026
  3. KAST Card: cashback · checked September 24, 2026
  4. KAST Card: safety · checked September 24, 2026
  5. Bitpanda Card: fees · checked September 24, 2026
  6. Bitpanda Card: availability · checked September 24, 2026
  7. Bitpanda Card: cashback · checked September 24, 2026
  8. Bitpanda Card: safety · checked September 24, 2026