Yearly cost at three spending levels
| Monthly spend | KAST | CL Card |
|---|---|---|
| $500 | -$15 Standard | -$142.15 Standard |
| $2,000 | +$192 Standard | -$322.15 Standard |
| $5,000 | +$66 Standard | -$682.15 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
| Line | KAST Standard | CL Card Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Top-up and conversion fees | $0 | -$528 |
| Spending fees | $0 | $0 |
| Foreign exchange markup | -$84.00 | $0 |
| ATM fees | -$84 | -$34.15 |
| Annual, monthly and subscription fees | $0 | $0 |
| Cashback | +$360 | +$240 |
| Net per year | +$192 | -$322.15 |
Fees
KAST charges 0% to convert or top up and 1.75% on spending in a foreign currency. CL Card charges 2% and 0%.
The conversion fee applies to every dollar you load, so KAST's lower rate matters most for everyday spending in your home currency. On $1,000 of spending, the gap is $20.
ATM withdrawals: KAST 2% + $3; CL Card €2.50.
A virtual card costs nothing with KAST and nothing with CL Card. A physical card costs $40 and an undisclosed fee. Neither card has an annual fee on its base tier.
Cashback and rewards
KAST cashback: 1.5% to 3%. CL Card cashback: 1% to 2%.
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.
CL Card tiers: Standard: 1%; BXX rewards: 2%.
KAST: Premium and Private also earn KAST Points (1% and 2%), which this model does not value.
CL Card: Ledger's page says "1% cashback in BTC, USDC, or USDT" (BTC or USDC in the US, BTC or USDT elsewhere), claimed from the Loyalty program page. CL's own FAQ also offers 2% if you take the reward in Baanx's BXX token. Spending funded by the Cryptodraft credit line earns nothing. No spend or reward cap is published.
Availability and KYC
KAST does not publish a country list. KAST shows supported countries only in the app during sign-up.
CL Card is offered in 37 countries, including France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom, United States and Canada. Ledger says "The CL Card is currently available in the EEA, the UK, the US, Canada, Switzerland, Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil." This file uses the EU fee schedule. You do not need a Ledger device to get the card.
KAST needs full KYC and CL Card 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.
CL Card does not publish fixed spending or ATM limits.
KAST works with Apple Pay and Google Pay, and CL Card works with Apple Pay and Google Pay. KAST and CL Card issue 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.
CL Card scores 64/100. Licensing: issued by a bank or e-money institution regulated in a tier-one jurisdiction. The card is issued through UAB Monavate. No incidents or enforcement actions found in the last 36 months. Only money loaded to the card as e-money is safeguarded under e-money rules. Crypto deposited to the CL platform becomes Baanx's property, and Baanx's terms warn that "in the event that any of Us becomes insolvent ... You may not be able to have the full value of Your deposits restored". Baanx describes its crypto services as "not regulated financial services". We could not find a published proof-of-reserves report. We found no official enforcement actions against the card providers. Ledger's own past security incidents are not listed, because Ledger does not provide or hold funds for the card.
Full reports: KAST safety check and CL Card safety check.
About each card
KAST Card is a custodial Visa card from KAST. It tops up with USDT and USDC.
Ledger CL Card (Europe) is a custodial Visa card from Baanx (CL Card), card account by UAB Monavate. It tops up with BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, LTC, XRP and SOL 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%).
CL Card 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 · CL Card fees and details