Yearly cost at three spending levels
| Monthly spend | Plutus | Tangem Pay |
|---|---|---|
| $500 | ≤ -$23.03 Starter (€6.99 a month) | -$54 Basic (free) |
| $2,000 | ≤ -$113.03 Starter (€6.99 a month) | +$72 Basic (free) |
| $5,000 | ≤ -$293.03 Starter (€6.99 a month) | +$324 Basic (free) |
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 | Plutus Starter (€6.99 a month) | Tangem Pay Basic (free) |
|---|---|---|
| Top-up and conversion fees | $0 | $0 |
| Spending fees | $0 | $0 |
| Foreign exchange markup | -$120 | -$72 |
| ATM fees | Not disclosed | -$96 |
| Annual, monthly and subscription fees | -$95.50 | $0 |
| Cashback | +$102.46 | +$240 |
| Net per year | -$113.03 | +$72 |
Fees
Plutus charges 0% to convert or top up and 2.5% on spending in a foreign currency. Tangem Pay charges 0% and 1.5%.
ATM withdrawals: Plutus 2.5%; Tangem Pay 4%.
A virtual card costs nothing with Plutus and nothing with Tangem Pay. A physical card costs €9.99 and an undisclosed fee. Neither card has an annual fee on its base tier.
Cashback and rewards
Plutus cashback: 3%. Tangem Pay cashback: 1% to 2%.
Plutus tiers: Starter (€6.99 a month): 3% on the first €250 a month; Everyday (€9.99 a month): 3% on the first €500 a month; Premium (€19.99 a month): 3% on the first €1,000 a month.
Tangem Pay tiers: Basic (free): 1% on the first $10,000 a month, capped at $100 a month; Plus ($29.99 a month): 2% on the first $15,000 a month, capped at $300 a month.
Plutus: Rewards are paid in PLU. Holding more PLU raises the rate from 3% up to 9% and unlocks perks. Plan prices include a promotional discount shown on Plutus's plans page; the fees shown are the same in GBP.
Tangem Pay: Paid in USDC at the end of each billing cycle. Only purchases of $30 or more earn cashback, and in-store purchases at EU and UK merchants are excluded. The Plus plan fee is waived with $4,500 of monthly spending. A $999-a-year Prestige plan with 4% cashback is listed as coming soon.
Availability and KYC
Plutus does not publish a country list. Plutus offers EUR and GBP cards and does not publish a country list on its fees page.
Tangem Pay does not publish a country list. Tangem says the card is available in the US (not every state) and in select countries across Latin America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. It does not publish a country list; eligibility is checked in the app during onboarding.
Plutus needs full KYC and Tangem Pay needs full KYC.
The card finder checks both cards against your country, KYC level and must-have features.
Limits, wallets and card types
Plutus publishes a daily spending limit of €500,000 and a monthly limit of €1,000,000.
Tangem Pay publishes a daily spending limit of $10,000 and ATM withdrawals of up to $750 a day.
Plutus does not list Apple Pay or Google Pay support, and Tangem Pay works with Apple Pay and Google Pay. Plutus and Tangem Pay issue a virtual card you can use straight away.
Custody and safety
Plutus 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. Plutus refers to a banking partner for its card but does not name the issuer on its fees and plans pages.
Tangem Pay scores 80/100. Licensing: holds a licence or registration outside the tier-one list (Card issued by Nimbus LLC dba Third National, licensed as a Money Transmitter by the Commissioner of Financial Institutions of Puerto Rico (licence TM-0207, NMLS 2612780). Tangem's own pages name Rain, a Visa Principal Member, as the issuer; Third National's site runs on Rain's legal pages.). The card is issued through Nimbus LLC dba Third National. No incidents or enforcement actions found in the last 36 months. Tangem Pay is run by Paera LLC, not Tangem AG. The card is legally a collateralised charge card. Your USDC or USDT sits in a smart contract you control, but Paera can liquidate it if a balance goes unpaid. The terms list a late fee of up to $40 and a liquidation penalty of up to $35. They also ask for 3 business days' notice before you withdraw collateral, while the app FAQ says you can withdraw at any time. The account is tied to a single Tangem Wallet, and losing that wallet means losing access to the card balance.
Full reports: Plutus safety check and Tangem Pay safety check.
About each card
Plutus Card is a custodial Visa card from Plutus (Block Code Ltd, UK; Block Code LT UAB, Lithuania). It tops up with EUR and GBP and its balance is held in EUR.
Tangem Pay is a self-custody Visa card from Paera LLC (Tangem Pay program). It tops up with USDC and USDT.
Which card fits you
Plutus fits if
- You want a higher cashback ceiling (up to 3%).
Tangem Pay fits if
- You want to keep crypto in your own wallet until each payment.
- 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: Plutus fees and details · Tangem Pay fees and details