Yearly cost at three spending levels
| Monthly spend | Xapo | Tangem Pay |
|---|---|---|
| $500 | -$1,024 Membership | -$54 Basic (free) |
| $2,000 | -$1,024 Membership | +$72 Basic (free) |
| $5,000 | -$1,024 Membership | +$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 | Xapo Membership | Tangem Pay Basic (free) |
|---|---|---|
| Top-up and conversion fees | $0 | $0 |
| Spending fees | $0 | $0 |
| Foreign exchange markup | $0 | -$72 |
| ATM fees | -$24 | -$96 |
| Annual, monthly and subscription fees | -$1,000 | $0 |
| Cashback | $0 | +$240 |
| Net per year | -$1,024 | +$72 |
Fees
Xapo charges 0% to convert or top up and 0% on spending in a foreign currency. Tangem Pay charges 0% and 1.5%.
ATM withdrawals: Xapo 2% after $100 free a month; Tangem Pay 4%.
A virtual card costs nothing with Xapo and nothing with Tangem Pay. A physical card costs nothing and an undisclosed fee.
Cashback and rewards
Xapo cashback: None. Tangem Pay cashback: 1% to 2%.
Xapo tiers: Membership: 0%.
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.
Xapo: Xapo pays cashback in Bitcoin only through limited-time offers, such as 3% on rideshares with the Metal card from 1 July to 30 September 2026. The membership also includes interest on USD savings, paid in Bitcoin.
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
Xapo does not publish a country list. Xapo Bank does not publish a list of countries where membership is open.
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.
Xapo 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
Xapo does not publish fixed spending or ATM limits.
Tangem Pay publishes a daily spending limit of $10,000 and ATM withdrawals of up to $750 a day.
Xapo does not list Apple Pay or Google Pay support, and Tangem Pay works with Apple Pay and Google Pay. Xapo and Tangem Pay issue a virtual card you can use straight away.
Custody and safety
Xapo scores 69/100. Licensing: holds a licence or registration outside the tier-one list (Credit institution regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (Permission No. 23171); crypto services by Xapo VASP Limited, a GFSC-regulated DLT Provider (Permission No. 26061)). No incidents or enforcement actions found in the last 36 months. Xapo says Bitcoin is held 1:1 and legally segregated under Gibraltar's DLT framework, never lent or rehypothecated. USD deposits are covered by the Gibraltar Deposit Guarantee Scheme; crypto balances are not.
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: Xapo safety check and Tangem Pay safety check.
About each card
Xapo Bank Card is a custodial Visa card from Xapo Bank Limited (Gibraltar). It tops up with USD, BTC, USDC and USDT.
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
Xapo fits if
- You spend in foreign currencies often, since its FX markup is lower.
Tangem Pay fits if
- You want to keep crypto in your own wallet until each payment.
- You want a higher cashback ceiling (up to 2%).
- You weigh licensing and fund segregation heavily, since it scores higher on our safety check.
Read more: Xapo fees and details · Tangem Pay fees and details