Brighty Card vs Exa Card (Uphold)
Crypto native
Crypto native
Verdict
- Brighty Card scores higher overall (6.6 vs 6.5 out of 10).
- Brighty Card is clearly stronger on: Product features.
- Exa Card (Uphold) is clearly stronger on: Credit & financing.
- A full annual cost comparison is not possible yet because some fees are not disclosed or not yet researched.
Brighty Card is a good fit for
- Stablecoin holders
Stronger on: Product features
Exa Card (Uphold) is a good fit for
- Users who need credit rather than a debit/prepaid card
Stronger on: Credit & financing
★ Our pickEditorial choice · score unchanged · Affiliate link
Neither card is our pick. The card we recommend instead:
Crypto native · ether.fi
Why we recommend it
- 3% cashback in ETHFI on up to $2,000 of spend a monthConditions apply
- 5.35% variable interest on your balanceConditions apply
- No annual or monthly fee on the base tierConditions apply
- Extras on the base tier: airport lounge access, travel / rental car insurance, purchase protectionConditions apply
- Self-custody: funds stay in your own walletConditions apply
Conditions apply; the review lists them with sources.
Score by criterion
| Criterion | Brighty Card | Exa Card (Uphold) |
|---|---|---|
| Fees | 100 | 100 |
| Cashback & rewards | – | – |
| Availability | – | – |
| FX & international | – | – |
| Product features | 70 | 53 |
| Custody & security | 75 | 70 |
| Credit & financing | 30 | 60 |
| Limits & ATM | – | – |
| Transparency | 100 | 100 |
| Best for DeFi Users | 6.7 | 6.8 |
| Best for Stablecoins | 7.3 | n/a |
| Best for Low Fees | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Best for Beginners | 7.8 | 7.3 |
| Best Crypto Credit Card | n/a | 7.0 |
Conditions apply, e.g. only for the base tier, up to a monthly cap or in some countries. Tap a value with * (or hover over it) to see them.
Product
Product status
ActiveShow source
ActiveShow source
Card type
Debit cardShow source
Crypto-backed creditShow source
Network
MastercardShow source
VisaConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Visa Signature
Custody model
CustodialConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Custody by licensed partners, secured with Fireblocks
HybridConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Collateral leaves Uphold and is held in Exactly Protocol smart contracts
Card issuer / program manager
BTY Digital AG with licensed partnersShow source
Third National; credit by Exactly ProtocolShow source
Tiers / plans
Brighty One (free) · Brighty Plus · Brighty ProShow source
Fees
Annual fee
FreeShow source
Virtual card fee
FreeConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Created automatically with the Instant Credit account
Top-up fee
FreeConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Deposits of EUR, GBP, USD or crypto via SEPA, Faster Payments and FedWire; page does not state fees for other top-up methods
Other fees & markups
Cashback redemption may be subject to network, transaction or exchange fees and conversion costsConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Amounts not stated on this page; conditions are displayed in the app
Cashback & rewards
Cashback paid in
Supported stablecoins (e.g. USDC)Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Redemption forms are displayed in the app and may also include other reward forms made available by BTY
Cashback type
StablecoinConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Cashback balance redeemable in supported stablecoins such as USDC
Cashback conditions
Rates vary by merchant, merchant category, country, subscription plan, reward tier, campaign or promotional period and are shown in the app · Calculated on the final settled amount; cashback stays provisional until the transaction is settled · Most cashback credited within 5 business days after settlement; some merchants or schemes need up to 90 days or longer · Personal use only; not for business, commercial or bulk purchasing · Redemption may be subject to minimum thresholds and daily, monthly or other limitsShow source
Reward expiry / vesting
Cashback does not expire unless an expiry period is communicated in the app, programme rules or another durable communicationShow source
Reward exclusions
Card-to-card transfers · ATM and other cash withdrawals · Gambling and betting transactions · Money transfers · Wallet or account top-ups · Quasi-cash transactions · Financial services transactions · Tax and certain government payments · Cryptocurrency or digital asset purchases, unless expressly permitted · Excluded MCCs (financial & money services): 4829, 6010, 6011, 6012, 6050, 6051, 6211, 6300, 6513, 6529, 6530, 6532, 6533, 6536, 6537, 6538, 6540, 6760, 8999 · Excluded MCCs (gambling & betting): 7800, 7801, 7802, 7995 · Excluded MCCs (government & tax payments): 9211, 9222, 9223, 9311, 9399, 9402, 9405, 9411 · Excluded MCC (utilities & essential services): 4900 · Excluded MCCs (retail & miscellaneous): 5734, 5947, 7349, 7372, 8062, 8398, 8651, 8661 · Transactions via Curve cards or equivalent pass-through, intermediary or wallet-routing services · Refunded, reversed, cancelled, disputed or charged-back transactionsConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
List is "without limitation"; BTY may update excluded categories or MCCs
Credit & financing
Credit line
NoShow source
YesShow source
Credit type
InstalmentsConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
One payment or up to 8 fixed-rate installments every 28 days
Collateral assets
BTC · ETH · USDC · XRPShow source
Interest notes
Fixed APR per payment option, confirmed at purchaseShow source
Liquidation risk
YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Spending limit depends on collateral value and health score
Spend by borrowing against collateral
YesShow source
Availability
Account / spend currencies
EUR · USD · GBP · USDC · EURC · ETH · BTCConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Account/wallet currencies in the Brighty app; page adds 'and more' for both fiat and crypto
Own IBAN / bank details
YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Named IBANs for EUR, GBP and USD
Features
Apple Pay
YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Stated as a footer link under Payments
YesShow source
Google Pay
YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Stated as a footer link under Payments
YesShow source
Physical card
NoShow source
Virtual card
YesShow source
Spend stablecoins
YesShow source
Security & custody
Regulation / licences
BTY Digital AG affiliated with VQF, a Swiss self-regulatory organisation recognised by FINMA under the AMLA (membership no. 100917)Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Applies to BTY Digital AG (Baar, Switzerland), operator of the Brighty Cashback Programme; the page footer says payment cards are provided by licensed partners
Annual cost at 1,500 EUR/month
Brighty Card
- Annual & monthly feesunknown
- FX costsunknown
- Crypto conversion–
- ATM costsunknown
- Cashbackunknown
- Net annual valuenot enough data
Exa Card (Uphold)
- Annual & monthly fees+0 EUR
- FX costsunknown
- Crypto conversion–
- ATM costsunknown
- Cashbackunknown
- Net annual valuenot enough data
Assumes 300 EUR foreign spend and 100 EUR ATM per month, base tier only. Use your own numbers