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ether.fi Cash vs Exa Card (Uphold)

ether.fi Cash

Crypto native

★ Our pick
8.1
Get the card
Exa Card (Uphold)

Crypto native

6.5
Get the card

Verdict

  • ether.fi Cash scores higher overall (8.1 vs 6.5 out of 10).
  • ether.fi Cash is clearly stronger on: Product features, Custody & security, Credit & financing.
  • Exa Card (Uphold) is clearly stronger on: Transparency.
  • A full annual cost comparison is not possible yet because some fees are not disclosed or not yet researched.

ether.fi Cash is a good fit for

  • People who want to keep control of their keys
  • Stablecoin holders
  • Users who need credit rather than a debit/prepaid card
  • Everyday spenders who want cashback

Stronger on: Product features, Custody & security, Credit & financing

Exa Card (Uphold) is a good fit for

  • Users who need credit rather than a debit/prepaid card

Stronger on: Transparency

Score by criterion

Criterionether.fi CashExa Card (Uphold)
Fees100100
Cashback & rewards69–
Availability100–
FX & international40–
Product features10053
Custody & security8570
Credit & financing7560
Limits & ATM––
Transparency74100
Best for Cashback7.7n/a
Best for Travel6.7n/a
Best for Self-Custody8.1n/a
Best for DeFi Users8.16.8
Best for Stablecoins7.7n/a
Best for High Spenders7.0n/a
Best for Low Fees7.48.0
Best for Beginners9.07.3
Best Crypto Credit Card7.97.0

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

Crypto-backed creditConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Marketed as a credit card; Direct Pay mode spends your own balance

Crypto-backed creditShow source

Network

VisaShow source
VisaConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Visa Signature

Custody model

Self-custodyConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Account is non-custodial; the card itself is issued by a third-party issuer under separate terms

HybridConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Collateral leaves Uphold and is held in Exactly Protocol smart contracts

Card issuer / program manager

Third National (issuer under Visa license); program by Ether.Fi Cash Ltd.Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

International cardholder agreement (Ltd.); US persons are covered by separate US agreements

Third National; credit by Exactly ProtocolShow source

Tiers / plans

Core · Luxe · Pinnacle · VIPShow source
No data yet

Fees

Annual fee

FreeConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Core membership; Luxe ($199/yr) and Pinnacle ($999/yr) can optionally be bought or earned via Liquid deposits / ETHFI staking

FreeShow source

Monthly fee

FreeConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Core membership

No data yet

Physical card fee

$60Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Core, including shipping; Luxe and higher get 1 free

No data yet

Virtual card fee

FreeConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

First virtual card free on Core; $10 in some regions and for further cards

FreeConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Created automatically with the Instant Credit account

FX fee

1.5%Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Non-USD purchases, Core: 1% FX base fee + up to 0.5% (Luxe +0.25%, Pinnacle/VIP none). Purchases charged in EUR: 0% FX markup.

No data yet

ATM fee

Not disclosedConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Core: ATM withdrawals available, fee not stated; Pinnacle and VIP: free, up to 10 withdrawals per month. The marketing page that listed 2% now redirects to /personal.

No data yet

Cashback & rewards

Base cashback

3%Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Core membership, on the first $2,000 of card spend per month

No data yet

Max cashback

4%Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

VIP membership, on the first $50,000 of card spend per month

No data yet

Cashback paid in

ETHFIShow source
No data yet

Cashback type

Platform tokenShow source
No data yet

Interest on balance

5.35%Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

USD Earn vault (ether.fi Liquid), variable APY, not guaranteed; EUR vault 5.29% APY; DeFi vault risk

No data yet

Cashback-eligible spend cap

$2,000/monthConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Core; Luxe $10,000, Pinnacle/VIP $50,000 per month

No data yet

Cashback conditions

Rates step down progressively with total monthly spend · EUR transactions use lower thresholds and rates · Spend tiers reset at the start of every monthShow source
No data yet

Reward expiry / vesting

Converted to ETHFI at settlement, locked for 7 days, then must be claimedShow source
No data yet

Reward exclusions

ATM withdrawals and cash advances · P2P payments and transfers · Currency exchange services · Tax and government payments · Gift cards, stored-value cards, money orders and cash equivalents · MCC 6011, 6012, 6211, 6513 (rent), 6532, 7995 (gambling)Show source
No data yet

Credit & financing

Credit line

YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Borrow Mode

YesShow source

Credit type

Crypto-backed creditShow source
InstalmentsConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

One payment or up to 8 fixed-rate installments every 28 days

Collateral assets

USDC · USDT · EURC · frxUSD · weETH · WETH · eBTC · ETHFI · sETHFI · OP · WHYPE · beHYPE · liquidETH · liquidBTC · liquidUSD · liquidReserve · liquidEUR · liquidRWA · QQQx · SPYx · PAXG · TBLLxConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Aave LendGateway Product LTV list for the Optimism lending market (parameters updated August 27, 2026); eUSD no longer counts as collateral

BTC · ETH · USDC · XRPShow source

Max loan-to-value

81%Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Aave LendGateway Product LTV for USDC, USDT, EURC, frxUSD; volatile assets lower (weETH/WETH 55%, ETHFI/OP 20%); legacy Cash DebtManager LTV was 90% for stablecoins

No data yet

Interest notes

Variable APY set by the underlying Aave v4 lending market per asset; accrues immediately and compounds continuouslyShow source
Fixed APR per payment option, confirmed at purchaseShow source

Grace period

None; interest accrues immediately after borrowingShow source
No data yet

Repayment

Repay all or part of the outstanding balance at any time, without penalty, by means permitted in the Ether.Fi AccountShow source
No data yet

Liquidation risk

YesShow source
YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Spending limit depends on collateral value and health score

Spend own balance directly

YesShow source
No data yet

Spend by borrowing against collateral

YesShow source
YesShow source

Availability

Available in

AD, AO, AG, Argentina, Australia, Austria, BS, BH, BD, BB, BZ, BO, Brazil, VG, Bulgaria, Canada, KY, Chile, Colombia, CR, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, DM, DO, EC, SV, France, Germany, GI, Greece, GG, GT, GY, HN, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, IM, Italy, Japan, JE, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, MV, Malta, Mexico, MC, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, OM, PW, PA, PY, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, PR, Romania, Saudi Arabia, SC, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, KN, LC, VC, SR, Sweden, Switzerland, TW, Thailand, TT, TC, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, UY, VU, Belgium, Ireland, United StatesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Subject to KYC; Belgium and Ireland eligible but no physical card delivery; US only in listed states (AL, AK, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, HI, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, ME, MA, MI, MN, NE, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OK, PA, SC, TX, UT, VA, WV, WY); unlisted jurisdictions cannot apply for virtual or physical card

No data yet

Features

Apple Pay

YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Only where Apple Pay is supported

YesShow source

Google Pay

YesShow source
YesShow source

Physical card

YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Not shipped to every eligible region

NoShow source

Virtual card

YesShow source
YesShow source

ATM withdrawals

YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Not permitted in North Korea, Iran and Myanmar

No data yet

Spend stablecoins

YesShow source
No data yet

Airport lounge access

YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Core: 2 free passes to premium lounges; unlimited from Pinnacle

No data yet

Travel / rental car insurance

YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Auto rental coverage, shared across all memberships

No data yet

Purchase protection

YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Purchase and price protection, all memberships

No data yet

Spendable assets

USDC · LiquidUSDConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Direct Pay Mode spend assets; Borrow Mode can use all vault assets as collateral

No data yet

Blockchains

Ethereum · Polygon · Optimism · Arbitrum · ScrollConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Definition of Supported Blockchains in the card terms (page spells Arbitrum as 'Arbitrium'); other networks may be added

No data yet

Limits

ATM limit

$25,000Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Per rolling 24 hours, same for all tiers; max $5,000 per transaction and 5 withdrawals per 24 hours

No data yet

Security & custody

Regulation / licences

Ether.Fi states it is not licensed to provide financial services as part of the Card ServicesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Nigeria: card marketed by BANEX Microfinance Bank, licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria; terms governed by Puerto Rico law

No data yet

Deposit protection

NoConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source

Account Balance Protection (Core up to $10K) is not yet live and is not deposit insurance

No data yet

Smart-contract risk

YesShow source
No data yet

Annual cost at 1,500 EUR/month

ether.fi Cash

  • Annual & monthly fees+0 EUR
  • FX costs−54 EUR
  • Crypto conversion–
  • ATM costsunknown
  • Cashback+540 EUR
  • 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

More ether.fi Cash comparisons

More Exa Card (Uphold) comparisons