Exa Card (Uphold) vs SafePal Mastercard
Crypto native
Crypto native
Verdict
- Exa Card (Uphold) and SafePal Mastercard have the same overall score (6.5/10).
- Exa Card (Uphold) is clearly stronger on: Credit & financing.
- SafePal Mastercard is clearly stronger on: Product features.
- A full annual cost comparison is not possible yet because some fees are not disclosed or not yet researched.
Exa Card (Uphold) is a good fit for
- Users who need credit rather than a debit/prepaid card
Stronger on: Credit & financing
SafePal Mastercard is a good fit for
- Stablecoin holders
Stronger on: Product features
★ 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 | Exa Card (Uphold) | SafePal Mastercard |
|---|---|---|
| Fees | 100 | 100 |
| Cashback & rewards | – | – |
| Availability | – | – |
| FX & international | – | 60 |
| Product features | 53 | 70 |
| Custody & security | 70 | – |
| Credit & financing | 60 | 30 |
| Limits & ATM | – | – |
| Transparency | 100 | 100 |
| Best for Travel | n/a | 6.6 |
| Best for DeFi Users | 6.8 | 6.0 |
| Best for Stablecoins | n/a | 7.2 |
| Best for High Spenders | n/a | 6.1 |
| Best for Low Fees | 8.0 | 8.3 |
| Best for Beginners | 7.3 | 7.5 |
| Best Crypto Credit Card | 7.0 | n/a |
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 creditShow source
Debit cardShow source
Network
VisaConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Visa Signature
MastercardShow source
Custody model
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; credit by Exactly ProtocolShow source
Fiat24 (Swiss IBAN account and fiat gateway; compliance and licensing)Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Offered in collaboration with SafePal; the page does not name the card issuer separately
Fees
Annual fee
FreeShow source
FreeShow source
Monthly fee
FreeShow source
Virtual card fee
FreeConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Created automatically with the Instant Credit account
FX fee
1%Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Card payments settled in non-USD currencies
Top-up fee
FreeConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Standard deposit/top-up fee; crypto swaps carry a spread and gas fees
Transfer fee
FreeConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Transfers to external banks; other banks may charge
Other fees & markups
Refund processing fee 1 USD / 1 EUR / 1 CHF / 7 CNH per refund, depending on payment currency · Gas fees on blockchain transactionsConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Gas fees: the page states all financial transactions are conducted on the blockchain, which will result in gas fees
Credit & financing
Credit line
YesShow source
NoShow 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
USD · EUR · CHF · CNHShow source
Own IBAN / bank details
YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Swiss IBAN via Fiat24
Features
Apple Pay
YesShow source
YesShow source
Google Pay
YesShow source
YesShow source
Physical card
NoShow source
Virtual card
YesShow source
YesShow source
Spend stablecoins
YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Crypto is topped up as USDC
Blockchains
ArbitrumShow source
Limits
Spending limit
€5,000Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Per day; contactless 1,600 EUR per day
Annual cost at 1,500 EUR/month
Exa Card (Uphold)
- Annual & monthly fees+0 EUR
- FX costsunknown
- Crypto conversion–
- ATM costsunknown
- Cashbackunknown
- Net annual valuenot enough data
SafePal Mastercard
- Annual & monthly fees+0 EUR
- FX costs−36 EUR
- 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