Curve Pay vs Exa Card (Uphold)
E-money / FinTech
Crypto native
Verdict
- Exa Card (Uphold) scores higher overall (6.5 vs 6.0 out of 10).
- Curve Pay is clearly stronger on: Product features.
- 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.
Curve Pay is a good fit for
- No specific audience can be derived from the published data yet.
Stronger on: Product features
Exa Card (Uphold) is a good fit for
- Users who need credit rather than a debit/prepaid card
Stronger on: Transparency
★ 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 | Curve Pay | Exa Card (Uphold) |
|---|---|---|
| Fees | 100 | 100 |
| Cashback & rewards | 3 | – |
| Availability | 100 | – |
| FX & international | 0 | – |
| Product features | 70 | 53 |
| Custody & security | 75 | 70 |
| Credit & financing | – | 60 |
| Limits & ATM | 60 | – |
| Transparency | 86 | 100 |
| Best for Cashback | 4.1 | n/a |
| Best for Travel | 4.6 | n/a |
| Best for DeFi Users | n/a | 6.8 |
| Best for High Spenders | 3.5 | n/a |
| Best for Low Fees | 6.7 | 8.0 |
| Best for Beginners | 7.8 | 7.3 |
| Best Crypto Credit Card | n/a | 7.0 |
| Best E-Money Card | 6.4 | 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
Network
MastercardShow source
VisaConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Visa Signature
Custody model
CustodialConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
The provider holds the funds
HybridConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Collateral leaves Uphold and is held in Exactly Protocol smart contracts
Card issuer / program manager
Curve UK Limited (UK) / Curve Europe UAB (EEA)Show source
Third National; credit by Exactly ProtocolShow source
Tiers / plans
Curve Pay · Curve Pay X · Curve Pay Pro · Curve Pay Pro+Show source
Fees
Annual fee
FreeShow source
Monthly fee
FreeConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Curve Pay (free plan)
Virtual card fee
FreeConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Created automatically with the Instant Credit account
FX fee
2.99%Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Free plan above £250/month fee-free FX; paid plans £3,333–£100,000 fee-free
ATM fee
2% (min. £2)Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
No free allowance on the free plan; X £300, Pro £500, Pro+ £1,000 per month
Other fees & markups
+1.5% on weekend FX spending (free plan) · 1.5% per transaction on commercial cards · 2.9% when funding through an international payment card above the allowanceShow source
Cashback & rewards
Base cashback
0%Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Free plan
Max cashback
1%Conditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Paid plans: on non-European/non-UK currency spend (X) or selected retailers (Pro/Pro+, capped £25/£50 per month)
Cashback paid in
Curve CashShow source
Cashback type
FiatShow source
Cashback conditions
1% on non-European/non-UK currency spend requires a premium plan (X, Pro or Pro+) · Pro: 1% at 6 chosen retailers up to £25/month; Pro+: 12 retailers up to £50/month · Brand offers up to 20%, usually one-time and activated in app, UK only (coming soon to EEA)Show source
Credit & financing
Credit line
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
Available in
United Kingdom, EEAShow source
Features
Apple Pay
YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Card can be added to Apple Pay for online payments; using Apple Pay for contactless may forfeit cashback and fee-free FX
YesShow source
Google Pay
YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Card can be added to Google Pay; using Google Pay for contactless may forfeit cashback and fee-free FX
YesShow source
Physical card
YesShow source
NoShow source
Virtual card
YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Curve Pay digital wallet (free plan); physical card free from Curve Pay X
YesShow source
ATM withdrawals
YesConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Fee-free foreign ATM withdrawals only on paid plans (X: up to £/€ 300)
Airport lounge access
NoConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Only Curve Pay Pro+ (paid plan); free Curve Pay does not list it
Security & custody
Regulation / licences
FCA-authorised e-money issuer (Curve UK Limited, UK) · Bank of Lithuania e-money licence No. 73 (Curve Europe UAB, EEA)Show source
Deposit protection
NoConditions apply: tap or hover for detailsShow source
Stated for UK customers and for funds on the Curve Cash card
Annual cost at 1,500 EUR/month
Curve Pay
- Annual & monthly fees+0 EUR
- FX costs−108 EUR
- Crypto conversion–
- ATM costs−29 EUR
- Cashback+0 EUR
- Net annual value-136 EUR
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