Where the crypto turns into money
When does the crypto behind a crypto card become money? Before the shop sees anything, and the exact moment depends on the card. Exchange Crypto.com’s card page for Europe says cardholders “cannot load cryptocurrency” onto its card, and that crypto is converted into the local currency before it is loaded for purchases and ATM withdrawals.
Wallet provider MetaMask works the other way. Its card page says your crypto stays in your MetaMask wallet until you pay and is converted to local currency at checkout. Crypto.com’s own FAQ adds a point of definition. Its card “is a prepaid card”, topped up first “rather than being linked directly to your bank account like a debit card.”
What one European card charged
Fees sit in the issuer’s fee schedule, not on the card’s marketing page. Crypto.com’s fees and limits page for residents of Europe showed the following on November 12, 2026.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Top-up with a debit or credit card | 1% |
| ATM withdrawal above the free monthly limit | 2% (the free limit runs from €200 to €1,000 by tier) |
| Non-euro spending, Midnight tier | 0.2% within the EU and UK, 2.0% outside |
| Inactivity after 12 months without use | €6 a month since October 1, 2026 (€5 before) |
| Closing the account | €50 |
| Maximum card balance | €25,000 |
The page lists no fee for topping up from the crypto wallet, though that top-up is itself a sale of crypto.
Who stands behind the card
The card issuer is a licensed bank or e-money firm, sometimes inside the crypto company’s own group. In the US, the Crypto.com Prepaid Visa Card is issued by Community Federal Savings Bank, Member FDIC, according to its US page.
In the EU, the issuer is Foris MT Limited, which the Malta Financial Services Authority has licensed as an electronic money institution, while crypto custody and exchange are provided by Foris DAX MT Limited, a MiCA-licensed firm that ESMA’s register shows authorized on January 27, 2025.
A UK license backs another design. Gnosis Pay, which links its cards to Safe smart accounts, says on its homepage that its debit card is issued by Monavate Limited, authorized by the Financial Conduct Authority as an e-money institution under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011.
Two common mistakes
The first is assuming every crypto card spends crypto. Crypto.com’s US card page now leads with the Crypto.com Visa Signature Credit Card, issued by Comenity Capital Bank. It is a credit card that pays rewards in bitcoin or the CRO token, and its purchases are borrowed dollars.
The second is forgetting tax. The IRS FAQ says exchanging virtual currency for goods produces a capital gain or loss, so each crypto-funded top-up or purchase can be a taxable event. Crypto.com’s US page carries its own warning that a favorable exchange rate at conversion “can result in a tax liability.” Before ordering a card, read the fee schedule and check which company issues it in your country.