KAST
Generous limits and broad chain support, but confirm spending-side fees in the in-app preview.
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- Business KYB
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- VirtualPhysicalVisa
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Home › Card reviews › ether.fi Cash
ether.fi Cash review
ether.fi
ether.fi Cash differs from most cards in our dataset: it is a credit card with two modes, Borrow and Direct Pay, using on-chain assets as the basis for your limit. The official help center is updated frequently, with most articles marked "Updated this week".
Pros
- Transparent document policy: ID card, passport or driver's licence
- 3DS via app push + email code
- No FX margin on USD/EUR spending
- FX fee is zero on higher tiers
Cons
- Mainland China not on the eligible list
- Credit product — Borrow Mode may accrue interest
- 10 USD first virtual card in some countries
0 USDIssuance
≥0.5%Total cost
0.5%FX fee
—Daily limit
Verdict: The most transparent document policy of the group, but only open to listed jurisdictions.
Card overview
Fees
- Virtual issuance
- 0 USD
- FX fee
- 0.5%
Card info
- Network
- Visa
- 3DS
- ✓ Supported
- Website
- www.ether.fi
A credit card (Borrow / Direct Pay modes), not prepaid; Core members normally get 1 free virtual card, but in 12 countries including Argentina, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Mexico, the Philippines and Thailand the first virtual card costs 10 USD; FX margin: Core 0.5%, Luxe 0.25%, Pinnacle/VIP none, applied only to currencies other than USD/EUR
Users can set their own daily / monthly limits
Data basis: Core tier
KYC requirements
Documents and regions
- National ID card
- ✓ Accepted
- Passport
- ✓ Accepted
- Passport + proof of address
- ✓ Accepted
- Mainland China residents
- Officially not eligible
- Restricted regions
- Mainland China (not on the official eligible-country list)
Accepts passport, national ID card or driver's licence plus a liveness check; officially, jurisdictions not on the list cannot apply for virtual or physical cards; Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia are listed; review takes about 48 hours
Proof of address: Required in some cases: utility bill, bank or credit-card statement from the last 3 months (mobile bills, insurance documents and screenshots not accepted)
help.ether.fi · 2026-11-10
It has the most transparent document policy of any card on this site: the official KYC article accepts a passport, national ID card or driver's licence plus a liveness check, and in some cases a utility bill or bank/credit-card statement from the last 3 months as proof of address — while explicitly rejecting mobile phone bills, insurance documents and screenshots. Eligibility follows the official country list, which includes Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia but not mainland China; officially, unlisted jurisdictions cannot apply for either the virtual or the physical card.
What 1,000 USDT buys
Open one virtual card, top up 1000 USDT once (1 USDT = 1 USD) and spend it over 10 purchases; spendable amounts at USD and non-USD merchants, on-chain gas excluded.
① Issuance fee: 0.00 USD
② Top-up fee: 1000 × 0% = 0.00 USD
③ Card balance: 1000 − 0.00 − 0.00 = 1,000.00 USD
④ Spendable at a USD merchant: 1,000.00 ÷ (1 + 0%) = 1,000.00 USD
⑤ Spendable at a non-USD merchant: 1,000.00 ÷ [(1 + 0%) × (1 + 0.5%)] = 995.02 USD
Total cost: USD merchant 0.00% / non-USD merchant 0.50%
② Top-up fee: 1000 × 0% = 0.00 USD
③ Card balance: 1000 − 0.00 − 0.00 = 1,000.00 USD
④ Spendable at a USD merchant: 1,000.00 ÷ (1 + 0%) = 1,000.00 USD
⑤ Spendable at a non-USD merchant: 1,000.00 ÷ [(1 + 0%) × (1 + 0.5%)] = 995.02 USD
Total cost: USD merchant 0.00% / non-USD merchant 0.50%
Who it suits
Suits: Holders of on-chain assets living in supported regions such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan or Korea
Not for: Mainland China residents; beginners unfamiliar with on-chain borrowing risk
Checklist before you apply
- Check your residence: Mainland China residents are ineligible — see the alternatives below.
- Prepare documents: ID card / Passport / Passport+POA.
- Check the live fee preview in the app before opening.
- Use the right network: it must match the deposit page when withdrawing from an exchange.
- Start small: top up only enough for one purchase first, and confirm arrival, charges and refunds work before adding more.
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Head-to-head: KAST vs ether.fi Cash, MetaMask Card vs ether.fi Cash.
Related records: How cards exclude mainland China: official wording and contradictions.
FAQ
Can mainland China residents apply for ether.fi Cash?
No. Accepts passport, national ID card or driver's licence plus a liveness check; officially, jurisdictions not on the list cannot apply for virtual or physical cards; Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Malaysia are listed; review takes about 48 hours
How much does it cost to open a ether.fi Cash card?
Virtual card issuance 0 USD, physical card —, monthly fee —.
Can ether.fi Cash be used for Meta / Google / TikTok ads?
The issuer makes no specific statement on ad platforms; prefer a card that officially supports ad payments.
How much can I actually spend from 1,000 USDT on ether.fi Cash?
On official fees, about 1,000.00 USD at a USD merchant and 995.02 USD at a non-USD merchant (upper bound).
How can I top up ether.fi Cash?
Use the networks and assets shown on the app's deposit page.
Affiliate linkOpen a ether.fi Cash card
A U-card is only for passing payments through: top up only what you will spend, and never keep a large balance on the card.