Home › Comparisons › MetaMask Card vs ether.fi Cash
MetaMask Card vs ether.fi Cash
MetaMask Card or ether.fi Cash? This page puts the same fields from both reviews side by side — every number from each issuer's official pages, checked 2026-11-10 — and gives a verdict for three uses: advertising, subscriptions and large spending.
Side-by-side comparison
| Item | MetaMask Card | ether.fi Cash |
|---|---|---|
| Operator | Consensys / MetaMask | ether.fi |
| Network | Mastercard | Visa |
| Card types | Virtual | Virtual, Physical |
| Virtual issuance | 0 USD | 0 USD |
| Monthly fee | 0 USD | — |
| Top-up fee | 0% | — |
| Spend / conversion | 0% | — |
| FX fee | 1% | 0.5% |
| ATM | Free tier 2% (ATM withdrawals only for US users) | — |
| Total cost (non-USD merchant) | 1.0% | ≥0.5% |
| Mainland China residents | Officially not eligible | Officially not eligible |
| Documents stated | Passport+POA | ID card / Passport / Passport+POA |
| Restricted regions | Mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and other regions not on the eligible list, United States (new sign-ups paused) | Mainland China (not on the official eligible-country list) |
| 3DS | — | ✓ Supported |
| Meta / Google / TikTok | — | — |
| Limits | 15,000/day · —/mo USD | — |
| Limit notes | Free tier: 10,000 per transaction / 15,000 daily USD; Metal: 20,000 per transaction / 30,000 daily USD | Users can set their own daily / monthly limits |
| Bulk issuing | Not supported | — |
| Top-up chains | Linea, Solana, Base, Monad | — |
| Source | Official fee page · 2026-11-10 | Official fee page · 2026-11-10 |
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Key differences
- Virtual issuance: the same on both, 0 USD.
- FX fee: ether.fi Cash at 0.5% is lower than MetaMask Card at 1%.
- Mainland China residents: MetaMask Card officially not eligible, ether.fi Cash officially not eligible.
MetaMask Card
MetaMask Card: MetaMask Card runs on Mastercard, with Crypto Life as programme manager and Monovate as issuer. Strongest self-custody story, but the regional bar is high and most Chinese-speaking users cannot apply. Issuance 0 usd; total cost at non-usd merchants 1.0%; accepts passport+poa; mainland china residents: officially not eligible. Best for on-chain users living in Europe, the UK, Latin America or other supported regions; not for mainland China residents; users who rely on TRC20 top-ups. Read the full review
ether.fi Cash
ether.fi Cash: 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 most transparent document policy of the group, but only open to listed jurisdictions. Issuance 0 usd; total cost at non-usd merchants ≥0.5%; accepts id card / passport / passport+poa; mainland china residents: officially not eligible. Best for 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. Read the full review
Verdict by use case
Advertising
Neither publishes official ad-platform statements or supports multiple cards, so neither is recommended for ads.
AI and software subscriptions
Choose MetaMask Card. Free virtual card, no annual fee, and free spending with local-currency stablecoins; ether.fi Cash adds 0.5% on currencies other than USD/EUR. Note MetaMask charges 1% at cross-border merchants (its FAQ separately says no FX fee).
Large spending
Choose MetaMask Card. Its free tier publishes 10,000 USD per transaction and 15,000 per day, and funds stay in your own wallet; ether.fi Cash is a credit card with possible interest in Borrow Mode.
Choose by your situation
- If you live in mainland China: both issuers officially exclude mainland residents — see the ranking of cards for Chinese ID holders instead.
- If you need a physical card or ATM cash: ether.fi Cash offers a physical card; withdrawal fees are as listed in the reviews.
- If you need many cards for separate accounts or projects: neither publishes a multi-card or bulk-issuing feature.
- If you top up via TRC20: neither official page lists TRC20; check supported networks in the app before topping up.
Conclusion
Both are on-chain native cards: MetaMask Card is self-custody and spends against an allowance, ether.fi Cash is a credit card based on on-chain assets. Neither is open to mainland China, and MetaMask has paused US sign-ups. If you qualify, MetaMask Card is cheaper and simpler. Their funding chains differ too: MetaMask uses Linea, Solana, Base and Monad, while ether.fi Cash only says it supports listed tokens on multiple chains — neither supports the common TRC20 route.
Whichever you pick, confirm first that your residence and documents fall within the issuer's policy, and test with a small amount before relying on it.
Related reading
For each card's full calculation and document details, see the MetaMask Card and ether.fi Cash reviews; to rule out cards by residence first, see the KYC policy table. Other comparisons:
- RedotPay vs Bybit Card
- ExCards vs KripiCard
- RedotPay vs PokePay
- KAST vs ether.fi Cash
- Bybit Card vs Crypto.com Visa Card
FAQ
Which is cheaper, MetaMask Card or ether.fi Cash?
On our standard basis (open a card, top up 1,000 USDT, spend at a non-USD merchant), MetaMask Card costs 1.0% and ether.fi Cash ≥0.5%; "≥" marks a lower bound.
Can mainland China residents use MetaMask Card or ether.fi Cash?
MetaMask Card: Officially not eligible; ether.fi Cash: Officially not eligible. See the KYC policy table for each card.
For advertising, MetaMask Card or ether.fi Cash?
Neither publishes official ad-platform statements or supports multiple cards, so neither is recommended for ads.
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.