BitPay Card is a USDT (and multi-crypto) funded Mastercard issued by BitPay, a US FinCEN MSB-registered crypto payments processor founded in 2011. It is one of the few US-domiciled USDT-funded card options, making it especially relevant for US residents who want a card from a US-licensed entity.

How does BitPay compare to Crypto.com Visa for US residents?

Both are US-licensed. Crypto.com has state-by-state Money Transmitter Licenses across most states, while BitPay holds federal FinCEN MSB. Crypto.com offers staking-tier cashback in CRO; BitPay does not. Fees: BitPay carries a $5 monthly fee (the only major USDT card with monthly fee), Crypto.com 0 monthly at base tier. For pure USDT use without CRO interest, Crypto.com tends to win on raw economics.

Why is there a $5 monthly fee?

BitPay charges a card maintenance fee that other USDT cards have eliminated. The fee covers card production, customer support, and US compliance overhead. For users who spend frequently, the per-transaction fees on BitPay (typically 1%) make the $5 monthly a smaller share of total cost. For low-frequency users, the monthly fee dominates.

Does BitPay Card support USDT specifically?

Yes. BitPay supports loading via BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, BUSD, and several other major cryptos. USDT topup uses Ethereum (ERC20) or TRC20 depending on user choice. Mastercard network spends as USD globally.

BitPay Card Review

Name: BitPay Card
Brand: BitPay
Availability: InStock

One of few US-domiciled USDT-funded Mastercards. FinCEN MSB registered. The compliance-aligned US choice.

Published by usdtcard.net editorial · Updated 2026-05-12 · Read in Chinese →

Overall Score

6.8 / 10

Fees 4.5/10 · Reliability 8/10 · UX 7/10 · Compliance 9/10

What is BitPay Card?

BitPay is a US-based crypto payments processor founded in 2011 (predating most USDT cards by 5+ years). BitPay Card is their Mastercard offering: load USDT (or other supported crypto) into a BitPay account, spend via Mastercard rails. BitPay is FinCEN MSB registered in the US — one of few USDT-funded card issuers operating from a US entity rather than offshore.

Fee structure

USDT topup fee: 1%
Per-transaction fee: 1%
Monthly fee: $5 (the only major USDT card with monthly fee)
Opening fee: $10
ATM withdrawal: 2.50%

Source: BitPay official fee page, May 2026.

Why the monthly fee?

BitPay's $5 monthly fee is the most distinctive line in its pricing. The fee covers card production, US support overhead, and FinCEN MSB compliance costs. For users spending $300+/month, the monthly fee is a small share of total cost. For low-frequency users (only occasional subscription payments), the $60/year monthly cost can exceed the per-transaction savings.

The US-licensed advantage

For US residents, BitPay Card has one significant advantage that Asia-Pacific cards cannot match: both the card issuer and your payment processor are US-licensed. This simplifies tax-reporting (BitPay issues 1099 forms when thresholds are met) and means your card is not subject to OFAC + foreign-jurisdiction risk stacking that offshore cards inherit.

For US residents weighing BitPay vs Crypto.com Visa: BitPay is simpler (no CRO staking complexity), older brand (since 2011 vs Crypto.com card 2018), but Crypto.com has better fee economics at base tier.

Best for

US residents wanting a US-licensed issuer (FinCEN MSB)
Users preferring brand longevity (BitPay predates most competitors)
Users who don't want CRO token exposure (vs Crypto.com Visa)
Heavy spenders ($300+/month) where per-txn savings offset monthly fee

Not the best for

Low-frequency users (the $5/month dominates cost)
Asia-Pacific residents (MPCard / Bybit / OKX better for APAC)
Cost-sensitive heavy users (Crypto.com Visa base tier wins)
Non-US residents (less relevant — BitPay's US-licensing advantage doesn't help)

FAQ

What is BitPay Card?: BitPay Card is a USDT (and multi-crypto) funded Mastercard issued by BitPay, a US FinCEN MSB-registered crypto payments processor founded in 2011. It is one of the few US-domiciled USDT-funded card options, making it especially relevant for US residents who want a card from a US-licensed entity.
How does BitPay compare to Crypto.com Visa for US residents?: Both are US-licensed. Crypto.com has state-by-state Money Transmitter Licenses across most states, while BitPay holds federal FinCEN MSB. Crypto.com offers staking-tier cashback in CRO; BitPay does not. Fees: BitPay carries a $5 monthly fee (the only major USDT card with monthly fee), Crypto.com 0 monthly at base tier. For pure USDT use without CRO interest, Crypto.com tends to win on raw economics.
Why is there a $5 monthly fee?: BitPay charges a card maintenance fee that other USDT cards have eliminated. The fee covers card production, customer support, and US compliance overhead. For users who spend frequently, the per-transaction fees on BitPay (typically 1%) make the $5 monthly a smaller share of total cost. For low-frequency users, the monthly fee dominates.
Does BitPay Card support USDT specifically?: Yes. BitPay supports loading via BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, BUSD, and several other major cryptos. USDT topup uses Ethereum (ERC20) or TRC20 depending on user choice. Mastercard network spends as USD globally.

Verdict

BitPay Card is the most US-licensing-aligned USDT card option. For US residents wanting the compliance simplicity of a US-domiciled issuer, BitPay sits alongside Crypto.com Visa as the top two US-friendly USDT card choices. Its monthly fee is the friction point that prevents it from beating Crypto.com Visa on raw economics for most users.

Based on issuer documentation as of 2026-05-12.

Read in 简体中文 · Related: Crypto.com Visa review · US compliance guide