Over the past year, the availability of crypto cards has increased dramatically. Crypto cards represent some of the best means of dabbling in digital currencies. Particularly for those who are new to the concept.
Among the most popular cards, you'll find Coinbase Card and Wirex Card. But how do these two cards compare when it comes to meeting consumer needs?
Here's what you need to know about Coinbase Card vs. Wirex Card so that you can find the best solution for your financial needs and aspirations.
What Is Coinbase?
A secure online platform, Coinbase permits users to buy, sell, store, and transfer digital currencies. The company's mission remains to create an open financial system worldwide. Coinbase also wishes to help more individuals convert to cryptocurrencies.
Founded in 2012, has become one of the most popular exchanges on the market, especially for individuals new to crypto investing. The platform offers a wide variety of solutions and products for those interested in every aspect of crypto finances.
At its outset, Coinbase traded solely in Bitcoin. But the platform soon added other options to its wheelhouse, including Litecoin, Ethereum, XRP, and many others.
What Is the Coinbase Card?
What are the benefits of the Coinbase Card? A Visa debit card, Coinbase Card permits you to quickly and easily spend funds from your Coinbase account crypto wallets.
How does it work? To get a Coinbase Card, you must download the app for your iOS or Android. Then, follow the prompts from the app to create a secure account connection. Once you've completed these steps, you can start using Coinbase Card's virtual currency.
Best of all, you can use Coinbase Card at any business that accepts Visa. You'll gain access to millions of locations all over the planet. These include both brick-and-mortar locations and online stores.
Coinbase Card facilitates cash withdrawals from ATMs, contactless PINs, and easy conversions between Ethereum, Bitcoin, and more.
Coinbase Card Security Features
Coinbase Bitcoin debit cards come with the protections and securities that you expect from a Visa. The company relies on two-factor authentication security codes, and passwords safeguard your account data 24/7.
You'll also find plenty of information on Coinbase's website about potential scams and how to avoid them.
How does Wirex compare to Coinbase? And what can you expect from the Wirex Card as opposed to the Coinbase Card? Let's take a closer look.
What Is Wirex?
Founded in 2014, Wirex combines the best of traditional and digital banking functions in one location. On the traditional side of things, you'll find Wirex's card and banking infrastructure. On the digital side, services include P2P transfers and cryptocurrency accounts.
Wirex claims to be one of the most complex platforms in the FinTech industry. Why? Because the company supports both traditional banking infrastructures and blockchain technology.
As a result, Wirex includes:
- Four OTC players to accommodate high-value orders and finding the best prices for order depth and currency combination
- Ten exchanges covering various best rates and currency pairs
- Three FX brokers offering interbank exchange rates for traditional currency pairs
- Visa card processing in five different regions (e.g., US, EEA, APAC, Japan, Canada)
- Eight different blockchains (supporting Litecoin, XRP, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Wollo, Waves, Dai, Nano, etc.)
- Faster Payments via SEPA, SWIFT, and ACH
At this point, you may feel overwhelmed by all of these capabilities. Why has Wirex gone to such great lengths to encompass all possible financial transaction needs in one spot? Because no other company has achieved this before.
What's more, integrating blockchain into our daily lives requires a revolution in how we handle finances. In other words, it necessitates building new infrastructure from scratch, which Wirex has already undertaken.
What Is the Wirex Card?
What are the benefits of the Wirex Card? Wirex Card represents another means of getting more consumers interested in using digital currencies. The card represents a multicurrency option that lets consumers pay internationally without hidden charges and exchange fees.
Wirex created this card with the express intent of assisting consumers in taking more control of their money.
For this reason, it provides you with access to transacting in more than 150 currencies. Yet, you won't have to worry about exchange fees and other unnecessary bank charges when making purchases overseas.
The card offers instant fiat-to-fiat currency exchange, and you'll never have to worry about international ATM withdrawal fees.
But where can you use a Wirex Card? It's welcomed at more than 54 million different outlets across the planet. What's more, every time you use it, you'll earn have the opportunity to take advantage of smart rewards.
What are smart rewards? Wirex's program, which allows you to earn 1.5% cashback on all init-ore purchases.
Wirex Card Security Features
But the fantastic features don't stop there. You'll also enjoy instant alerts that help you keep track of your budget and spending habits.
You'll also enjoy some of the best security features on the crypto market today. When you use Wirex Card, you'll enjoy the peace of mind that comes with a multi-signature, cold-storage crypto account.
You'll also benefit from two-factor authentication as well as TLS and 256-bit AES encryption. These features ensure that sensitive documents and data never go beyond your purview.
Wirex Card also boasts PCI DSS Level 1-certified protection, the highest possible in the digital world today.
Compare with the best crypto debit card alternatives
| Provider | Processor | Rewards | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coinbase | Visa | Up to 4% XLM, 1% BTC | → |
| Crypto.com | Visa | 1–5% CRO, free Spotify & Netflix | → |
| Wirex | Visa / Mastercard | 0.5%–1.5% BTC | → |
| Binance | Visa | Up to 8% BNB | → |
| Uphold | Mastercard | 2% crypto, 1% cash | → |
Coinbase Card vs. Wirex Card
As you can see, making a decision when it comes to Coinbase Card vs. Wirex Card isn't easy. So, spend some time researching each platform online and learning more about its card features and services.
That said, both companies provide excellent security options and many perks of using their cards. But goes the extra mile when it comes to a platform that can handle all of your traditional and crypto finance needs.
Are you interested in finding out more about how other crypto cards compare? Here's what you need to know about the best crypto credit cards and debit cards of 2021.