OUR SCORE
How we rate them
Our own assessment, not a user rating — four criteria at 25% each, scored against each issuer's published terms. See the scoring model.
Editorial scores for the Fold Card and the Shakepay Card| Criterion | Fold Card | Shakepay Card |
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| Overall | 3.9 / 5 | 3.8 / 5 |
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| Cost 25% | 3.0The card itself is free, but each foreign purchase costs a flat $3.00, ATM withdrawals $3.50, and instant card-to-card transfers 1.5%. Holding $5,000 in Fold Reserve waives the foreign-purchase and ATM fees. | 3.5No annual or card fee and no Shakepay ATM charge, but foreign spending costs 3% at the entry status, falling to 1.5% and then 0% as your activity rises. |
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| Conditions 25% | 5.0The 0.25% base rate needs no stake, balance or subscription. The advertised 3% needs a $100,000 Fold Reserve balance. | 4.5The rate is set by monthly activity rather than a stake — $100 exchanged or $200 in direct deposits moves you up — and the top rate is only 1.5%. |
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| Rewards 25% | 3.0Under Fold Reserve, which replaced the Fold+ membership in Fold's terms from 21 September 2026 and is reaching accounts in stages, the debit card pays 0.25% back in bitcoin as standard, with spin bonuses on top. Higher rates (0.5% to 3%) need a Fold Reserve balance of $15,000 to $100,000. Paid in BTC rather than an issuer token. | 3.01% in bitcoin at the everyday status, 1.5% at the top one, credited automatically to your bitcoin balance. |
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| Reliability 25% | 4.5Issued by Sutton Bank with a full published fee schedule and cardholder agreement, and running since 2019 — among the best-documented cards here. | 4.0Issued by Peoples Trust, Canada-only, with statuses, fees and limits all documented in its own help centre. |
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QUICK VERDICT
Who wins on what
HIGHER HEADLINE CASHBACK
Fold Card
Up to 3% vs Up to 1.5%
Only stated where the published data supports it. A card with a tiered or conditional fee is not counted as free.
THE SHORT VERSION
How they actually differ
- →Rewards arrive in different assets: Bitcoin (sats) on the Fold Card, Bitcoin (BTC) on the Shakepay Card.
EVERY FIELD
Fold Card vs Shakepay Card, side by side
Full field-by-field comparison of the Fold Card and the Shakepay Card| Field | Fold Card | Shakepay Card |
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| Card type | Prepaid | Prepaid |
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| Network | Visa | Visa |
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| Max cashback | Up to 3% | Up to 1.5% |
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| Rewards paid in | Bitcoin (sats) | Bitcoin (BTC) |
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| Annual fee | Free No subscription. Fold removed the Fold+ membership from its terms on 21 September 2026; fee waivers now come from holding a Fold Reserve balance of $5,000 or more, and higher reward rates from $15,000. Fold is moving accounts to Reserve in stages, and until it appears in your app the earlier terms (14 August 2026) apply to your account. | Free |
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| Monthly fee | None | None |
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| FX fee | $3.00 per foreign transaction (waived with a $5,000 Fold Reserve balance) | 3% on Base, 1.5% on Bright, 0% on Blue |
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| ATM fee | $3.50 per withdrawal (waived with a $5,000 Fold Reserve balance); ATM operators may add their own fee | Free |
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| Crypto conversion | 1% plus a spread when buying or selling bitcoin (the 1% is waived with a $5,000 Fold Reserve balance) | Free |
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| Where it works | United States | Canada |
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| Self-custody | No | No |
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| No staking needed | Yes | Yes |
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| Apple Pay | Yes | Yes |
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| Google Pay | Yes | Yes |
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| Virtual card | — | — |
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A dash means the issuer has not published that figure — it does not mean zero. See our methodology for how each field is verified. Rewards and availability change often and vary by region. Not financial advice.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Fold Card vs Shakepay Card: common questions
Which is better, the Fold Card or the Shakepay Card?
It depends on what you optimise for. Fold Card is a prepaid card advertising up to 3%; Shakepay Card is a prepaid card advertising up to 1.5%. Compare their fees, regions and custody model side by side before deciding.
Can I get both the Fold Card and the Shakepay Card?
Usually yes — these are separate products from different issuers, so holding one does not prevent you from applying for the other, provided you meet each issuer's own eligibility and region requirements.
GO DEEPER
Read the full review of each
