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 Xapo Card and the Krak| Criterion | Xapo Card | Krak |
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| Overall | 3.3 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
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| Cost 25% | 2.0The card is free but the membership is not: $1,000 a year for Xapo Bank. FX is 0% and the BTC spread 0.1%, with ATM withdrawals free to $100 a month, then 2%. | 5.0No card, monthly or FX fee, and Kraken charges nothing for ATM withdrawals — only the machine's operator might. This describes the UK/EEA card; the US card adds a 1% fee on foreign purchases. |
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| Conditions 25% | 3.5No stake or token holding, but the card exists only inside a $1,000-a-year membership, which is what stands between you and the rate. | 4.0The rate is set by your combined Kraken balance rather than a stake or lock-up: £1,000/€1,000 reaches 1%, and the money stays yours to withdraw. |
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| Rewards 25% | 3.01% in Bitcoin on card purchases, dropping to 0.2% at merchants in the SEPA area. USD deposits earn around 4% a year separately. | 3.01% in Bitcoin or local currency at a realistic balance. The 2% headline needs £50,000/€50,000 held, and the rate is credited on settlement rather than monthly. |
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| Reliability 25% | 4.5A licensed bank in Gibraltar with a long record and published card FAQs; the main gap is that its newest card figures date from mid-2025. | 4.5Kraken has one of the longest records in the industry, publishes its tier thresholds openly, and the card's data was re-checked this month. |
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QUICK VERDICT
Who wins on what
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 on the Xapo Card, Bitcoin or local fiat (your choice) on the Krak.
- →Xapo Card runs on Visa; Krak runs on Mastercard/Visa.
EVERY FIELD
Xapo Card vs Krak, side by side
Full field-by-field comparison of the Xapo Card and the Krak| Field | Xapo Card | Krak |
|---|
| Card type | Debit | Debit |
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| Network | Visa | Mastercard/Visa |
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| Max cashback | Up to 1% | Up to 2% |
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| Rewards paid in | Bitcoin | Bitcoin or local fiat (your choice) |
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| Annual fee | $1,000/year (Xapo Bank membership) | Free |
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| Monthly fee | None | None |
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| FX fee | 0% | 0% to 1% The UK/EEA card passes on the Mastercard exchange rate with no markup. The US card charges a 1% foreign transaction fee on purchases made outside the United States or in a foreign currency, converted at Visa's rate. |
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| ATM fee | Free up to $100/month, then 2% | Free from Kraken — third-party ATM operator fees may still apply |
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| Crypto conversion | 0.1% BTC spread | Variable spread Spending your local currency carries no transaction fee. When crypto or another currency has to be sold to cover a purchase, Krak builds a spread into the conversion price, which Kraken says lets payments go through quickly and reliably even when markets are volatile. The rate applied is shown in the transaction details in the Krak app after the purchase. |
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| Where it works | 110+ countries (NOT US — offshore banking focus; Gibraltar regulated) | UK, EEA, United States (NOT available in: New York, Maine, Massachusetts, Indiana); card usable for spending and ATMs in 200+ countries worldwide |
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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
Xapo Card vs Krak: common questions
Which is better, the Xapo Card or the Krak?
It depends on what you optimise for. Xapo Card is a debit card advertising up to 1%; Krak is a debit card advertising up to 2%. Compare their fees, regions and custody model side by side before deciding.
Can I get both the Xapo Card and the Krak?
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
