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The Crypto.com Visa Debit card is a unique offering in the Bitcoin and cryptocurrency credit card card space due to the use of the company’s very own crypto token. The CRO token is Crypto.com’s own proprietary offering (also known as Cronos), and it is can be used by card holders to gain access to better rewards on one of the five tiers of cards available on the platform.
Staking CRO allows users to gain access to added bonuses such as up to 5% cashback on all purchases and 100% cashback on common purchases like Netflix and Spotify subscriptions. While the rewards with CRO are quite remarkable, the fact that users must hold a niche cryptocurrency to gain access to those rewards must also be considered.
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CryptoVantage Staff
|
Jan 15, 2024
Reviewed by Arthur Crowson
Crypto.com Visa Card
- Up to 5% crypto cashback on all purchases
- Huge amount of available perks including free Netflix, Spotify and Airport Lounge access
- Unique CRO staking model offers five different tiers of cards
- High-quality premium metal cards
Card TypeVisa Debit (pre-paid)
Cryptocurrencies Supported20+
RewardsUp to 5% cryptoback
Pros & Cons
Pros
Available at 40 million point-of-sale locations around the world
Discounts on cash withdrawals from ATMs
Get up to 5% cashback on all purchases
Five different card tiers available
Get 100% cashback on common subscriptions like Netflix and Spotify
Cons
CRO must be staked to gain access to the best rewards
Cashback rewards are denominated in CRO
There is a $50 fee if you close your account without spending all funds
Earning the best rewards requires a massive stake of CRO
What is the Crypto.com Visa Card?
The Crypto.com Visa card is one part of the greater Crypto.com platform and ecosystem. In addition to the card, Crypto.com also offers the ability to buy Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies via a credit or debit card, exchange 100+ different crypto assets on an exchange, and even borrow or lend out various cryptocurrencies. All of this functionality can be accessed via the Crypto.com mobile app on Android and iOS devices.
The Crypto.com Visa card is hard to separate from the Cronos (CRO) crypto token. To gain access to the best rewards associated with this card, the user must be willing to buy and hold CRO tokens for a period of six months. While there are rewards available for users who do not stake CRO, these rewards pale in comparison to what is given to CRO stakers. For example, someone staking $400,000 USD equivalent in CRO with an Obsidian level card receives 5% cashback, while a user with the same tier card who is not staking CRO receives 2% cashback (in addition to losing out on a number of other rewards).
What Are the Benefits of the Crypto.com Visa Card?
In addition to the base cashback rewards, the Crypto.com Visa card also allows users to get 100% cashback on popular subscription services such as Amazon Prime and Netflix. Cashback rewards are also higher on Airbnb and Expedia purchases; however, it should be noted that all of these cashback rewards are also denominated in Cronos (CRO). There are also additional rewards that are specific to the Crypto.com platform, such as bonus interest earnings and the Crypto.com Private program, which enables extra features like inheritance planning, access to research reports, and over-the-counter trades of CRO.
The top Crypto.com Visa card tier even involves a private jet partnership, which enables special perks when the user flies private with Crypto.com’s private jet partner. Lounge Key airport lounge access is also made available to users of the top two card tiers.
Finally, the cards offered by Crypto.com offer discounts on ATM withdrawal fees and interbank exchange rates. These discounts increase depending on the card tier.
It should go without saying that you can also use the Crypto.com Visa card pretty much anywhere that accepts Visa.
Can I Really Get Free Netflix, Spotify with the Crypto.com Visa?
You do get free Netflix and Spotify with certain Crypto.com Visa Cards but it works a little differently than you might be thinking.
Basically you set up your Crypto.com Visa Card to pay your monthly membership fees for Netflix and Spotify and then Crypto.com will reimburse you the amount in the CRO token.
You could immediately cash that CRO in for a stablecoin like USDC and you’ve essentially gotten a rebate on your Netflix. Or you could hold on to your CRO in hopes that it will gain in value. In that sense it’s a way of dollar cost averaging into CRO. Of course your CRO could also lose value, which means your Netflix was not actually 100% free.
In addition the Jade/Indigo level of cards only provide free Netflix and Spotify for sixth months.
The higher tiers of the Crypto.com Visa Card also offer reimbursem*nts for Amazon Prime subscriptions. Here’s a look at the latest cashback rates from the Crypto.com Website (with stake):
Potential Crypto.com Visa Debit Card Dealbreakers
The biggest issue with the Crypto.com Visa card is the reliance on the Cronos (CRO) token to enable all of the amazing rewards. Yes, the rewards offered by the various Crypto.com prepaid card offerings sound amazing on paper. However, users must consider the fact that they’re forced to hold the CRO token in order to gain access to those rewards. What happens if the value of CRO goes down? It is possible for users to lose more money on their CRO holdings than what they’re getting back in rewards through their Crypto.com prepaid card of choice.
For example, let’s say a user wants to get the Crypto.com Visa Obsidian card. Gaining access to the highest possible rewards with this card requires the user to stake a staggering $400,000 in CRO. A user must initially agree to lock up their CRO for 6 months in order to gain access to the best rewards. What if the CRO price drops 50% during that time (something that has happened in less time in the past)?
Is the Crypto.com Visa Debit Card Right for Me?
In most cases, it is correct to say that whether a specific crypto debit card is right for a particular person depends on the specific features that user needs for their specific situation.
If you have a Netflix and Spotify membership, then perhaps the middle tier of cards is right for you. If the risk of holding CRO is too much to bear, there is always the free tier of the Crypto.com VISA card that is available to everyone by default. On the other hand if you’re a believer in the CRO project than you might feel more comfortable holding a significant amount of CRO.
Crypto.com Visa Card FAQ
CRO, or Cronos, is a token created for the Crypto.com platform. Users who wish to gain access to the best incentives and rewards from various Crypto.com prepaid cards must be willing to stake CRO. Users who stake more CRO are able to gain access to more and better rewards. It should be remembered that the price of CRO could also fall rather dramatically during the staking process, which could more than negate the rewards associated with a Crypto.com prepaid card. Of course it could also rise and you’d actually increase your holdings.
Cashback rewards are also paid out in CRO tokens. Additionally, CRO can be used in other areas of the Crypto.com platform.
There is no monthly or annual fee associated with the Crypto.com Visa cards. Additionally, there are no fees for shipping or initial setup. Card holders are also able to get substantial discounts on ATM and interbank exchange fees. However, these discounts are limited. Once the maximum discounts have been reached, there are 2% fees on ATM withdrawals and 0.5% fees on interbank exchanges.
The real fee for using one of the Crypto.com Visa cards is the need to stake CRO in order to receive the best rewards. As mentioned previously, this “fee” could end up being rather substantial.
Yes, people living in the United States are able to gain access to Visa prepaid cards from Crypto.com. However, it should be noted that not all crypto assets are available as deposit options for the prepaid cards in all 50 states.
The seven Crypto.com Visa card options are Obsidian, Frosted Rose Gold, Icy White, Royal Indigo, Jade Green, Ruby Steel, and Midnight Blue. These seven cards represent five different tiers. Frosted Rose Gold and Icy White are two different options for the same tier, as well as Royal Indigo and Jade Green.
No, Crypto.com Visa cards are not anonymous. Users of the prepaid cards offered by this platform must go through the same Know Your Customer and anti money-laundering requirements that are common at cryptocurrency exchanges around the world.
Monaco (MCO) is the now defunct crypto token that the founders of Crypto.com initially brought to market in 2016. Eventually Crypto.com decided to roll the CRO and MCO token into a single asset to simplify the ecosystem.
About the Author
CryptoVantageStaff
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