Crypto Debit Cards Available in Australia

This guide lists some crypto debit cards available in Australia that provide an avenue to spend your Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. They work just like a normal debit card at any place that accepts your card such as retail EFTPOS machines, ATMs and online shopping.

4 crypto debit cards available to Aussies

1. Stables
2. Coinjar
3. Crypto.com
4. Wirex

1. Stables

Stables is an Australian-based crypto debit card focused on everyday spending. The team partnered up with payment provider Mastercard to offer Aussies a card that works at almost every major retailer – brick & mortar or via the internet. The key concept of Stables is that the card is powered by stablecoins, so those using it don’t need to worry about volatility associated with crypto assets. Stablecoins are pegged to the price of fiat currencies like the US dollar, so their volatility is often lower.

This allows the Stables card to be used internationally with no foreign exchange fees (although spending fees and some conditions apply). There are no fees for receiving, storing or spending USDC via the app. Some fees apply when spending stablecoins with their card. When buying and selling USDC, USDT, for fiat, check the conversion rate in-app.

For a breakdown of the stables fees visit our dedicated Stables summary.

Stables Features:

• Supports USDC, USDT, DAI & PYUSD
• No fees for receiving, storing or spending USDC via the app
• Integrated with Apple Pay and Google Pay
• No foreign exchange fees (spreads apply)
• The Stables card can be spent anywhere internationally that accepts Mastercard
• 24/7 customer service 
• 4.8/5-star rating on App Store and 4.9/5 on Google Play Store (as of 31 January 2024)

Check out the Stables website for a signup offer.

2. Coinjar Visa Debit Card

Coinjar is a popular crypto exchange in Australia that offers customers a cryptocurrency debit card powered by Mastercard. This lets you spend your digital currencies just like cash – whether you want to withdraw cash from an ATM, go on an online shopping spree, or simply pay via card at the counter of your favourite store. The Coinjar Mastercard debit card can even be linked to Apple and Google Pay, so you don’t need the physical Coinjar product with you to take advantage of it.

With conversion and withdrawal fees of 1%, the Coinjar card provides an avenue to spend your crypto just like fiat currency. The system comes with a rewards account where points can be redeemed for products and services like free trades.

Check out what other features the exchange offers in our Coinjar review.

Features:

• No monthly fee and no card issuance fee
• A 1% withdrawal and conversion fee that is returned in Rewards points
• Smartphone app
• Coinjar Card can be added to Google and Apple Pay
• Mastercard-powered meaning it works at most major online and in-store merchants

3. Crypto.com Visa Card

Crypto.com Visa Card is probably the most well-known cryptocurrency debit card in the industry, thanks to its widespread brand awareness of Crypto.com. It is a prepaid, high-end metal card with no annual fees or monthly fees, up to 5% cashback on all spending among other benefits like airport lounge access and free Spotify subscriptions. The card relies on the Crypto.com native token, CRO, which can be staked on the exchange platform for higher debit card rewards. It’s worth noting that the upper echelon of crypto rewards typically requires $400,000+ worth of CRO staked, which might be out of reach for most average investors.

Features:

• No annual fee
• Wide range of rewards, including cashback rewards, free subscriptions and airport lounge access
• Free ATM withdrawals, although monthly withdrawal limits are pretty restrictive
• Can be used at most major merchants in-store and online
• Those already staking CRO can receive benefits for switching to the Crypto.com Visa Debit Card

4. Wirex Visa Card

Wirex claims to be the “first company in the world to develop…a crypto-enabled debit card” and has quickly climbed the ranks thanks to its features and versatility. The team partnered up with Novatti in March 2023 to begin offering its services to Australian customers. Aussie crypto investors can spend their digital assets with up to 8% cashback, no monthly fees and store over 130 cryptocurrencies.

Features:

• Up to AUD $400 can be withdrawn for free from ATMs per month
• Card issuance is free, with a simple $1 AUD for delivery
• Wirex’s crypto debit cards offer several tiers of plans with variable rewards for card users
• Thanks to its integration with Visa, Wirex cards can be used at most online and in-store merchants

4 crypto debit cards available outside of Australia

5. Bitpay

The Bitpay card is currently unavailable to Australian customers, however, the team is working on offering the product globally in the coming years. 

The Bitpay Debit Card is another Mastercard-powered offering that works at essentially every shop you’d need it to – whether that’s online, offline or somewhere in-between. The company has been around for quite a while (since 2011) and has built a reputation for strong products and strong customer support in that time. A particularly unique feature of the Bitpay Debit Card is that it can be linked with a non-custodial wallet to securely spend digital currencies. Most alternatives require crypto to be stored natively inside the spending app or an associated exchange.

Features:

• Non-custodial crypto wallet integration
• Available on smartphone with highly-rated applications
• Recurring crypto payments available for bills
• Only available to U.S. residents
• 1% deposit fee and 3% fee for foreign transactions

6. Binance Visa Card

Binance has recently encountered an issue with its services to Australian residents – and its Visa Card is currently unavailable to Aussies.

Binance is the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange and is renowned for offering a massive range of features. One such feature is its Visa debit Card, which works at 60+ million merchants worldwide. The card works simply – customers can just transfer crypto assets from their Binance spot trading wallet to their card wallet, and they’re ready to go. Spending is also rewarded with a daily cashback, paid out in BNB. Binance have even worked on their own payment gateway, Binance Pay, to help facilitate conversion of crypto to fiat currency and vice versa when spending digital assets.

Related: Binance Australia Review

Features:

• An incredible 8% cashback (but only available to those who own over $1M worth of BNB)
• Supports 15+ cryptocurrencies
• Transaction fees are typically free
• 2% foreign transaction fee
• Spending limits are only around $1,000 per day
• The card is unavailable to Australian citizens for the time being

7. Cryptopay

The Cryptopay Visa Debit Card can help investors spend their cryptocurrencies anywhere and anytime. Thanks to the card’s integration with Visa, the Cryptopay Visa card can be used at essentially any retailer, as Visa is one of the world’s largest payment providers. The pre-paid card also has high spending limits, security measures and a smartphone application. The physical card can only be accessed by residents of the United Kingdom, however, there are plans in place to expand the customer base globally.

Features:

• Integration with Visa, meaning the card can be spent at most merchants internationally
• Card issuance fee of ~$10, but a free virtual option available for smartphone users
• Daily spending limits of over AUD $10k
• Smartphone application
• There is a monthly fee of >$1+ and a 3% foreign transaction fee, making the card a little less cost-effective than others

How do crypto debit cards work?

Crypto debit cards allow investors to spend their crypto balance just like they would regular cash. Most card use a payment gateway like Visa or Mastercard meaning they can be used at whatever merchants accept those types of cards. That includes brick-and-mortar stores, online shops, ATMs and so on.

Most crypto debit cards must be linked to a wallet containing with digital assets. Often, these wallets will be offered by the underlying card provider – for example, Binance Debit Card users must fund their Binance wallets for the card to work. However, a select few cards can be linked with multiple non-custodial wallets, giving extra flexibility to investors.

How does tax work on crypto debit cards?

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has specific rules around cryptocurrency and tax that differ from most other nations. Therefore it’s important to read any guidelines and consult a taxation expert (if necessary) to understand your crypto taxation requirements.

Using a crypto debit card to buy products at a store, or to withdraw cash at an ATM, will typically result in a tax obligation. This is because investors are “selling” their crypto for fiat whenever they use the debit card – otherwise known as a disposal event.

If the crypto was valued higher upon its disposal than when it was first purchased, this is a Capital Gains Tax (CGT) event and an investor must pay tax on their profits. However, there are some exceptions, which is why it’s important to discuss your unique financial situation with a financial advisor or accountant.

How to determine the best crypto debit cards?

There are several important factors to think about when deciding which crypto card is right for you:

• Fees. Many of the most popular crypto debit cards have low or no fees on transactions. Some cards focus on cheap foreign exchange fees, while others waive issuance and maintenance fees. It’s always worth comparing the cost-effectiveness of each crypto debit card.
• Security. Security is a big deal for crypto debit cards, as each will be connected to a wallet. It’s important to check the wallet’s track record, whether they have 2FA, encryption and so on.
• Underlying company. Each debit card is issued and managed by a company in the crypto space. The team’s track record, past projects and associated platform all play into whether their product is appealing or not.
• Customer service. Many companies in the crypto debit card space offer 24/7 live support. Using a customer review service like Trustpilot can help determine the quality of customer support if an issue is to arise.
• Rewards. The most popular crypto credit cards tend to come with a range of exciting rewards, including crypto cashback, free subscription services and access to exclusive events. For some customers, these are an added bonus, whereas for others, they are the main reason for signing up.
• Compatibility. The majority of crypto debit cards are partnered with Mastercard or Visa and can be spent at most retail outlets. However, some cards won’t work with certain cryptocurrencies, while others won’t work with certain wallets or in certain countries. It’s always a good idea to double-check which digital assets you can load up onto any given card before signing up.

Disclaimer

This information provided by Crypto News Australia is factual information only. This information does not include any type of advice, nor does it contain recommendations or opinions intended to influence any person to make a decision about a financial product. Crypto News Australia were remunerated by Stables to post their part of this summary, but does not receive any ongoing remuneration.