What is the difference between the Crypto.com card and the Nexo Card?

Both are custodial, but they work differently. The Crypto.com Visa is a reloadable prepaid card: you top it up and earn CRO rewards by locking CRO or paying a subscription. The Nexo Card is a dual-mode Mastercard whose signature Credit Mode borrows against your crypto collateral, with rewards gated behind holding the NEXO token. One rewards topping up and staking; the other lets you spend against your holdings.

Which has better cashback, Crypto.com or Nexo?

Both pay a volatile token with caps and holding requirements. Crypto.com pays 0%–5% in CRO (with $25–$75 monthly caps on lower EEA tiers, 0% if you don't lock CRO or subscribe). Nexo pays 0.5%–2% in NEXO (2% needs Platinum and the token payout; nothing at all under a $5,000 portfolio). Neither is a no-strings rate — both reward holding their own coin.

Do both Crypto.com and Nexo have a card-rewards bad reputation?

Both have history. Crypto.com cut card rewards sharply in 2022 and reworked the program more than once, removing some perks from existing cardholders in late 2025. Nexo's rewards are heavily NEXO-token-gated and capped, and it paused new physical cards in January 2025. Both pay in a volatile token whose price erodes the real value of the headline rate.

Card comparison

Crypto.com vs Nexo Card: which custodial card wins?

By Matt Published 15 June 2026 Numbers verified 13 June 2026

On this page

The Crypto.com Visa and the Nexo Card are both custodial cards from large crypto platforms, but they play different reward games. Crypto.com is a reloadable prepaid Visa where you top up a balance and earn CRO by locking up the token (or paying a subscription). The Nexo Card is a dual-mode Mastercard whose Credit Mode borrows against your crypto collateral, with rewards gated behind holding NEXO. So this isn’t self-custody vs custodial. It’s which custodial reward model you’d rather live with, and where you can actually use the card.

Quick version: as of June 2026, if you want broad availability (including the US) and you’re already in the CRO ecosystem, Crypto.com is the mainstream pick. If you’re in Europe and specifically want to spend against your crypto without selling, Nexo’s Credit Mode is the differentiator.

Neither card is a referral partner here; both were measured the same way.

Crypto.com Visa vs Nexo Card — side by side Verified 13 June 2026

Crypto.com Visa

Visa

Nexo Card

Mastercard

Card type Crypto.com Visa: Prepaid card (Visa) Nexo Card: Credit card (Mastercard)

Custody Crypto.com Visa: Custodial — the issuer holds the funds Nexo Card: Custodial — the issuer holds the funds

Rewards Crypto.com Visa: 0%-5% paid in CRO on the prepaid Visa (EEA), tiered by CRO lockup or Level Up subscription; the separate US Visa Signature credit card pays up to 6.5% intro / 5% ongoing in CRO. Rewards float with CRO price. Nexo Card: Credit Mode only, by loyalty tier: Base 0.5% NEXO / 0.1% BTC; Silver 0.7% / 0.2%; Gold 1% / 0.3%; Platinum 2% / 0.5%. The 'up to 2%' headline needs Platinum AND the NEXO-token payout; the BTC payout caps at 0.5%.

Rewards cap Crypto.com Visa: EEA prepaid: monthly cashback capped at $25 (Ruby) / $75 (Jade-Indigo), uncapped at Icy/Rose and Obsidian - i.e. additional spend earns nothing past ~$1,250 (Ruby) or ~$2,500 (Jade) per month. The US credit card is uncapped at every tier. Nexo Card: Monthly cashback cap per tier (consistent across sources): Base $50, Platinum $200. Silver and Gold caps conflict on Nexo's own page (Silver ~$100; Gold cited as both $50 and $150) - see unverified. Minimum payout $0.01.

Program status Crypto.com Visa: Live Nexo Card: Live

Same custody, different mechanics

Both hold your assets — neither is self-custodial, and both are platforms rather than banks, each with a regulatory history (Crypto.com a Dutch fine and a closed SEC inquiry; Nexo a 2023 $45M SEC settlement and a 2026 California penalty). The mechanics differ: Crypto.com’s card spends a prepaid balance you top up (crypto top-ups are the fee-free path), while Nexo’s Credit Mode is a crypto-backed loan: spending borrows against your collateral, with forced-liquidation risk at about 83% loan-to-value if prices fall.

Rewards: lock CRO, or hold NEXO

Both want you holding their token. Crypto.com pays 0%–5% in CRO, but you earn 0% unless you lock CRO for 12 months or pay a subscription, and the lower EEA tiers cap monthly cashback at $25–$75. Nexo pays 0.5%–2% in NEXO, but only above a $5,000 portfolio (more in the Nexo Card review), with the 2% needing Platinum (NEXO worth 10%+ of your portfolio) and the token payout, and monthly cashback capped by tier from about $50 (Base) to $200 (Platinum). Both are volatile reward tokens, and both programs have been trimmed over time. Crypto.com’s 2022 cut is still a sore point (the full Crypto.com review walks through what changed); Nexo’s caps and paused physical cards are the current friction.

Where you can use each one

Crypto.com is far more available — 100+ markets, including US cards (everywhere except New York). The Nexo Card is EEA, UK and Switzerland only, on Mastercard rather than Visa, and new physical cards have been paused since January 2025 (virtual only for new users). For a US resident, Crypto.com is the only option of the two.

The catches

Crypto.com’s are an inactivity fee, FX that isn’t free on entry tiers, and the cost (and price risk) of locking CRO. Nexo’s are the weekend FX surcharge (a +0.5% add-on Friday-to-Sunday, so a non-EEA-currency purchase runs 2.5% instead of 2%), the forced-liquidation risk in Credit Mode, and the virtual-only card for now.

Who should pick the Crypto.com Visa

You want broad availability, including the US.
You’re comfortable being custodial and already hold CRO.
You want rewards on ordinary spend without borrowing.
You’ll spend under about $1,250/month on an EEA Ruby card, so its $25 monthly cashback cap won’t bite.

Who should pick the Nexo Card

You’re in Europe and want to spend against your crypto without selling, on one card that toggles between credit and debit — and you already hold enough NEXO for the loyalty tiers to pay off.

Questions people actually ask

What is the difference between the Crypto.com card and the Nexo Card?: Both are custodial, but they work differently. The Crypto.com Visa is a reloadable prepaid card: you top it up and earn CRO rewards by locking CRO or paying a subscription. The Nexo Card is a dual-mode Mastercard whose signature Credit Mode borrows against your crypto collateral, with rewards gated behind holding the NEXO token. One rewards topping up and staking; the other lets you spend against your holdings.
Are the Crypto.com card and Nexo Card available in the US?: Only Crypto.com. It offers US cards (a Visa Signature credit card and a US prepaid card), available everywhere except New York. The Nexo Card is EEA, UK and Switzerland only — even though Nexo the company re-entered the US market in 2026, the card itself is not part of the US offering.
Which has better cashback, Crypto.com or Nexo?: Both pay a volatile token with caps and holding requirements. Crypto.com pays 0%–5% in CRO (with $25–$75 monthly caps on lower EEA tiers, 0% if you don't lock CRO or subscribe). Nexo pays 0.5%–2% in NEXO (2% needs Platinum and the token payout; nothing at all under a $5,000 portfolio). Neither is a no-strings rate — both reward holding their own coin.
Do both Crypto.com and Nexo have a card-rewards bad reputation?: Both have history. Crypto.com cut card rewards sharply in 2022 and reworked the program more than once, removing some perks from existing cardholders in late 2025. Nexo's rewards are heavily NEXO-token-gated and capped, and it paused new physical cards in January 2025. Both pay in a volatile token whose price erodes the real value of the headline rate.