Gemini card review

The Gemini card doesn’t charge annual, transaction, issuance, ATM or conversion fees.

In contrast, the Crypto.com card doesn’t charge transaction fees but you need to pay a relatively high 2% foreign currency administration fee. The card has zero transaction, annual, maintenance, issuance or ATM fees but there’s an extortionately high reissuance fee of $70 if you lose your physical card. 

Limits

Gemini hasn’t disclosed its credit card ATM withdrawal, maximum balance or load frequency limits as they exist on a case-by-case basis, decided by your individual credit score. In order to be eligible for the card, your credit history and financial information is used to determine your final credit score, which must be at least 670 to receive the card. You can spend up to $6,000 a year which is quite low and the card also comes with a credit limit, which is the maximum amount of money you can borrow based on your credit score.  

With the Crypto.com card, ATM withdrawal limits are based on your tier. For example, the highest Obsidian tier has a daily limit of $2,500 and $15,000 for the month, while the lowest Midnight Blue tier has a daily limit of $700 and $7,000 for the month. All card tiers are subject to no yearly ATM withdrawal limits. You’re allowed a high maximum balance of $35,000 for all tiers and the Terms and Conditions of the card mandate that you can load at a frequency of up to 12 times a day or 140 times a month.

Merchant and POS network

The Gemini credit card is issued by WebBank and uses the MasterCard network which is available in Canada and at 37 million merchants worldwide. For instance, you can use the card at leading Canadian stores like Sobeys, Loblaws or Tim Hortons. 

Rewards

The Gemini card offers up to 3% rewards on spending, which enables you to integrate crypto into your daily shopping and save money on transactions but you can only earn 1% on purchases. Gemini categories purchases as transactions with merchants that operate in accordance with Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) but dining, groceries and electric vehicle charging stations are excluded from the 1% rewards program. 

You can earn 2% crypto rewards on groceries which includes specialty food stores like Costco and Sam’s Club but candy stores and bakeries are excluded from this category. In addition, you can earn 3% on dining which includes restaurants and fast food places. Gemini also offers 10% crypto rewards for using electric vehicle charging stations but you must spend at least $200 a month to qualify. 

Staking

Gemini card users can stake their cryptos and earn rewards as this is available for 35 eligible cryptos. For instance, you can earn annual percentage yields of up to 4.29% on your Ethereum, 3.74% on Polygon or 1.03% on Bitcoin. 

Is Gemini card safe?

Gemini has been in operation since 2013, amassing over 13 million users across the world and has comprehensive security measures in place. For example, there’s a coordinated disclosure program related to hacking research, geographically distributed hardware security modules (HSM) with a FIPS 140-2 level rating, IP address whitelisting, a digital multi-signature scheme and the company runs a private bug bounty program. Gemini is also secured by PCI DSS, has SOC 1, SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certifications and is regulated by the NY Department of Financial Services, Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

A low percentage of users (3%) rate Gemini with five stars on Trustpilot, which is a low indicator of safety. The most common issues raised are related to accounts, deposits and refunds. In addition, Gemini experienced large-scale controversy in February last year when $36 million in customer funds was stolen and laundered. The IRA Financial Trust subsequently filed a lawsuit against Gemini for this hack. However, Gemini has received high ratings from various sites like Investopedia and Forbes, while many people praise them for a great selection of available cryptos, as well as their staking program. 

How to get a Gemini card?

Registration

You need to sign up for a Gemini account in order to apply for the card and this can be done by:

1. Visiting the website or mobile app and inputting your email address and full name so you can create a password and start the process. 
2. After verifying your email address, enter your phone number to receive an SMS verification text message.
3. After verifying your phone number, you have to enter your residential address and date of birth. 
4. You then have to submit your occupation, annual income and source of wealth before being redirected to a page where you can complete full KYC verification.
5. Upon successful registration and passing verification, visit the credit card dashboard and click on the ‘Get started’ option. 
6. You are then redirected to a new page where you have to click ‘Apply now’.
7. You then need to confirm the name you want to appear on the card and your delivery address in order to receive the card.

KYC

Multi-step KYC verification is mandatory for all Gemini card users in Canada. The company asks you for proof of identity, which can be a drivers licence, government-issued ID or passport, as well as proof of address, which can be a utility bill, letter from your local municipality, house rental agreement, tax letter, credit card statement or bank account statement. You must provide a clear and visible picture of the front and back side of your documents and you need to provide your social insurance number and submit a selfie. 

Delivery

You can receive your physical card in up to seven working days and your virtual card becomes available for online use once your application is approved. 

Loading or topup Gemini card

The card is funded by the cash or crypto balance in your Gemini account and the accepted payment methods to fund your Gemini account include debit and credit card, wire transfer, bank transfer, PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay. 

CashtoCode eVoucher

You can’t fund your card with a CashtoCode eVoucher as this isn’t offered at Gemini.

Customer Support

Customer service options are limited at Gemini with only an online Help Center that displays FAQs and no phone support or live chat function.

Gemini uses a ticketing system where you need to fill in an online form detailing if your request is related to deposits, withdrawals, account management or KYC verification. You then need to include your email address, a subject, description and additional attachment option. For users who are dealing with emergency account issues, there’s no way to speak with customer service on the phone or through live chat. 

Gemini card is recommended to users who are looking for a crypto-linked credit card  

The Gemini card is recommended to users who are looking for a crypto-linked credit card that allows you to earn rewards on spending instantaneously in 60 different cryptos. The card is made up of 75% recycled stainless steel and you can even customise the card with a black, silver or rose colour. There’s crypto rewards on dining, groceries and at electric vehicle charging stations, which become automatically available in your Gemini account the moment you complete a purchase. However, there’s a low 1% rewards percentage for purchases, a waitlist to apply for the card and a low maximum annual purchase limit of $6,000.

But if you don’t mind this, the Gemini card can still be a great option if you want a card with a plethora of rewards such as exclusive access to offers with MasterCard merchants like DoorDash, HelloFresh, Lyft and ShopRunner. Gemini could improve its card by increasing its rewards percentage for purchases, removing the application waitlist and increasing its maximum annual purchase limit in line with market standards. 

Alternatives of Gemini

1

More details +

Loyalty reward:
Up to 5% rewards

Network:

Fees:
Conversion fee, Issuance fee

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Editor's comment

The Crypto.com card is a well-known fee-free debit card that gives you an easy way to spend your crypto, with no transaction, annual, maintenance, issuance or ATM fees. As well as being able to cash out your cryptos at ATMs in FIAT, there are a plethora of perks offered such as unlimited airport lounge access, up to 5% crypto rewards on purchases, 100% reimbursement on subscription services like Spotify, Amazon Prime and Netflix and high daily purchase limits. Despite the card’s brilliant features, there’s extremely high CRO staking requirements for most tiers, a relatively high 2% foreign currency administration fee, 14 working days to receive your card and a high card reissuance fee of $70.

Fees

7.6

Limits

9

Rewards

9

Security

8.8

Support

8.2

PROS:

• No transaction, annual, maintenance, issuance or ATM fees
• Earn up to 5% in crypto rewards on purchases
• Unlimited airport lounge access at over 500 airports
• Reimbursement for Expedia, Airbnb, Spotify, Amazon Prime and Netflix
• High daily purchase limits
• Use the card with any merchant that accepts VISA

CONS:

• Extremely high CRO staking requirements for most tiers
• A relatively high 2% foreign currency administration fee
• High card reissuance fee of $70
• 14 working days to receive your card

2

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Loyalty reward:
Up to 8% rewards in WXT

Network:

Fees:
Maintenance fees, Withdrawal fees

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Editor's comment

The Wirex card is a cutting-edge debit card that allows you to conveniently spend crypto or stablecoins anywhere where VISA is accepted. The percentage of rewards you earn depends both on your tiered card level and the amount of WXT holdings in your Wirex account. The advantage is that you get a high annual savings bonus if you’re in the Premium or Elite tiers and you can even earn X-Points for referring the card to friends or family. There’s no maximum balance limit and Wirex automatically converts your crypto or stablecoins into FIAT to withdraw at ATMs. Despite the card’s plentiful features, there’s a monthly $1.50 maintenance fee which is uncommon for most cards on the market, a relatively low daily ATM withdrawal limit and crypto rewards are only available in WXT.

Fees

8.1

Limits

5.2

Rewards

7.3

Security

8.3

Support

8.3

PROS:

• Earn up to 8% rewards in WXT on every purchase
• Company’s FCA e-money license
• No maximum balance limit
• No annual, transaction or issuance fees
• Four working days to receive your card
• Easily convert crypto or stablecoins into FIAT for spending or at ATMs

CONS:

• Monthly $1.50 card maintenance fee
• Crypto rewards are only available in WXT
• Relatively low daily ATM withdrawal limit

3

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Loyalty reward:
None

Network:

Fees:
Conversion fee, Flat ATM withdrawal fee, Inactivity fee, Issuance fee

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Editor's comment

The BitPay card is a debit card with a linear product offering that allows you to spend your crypto like cash anywhere where MasterCard is accepted. Unlike most other cards on the market, there’s no rewards program which lets you earn a percentage back on your purchases or tiered categories for spending. There’s also a plethora of relatively high fees such as a 2% conversion fee, a flat $2.50 fee for every ATM withdrawal, a $10 card issuance fee and a $5 inactivity fee. However, there’s no annual, maintenance or transaction fees, no credit check to obtain the card, you can track your spending via the modern BitPay mobile app and the card comes with high ATM withdrawal and purchase limits.

Fees

5.5

Limits

8

Rewards

7.7

Security

7.4

Support

6.4

PROS:

• High ATM withdrawal and purchase limits
• No annual, maintenance or transaction fees
• Regulated by the De Nederlandsche Bank as a payment service provider
• Track spending via the modern BitPay mobile app
• No credit check to obtain the card
• Easily convert crypto into FIAT for spending or at ATMs

CONS:

• Relatively high 2% conversion fee
• $2.50 fee for every ATM withdrawal
• $5 inactivity fee
• No ability to earn rewards on purchases
• No tiered categories for spending

The Crypto.com card has differing maximum purchase limits that are based on your tier. For example, the highest tier has a daily limit of $35,000 and $35,000 for the month, while the lowest tier has a daily limit of $15,000 and $20,000 for the month. All card tiers are subject to no yearly maximum purchase limits. In addition, there’s no waitlist to apply for the card and you can earn up to 5% rewards on purchases if you stake a certain amount of CRO for a minimum of 180 days. There’s also unlimited airport lounge access at over 500 airports, Airbnb and Expedia reimbursement, as well as monthly reimbursement on subscription services from Spotify, Amazon Prime and Netflix.

The Wirex card has maximum purchase limits of $5,500 a day or $13,000 a month and you can earn up to 8% rewards in the company’s own token, WXT every time you make a purchase. For example, if you’re in the Standard tier staking 150,000 worth of WXT, you’re eligible for 0.5% rewards on your spending. This percentage increases to 8% if you’re in the Elite tier staking 1,500,000 worth of WXT. Premium card users can also get a 4% annual savings bonus, while Elite card users get a 12% bonus and if you share a referral link with your friends and family, you can receive $15 in WXT for each person who deposits at least $100 into a Wirex account. 

The BitPay card has a high maximum purchase limit of $10,000 a day but there’s no rewards program or tiered categories for spending so you can’t earn a percentage back on your purchases. However, there’s no waitlist to apply for the card. 

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