ether.fi Cash vs KAST: which crypto card wins in 2026?
Head-to-head on the facts that decide your money: fee stacks, KYC levels, top-up coins, limits and cashback - every number sourced in the linked reviews.
Short answer: ether.fi Cash wins overall (7.7/10 vs 7.1/10 in our weighted scores). KAST is still the better pick if you care most about availability. Facts verified 2026-11-04.
 ether.fi Cash |  KAST | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score (0-10) | 7.7 | 7.1 |
| Card | Credit card · Visa · Virtual + physical | Credit card · Visa · Virtual + physical |
| KYC | Basic KYC | Full KYC |
| KYC trigger | Identity verification (phone OTP, government ID photo, liven… moreIdentity verification (phone OTP, government ID photo, liveness selfie, address entry) required before card and fiat use; crypto deposits need no verification. Proof of address (utility bill, bank or credit card statement, under 3 months, no screenshots) is requested only in some cases. A $10 deposit is required before card verification can complete (withdrawable if verification fails). Card-issuer questionnaire possible. Most verifications reviewed within 48 hours (help.ether.fi article 269731, checked 2026-11-04). | Account onboarding with identity verification and real-time fraud monitoring |
| Weekend FX surcharge | unknown | unknown |
| Custody | Self-custody | Custodial balance |
| Direct top-up coins | ETH, BTC, USDC, USDT, EURC, LiquidUSD, ZCHF | USDC, USDT |
| Top-up fee | 0% | 0% |
| FX fee | 1% | unknown |
| Monthly fee | none | none |
| ATM fee | ATM withdrawals possible worldwide (except North Korea, Iran… moreATM withdrawals possible worldwide (except North Korea, Iran, Myanmar): Core/Luxe free up to 10 withdrawals per month, Pinnacle/VIP free unlimited (benefits table); no operator ATM % published ("standard ATM and network fees may apply"). Third-party sites report 2% plus a $250 daily cap - not confirmed by any official page. | 2% |
| Monthly spend limit | - | Spend up to whatever is in your wallet - no hidden monthly s… moreSpend up to whatever is in your wallet - no hidden monthly spending caps (Premium cap <= $10,000/mo, Private <= $40,000/mo apply to cashback earn rates, not spending) |
| ATM daily limit | $25,000 per rolling 24h (max $5,000 per withdrawal, max 5 at… more$25,000 per rolling 24h (max $5,000 per withdrawal, max 5 attempts incl. declined; help article 303623 updated, checked 2026-11-04) | $750 per 24h (max 3 withdrawals, $250 each) |
| Cashback | 3% in ETHFI | 1.5% in USD |
| Apple Pay | no / unknown | yes |
| Google Pay | no / unknown | yes |
| Regions | USA, UK, Europe (EEA), APAC, LATAM, MENA | worldwide, USA, Europe (EEA) |
| Operator | ether.fi | KAST |
Score breakdown
ether.fi Cash scores higher on fees (+1), privacy (+4) · KAST scores higher on availability (+1) - weighted sub-scores, which include fees the headline numbers above leave out.
why 7.7/10?
why 7.1/10?
ether.fi Cash at a glance
The most complete self-custodial spending stack in this comparison: your own vault plus real bank rails in four currencies (ACH, SEPA, GBP FPS, Swiss IBAN), 3% ETHFI cashback on the first $2,000/mo with Category and 5% travel boosts, KYC light in practice (ID + liveness; proof of address only on request - verified first-hand September 2026 with a Paraguayan cedula and a German passport) and an uncapped public affiliate program. The documented risks are real: interest from the first tap in Borrow Mode, liquidation risk, the November 2025 fraudulent-card incident with promised refunds, a protection program still marked not yet live that excludes compromised keys, and cashback now locked in volatile ETHFI instead of instant USDC.
What works
- Fully non-custodial - assets stay in your own vault, card suspensions did not block on-chain withdrawals
- Real banking rails: personal USD account (ACH/Fedwire), EUR IBAN (SEPA incl. Instant), GBP FPS, Swiss IBAN via Mt Pelerin, third-party transfers supported
- 3% ETHFI cashback on the first $2,000/mo (Core), Category Cashback and 5% travel cashback
- KYC light in practice: passport, national ID (e.g. Paraguayan cedula) or driver's license + selfie; proof of address only on request - verified first-hand September 2026
- 0% FX on EUR merchants (measured at the ECB reference rate), no monthly or top-up fee
- High limits: $5,000 per ATM withdrawal, $25,000/24h, user-settable card limits
- Public uncapped affiliate program: $10-25 bonuses, 0.1-0.3% of referral spend, 50% card-fee commission
What to watch
- Borrow Mode: interest from the first tap, no grace period, liquidation risk on volatile collateral
- Cashback in ETHFI with 7-day lock and $5 claim minimum - instant-USDC era ended September 2026
- November 2025 fraudulent-card incident with card suspensions (refunds promised)
- Trustpilot around 3.3/5: stuck SEPA deposits, referral-reward clawbacks, compliance freezes reported
- No physical card for Belgium/Ireland; Netherlands, Finland, Estonia and others not eligible at all
- Account protection program still "not yet live" and excludes compromised keys/devices
- EUR cashback ladder much tighter than USD (3% only to $800 USD-equivalent, then 0.1%)
- Accounts can be suspended on suspected cashback-farming or "fraudulent referral activity" - card and bank rails stop, while on-chain withdrawals stay open
- Age-restricted merchants (alcohol, tobacco) declined repeatedly across countries (first-hand third-party report)
- Cashback terms let ether.fi cap monthly rewards at its discretion
KAST at a glance
The most complete stablecoin-spending account on the market: US/EU virtual bank accounts from anywhere, Visa Platinum cards with real 1.5% USD cashback on the free tier, instant cashback and no spending caps. Full KYC and a young operator are the trade-offs; the paid tiers only make sense for heavy spenders.
What works
- Free Standard tier with 1.5% instant USD cashback (Visa Platinum)
- US/EU virtual accounts (ACH, SEPA, wires) from anywhere
- Spending limited only by wallet balance - no monthly spend caps
- Direct SOL/ETH/BTC deposits auto-converted to USDC for spending
- Fireblocks/BitGo custody, $80M Series A, well-established partners
What to watch
- Full KYC fintech, not a bank
- Premium tiers ($1,000/$10,000 per year) priced for high spenders only
- Stablecoin-centric: BTC/ETH/SOL only via conversion to USDC
- Young company (founded 2024)
FAQ
Which is better for privacy, ether.fi Cash or KAST?
Both are comparable on privacy: ether.fi Cash requires Basic KYC, while KAST requires Full KYC. Check the dated KYC facts in each review before applying.
Which is cheaper, ether.fi Cash or KAST?
The published fee data does not line up (one side leaves load or FX unknown) - compare the fee rows in each review, or run both through the true-cost calculator for your spending.
Which pays better cashback, ether.fi Cash or KAST?
ether.fi Cash pays the higher headline cashback (3% vs 1.5%). Caps, tiers and payout token matter as much as the number - check the cashback rows in each review.
Scores and facts: meta-reviews with dated sources - ether.fi Cash · KAST. Method: how we verify. More: all crypto cards compared.