A good fit if you want to pay over time against your crypto without a credit check and live in an eligible country. Skip it if you want a physical card, cashback or low FX costs abroad.
Score breakdown
How we read the terms: Free card with no annual fee. FX is the 1.5% Exa charges on non-USD purchases for international users (US terms list 1%). Exa doesn’t run a cashback programme, so rewards aren’t scored.
Not rated yet: verified criteria cover 40% of the weight, and we need 70% to give an overall score. How scores are calculated.
Pros
- Free Visa Signature card with no issuance or annual fee
- Self-custody smart wallet secured by passkeys
- Split purchases into up to 9 fixed-rate installments
- Works with Apple Pay and Google Pay
Cons
- Virtual only: no physical card
- 1.5% FX fee on non-USD purchases
- No cashback programme
- Issued in a limited list of countries; UK and EEA eligibility is unclear
Overview
The Exa Card comes from the Exa App, built by the team behind Exactly Protocol, and is issued by Third National through Rain. It’s a virtual Visa Signature credit card tied to a self-custody smart wallet on OP Mainnet.
Before paying, you pick a mode: Pay Now debits USDC immediately, while installment plans borrow from Exactly Protocol’s fixed-rate markets and spread repayment over up to 9 months.
Pay Now debits the full amount from your USDC balance. Installment Plans split a purchase into up to 9 fixed-rate monthly installments: the Exa App borrows from Exactly Protocol’s fixed-rate lending markets against your deposited collateral, with repayments usually starting within four weeks. An origination fee may be included in the installment interest.source
We haven’t run a hands-on test of this card; this review is based on the issuer’s published documents linked on this page.
Fees and limits
- Card issuance (global)
- $0source
- Monthly fee (global)
- $0source
- FX fee (global (non-US))
- 1.5source
- Top-up (global)
- Not verified
- Free ATM per month (global)
- None ($1 + 0.65% per withdrawal)source
Fees are quoted from the issuer’s documents for the region shown. Each “source” link opens the issuer’s page; the wording is quoted in the availability table and in the link’s tooltip.
Is it worth it? Quick math
We can’t do the maths yet: the entry-tier cashback or one of the fees is not verified.
Cashback paid in a volatile token can be worth more or less when you sell it. FX and top-up fees are not included here.
Availability
| Region | Status | What the issuer says |
|---|---|---|
| US | With restrictions | “The Exa Card can be issued to residents of the following US states: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California...”source Issued in 31 listed US states, including California, Florida, New York and Texas. |
| UK | Not verified | The issuer’s documents don’t say |
| EEA | Not verified | The issuer’s documents don’t say |
By country
Other regions listed by the issuer: US (31 listed states), Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, UAE, Philippines, other listed Latin American, African and Asian countries, Excluded: Bangladesh, Belarus, Cuba, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, mainland China, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, North Korea, Russia, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, Venezuela, Vietnam (plus Bulgaria, Croatia and others on the prohibited-jurisdictions list)source. Not legal advice; an issuer can refuse any applicant.
How to get the card
- 1Download the Exa AppCreate your self-custody wallet with a passkey.
- 2Verify your identityComplete a short KYC check in the Card section.
- 3Add fundsDeposit USDC or other supported assets; the card needs funds to be enabled.
- 4Choose how to payPick Pay Now or installments, add the card to Apple Pay or Google Pay and spend.
Exa Card: common questions
Does the Exa Card cost anything?
The card itself is free. Exa charges 1.5% on purchases in currencies other than USD, ATM withdrawals cost $1 + 0.65%, and installment purchases carry fixed interest.
Is there a physical Exa Card?
No. Exa says there are no physical cards at the moment; you add the virtual card to Apple Pay or Google Wallet instead.
Alternatives and comparisons
Information only, not financial advice. Crypto assets are volatile. Terms change often — confirm on the issuer’s site before applying.