A strong fit for bitcoin holders, especially in the US, who want rewards in BTC with no annual or FX fee. Skip it if you need confirmed mobile-wallet support or a clear list of eligible countries outside the US.
Score breakdown
How we read the terms: No annual fee and 0% FX. Base rate is the 1% that users outside the US earn (US users get 3%); the 5% maximum applies at Lava merchant partners. No issuance fee is published, so it isn’t scored.
Not rated yet: verified criteria cover 55% of the weight, and we need 70% to give an overall score. How scores are calculated.
Pros
- Rewards paid in bitcoin: 1% outside the US, 3% in the US
- 5% back at Lava merchant partners, with no plan or staking
- No annual fee and no FX fee or spread
- Can be funded by borrowing against your bitcoin
Cons
- Lava doesn’t list which countries outside the US can get the card
- Rewards can only be redeemed from 100,000 sats
- Lava’s launch post and card terms disagree on ATM fees
- No information on Apple Pay or Google Pay support
Overview
Lava Card is a secured Visa credit card issued by Third National. You spend from your USD balance on Lava, which you fund with stablecoins, a bank transfer, direct deposit or a loan against your bitcoin through Lava’s bitcoin line of credit (BLOC).
Rewards come back in bitcoin as soon as a purchase settles: 3% for US users, 1% for users elsewhere and 5% at Lava merchant partners. The card terms say Lava never holds custody of your collateral.
Secured credit card: you spend from your available USD balance on Lava, funded by stablecoin deposits, bank transfer, direct deposit or by borrowing dollars against your bitcoin via Lava’s bitcoin line of credit (BLOC, fixed rates 6.50%–8.50%). No unsecured credit.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)
- Not verified
- Monthly fee (global)
- $0 (no annual fee)source
- FX fee (global)
- 0source
- Top-up (global)
- Not verified
- Free ATM per month (global)
- Not verified
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 | Available | “Users based in the US earn 3% back in bitcoin.”source |
| 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, International (separate international card terms)source. Not legal advice; an issuer can refuse any applicant.
How to get the card
- 1Sign up for LavaCreate an account on the Lava web or mobile app.
- 2Apply for the cardRequest Lava Card in the app; approval is subject to verification.
- 3Fund your USD balanceDeposit stablecoins, send a bank transfer or borrow against your bitcoin.
- 4Spend and earnPay anywhere Visa is accepted and collect bitcoin rewards in the app.
Lava Card: common questions
How much bitcoin back does Lava Card pay?
Users in the US earn 3% and users elsewhere 1% on eligible purchases. Everyone earns 5% at Lava merchant partners.
Does Lava Card charge FX fees?
No. Lava says the card charges no FX fee and no spread, and its international card terms list a 0% foreign exchange fee and 0% cross-border fee.
Alternatives and comparisons
Information only, not financial advice. Crypto assets are volatile. Terms change often — confirm on the issuer’s site before applying.