A crypto card turns a stablecoin balance into ordinary card payments. The first decision is whether you need a virtual card, a physical card or both. The answer depends less on preference than on how you pay: online and with a phone, or with a plastic card and cash.
Agora currently offers three cards: Virtual Card Basic, Virtual Card Plus and Physical Card Plus. All three are funded with USDT or USDC, issued in USD and converted automatically into local currency when you pay.
What a virtual card does well
A virtual card exists only as card details in an app. It can be activated instantly, so you can start paying online minutes after the first top-up. Added to Apple Pay or Google Pay, it also works in physical shops wherever contactless mobile payments are accepted, subject to the wallet provider’s country, device and issuer requirements.
What a virtual card cannot do is withdraw cash: neither Agora virtual card works at ATMs. It also cannot be used at terminals that only accept an inserted or swiped card.
Virtual Card Basic costs $90 one-time, including $10 of card credit. It is valid for three years or until $1 million has been spent, and its limits are $240,000 per day, $900,000 per month and $20,000 per transaction.
Virtual Card Plus costs $100, also including $10 of credit. It keeps everything in Basic but raises the limits to $900,000 per day and $60,000 per transaction, with no monthly limit, and it is valid for four years with no spending-based expiry.
What a physical card adds
Physical Card Plus costs $550 and is delivered with 48–72 hour priority shipping through EU and US warehouses, depending on destination. It has the same spending limits as Virtual Card Plus and adds two things a virtual card cannot offer:
- ATM withdrawals: up to $3,000 per day and $80,000 per month, with a 2% fee.
- Card-present payments at terminals that do not accept phones, such as some hotels, car-rental desks and older payment terminals.
It also supports Apple Pay and Google Pay, so you can keep the plastic card at home and pay with your phone. Custom card designs are available on request.
Fees side by side
| Virtual Basic | Virtual Plus | Physical Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card price | $90 (incl. $10 credit) | $100 (incl. $10 credit) | $550 |
| Top-up fee | 2% | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Transaction fee | $0.35 + 1.5% | $0.35 + 1.5% | $0.10 + 1.5% |
| FX fee (when applicable) | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| ATM withdrawal | Not available | Not available | 2% |
The lower fixed transaction fee on Physical Card Plus matters mainly if you make many small payments. For a typical online shopper, the difference between the cards is the purchase price and the top-up fee. See our fee guide for worked examples.
Availability
All cards are subject to the unsupported regions list. In addition, Virtual Card Plus and Physical Card Plus are not available in Morocco, the United States, Bangladesh, India and Turkey. Virtual Card Basic remains available in those countries.
Which card fits which user
- Mostly online purchases and subscriptions, moderate amounts: Virtual Card Basic. It is the cheapest way to start and activates instantly.
- Large online or mobile-wallet payments: Virtual Card Plus. The higher daily and per-transaction limits and the absence of a monthly cap make it the better fit for bigger budgets.
- Travel, cash needs or card-only terminals: Physical Card Plus. It is the only Agora card that withdraws cash.
Many people combine a physical card for travel and cash with a virtual card for online shopping, keeping only the balance they plan to spend on each.
Custody does not change between card types
Whichever card you choose, funds loaded onto it are held by Agora’s licensed and regulated custodian partners. The card is a spending tool, not a vault. Keep long-term holdings in a wallet you control and load only what you plan to spend; our custody-model guide explains the trade-off in more detail.