Prepaid Cards vs Crypto Cards: What's the Difference?

Prepaid cards and crypto cards both let you control your spending. Here is how they compare and when to use each.

Prepaid cards and crypto cards both operate on a "load and spend" model — you add money before spending, with no credit involved. But their underlying infrastructure, features, and use cases differ significantly. Understanding the differences helps you choose the right tool for each spending scenario.

Traditional Prepaid Cards

• Loaded with fiat currency (GBP, USD, EUR) — no crypto involved
• Use cases: budget control, travel money, teen spending cards, privacy from main bank account
• Providers: Monzo Prepaid, Wise Prepaid, Revolut Prepaid
• Fees: typically FX fees of 1-2% for international spending
• No cashback usually — strictly functional tools

Crypto Cards

• Loaded with crypto assets — converted to fiat at point of sale
• Better cashback: 1-8% in crypto vs 0% for most prepaid cards
• Tax consideration: spending volatile crypto triggers CGT — USDC cards avoid this
• More features: staking integration, yield earning on balance, DeFi access via same wallet
• Providers: Steyble, Crypto.com, Coinbase, Binance

When to Use Each

Use a traditional prepaid card for: budget travel where you want locked-in exchange rates, teen spending money, emergency backup cards for travel. Use a crypto card for: maximising cashback on everyday spending, spending from crypto gains without converting to bank first, and (with USDC-based cards) day-to-day spending with tax simplicity. The Steyble Card bridges both worlds — a crypto card that behaves like a prepaid card in terms of tax simplicity (USDC = $1 always).