Wirex Card Review

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Best For: High Account Limits & Spending

Availability:

UK, EEA, APAC, AF, NA, & SA

Currency:

EUR, GBP

Fees:

Moderate

Issued by: Contis Financial Services Ltd

Wirex is a crypto debit card that enables cardholders to spend their crypto assets on everyday purchases wherever Visa is accepted. Cardholder registration is currently open to users in over 130 countries & territories. The Wirex card supports a variety of rewards and benefits based on staking requirements for the card's native Wirex Token (WXT).

Pros and Cons

Pros

• High Account Limits - Wirex has above average limits for bank transfers using SEPA and SWIFT. Cardholders can deposit or withdraw an unlimited amount of crypto assets.
• Low APAC Fees - APAC cardholders pay zero fees for domestic ATM transactions, international ATM transactions, and foreign exchanges.
• Rewards and Benefits - Wirex is one of the few crypto debit cards to offer benefits such as cryptoback and referral rewards.
• Regional Availability - Wirex is available to residents of 130+ countries and territories.

Cons

• Cardholder Reviews - Numerous user reviews claim that their funds are missing and that Wirex occasionally blocks access to the mobile app’s crypto asset selling feature.
• Withdrawal Fees - Wirex charges a $15 fee per SWIFT withdrawal, which is significantly higher than fees associated with other crypto debit cards.
• Native Token - Wirex Tokens (WXT) are required for the highest level of cryptoback rewards. If WXT declines in value, the staking benefit could be a net negative for cardholders.

Wirex Card Overview

Staking Rewards & Cryptoback Details

Wirex offers cryptoback rewards and fee discounts for WXT holders. It is still possible to use the card without staking WXT tokens.

Minimum WXT Staking Amount	Fee Discounts	Cryptoback Percentage
0	0%	0.5% Paid in BTC
50,000 WXT	25%	0.75% Paid in BTC
100,000 WXT	50%	1.00% Paid in BTC
500,000 WXT	100%	1.50% Paid in BTC

Fee Discounts Include:

• All exchange fees
• Bank transfer fees
• Withdrawal fees (crypto transfers)
• Top up via credit and debit card

Wirex’s Refer-a-Friend program is available to all users with zero staking required. Referrers and referrals receive rewards in two stages:

1. $5 in BTC once a referral buys $100 worth of crypto assets with their linked credit/debit card.
2. Another $5 in BTC when the same referral orders a contactless Wirex Visa card and makes their first in-store purchase.

Note that only EEA users can earn $10 in BTC. Users in other regions only pay $5 per referral.

The company has also announced plans to launch the following benefits for WXT holders in 2020:

• Premium Wirex Visa card
• Bespoke merchant offers and discounts
• Concierge service
• Airport lounge access

Wirex Card Notable Fees and Limits

Wirex Card Spending Limits

How to Get the Card

To qualify for a Wirex crypto debit card, eligible applicants are required to request a card through the Wirex website or mobile app.

The card application process works as follows:

1. Eligible cardholders sign up for a Wirex account or log in using an existing account.
2. Wirex requires each applicant to verify their identity before being able to select a card. Users need to provide their phone number, government-issued identity document, and proof of residence address.
3. Wirex does not charge a card issuance fee. Cardholder applicants have the option to order their card via the Wirex website or mobile app (available on iOS and Android).
4. The Wirex card usually takes 4 business days to arrive in the mail for EEA residents.

Mobile App and Website Experience

The Wirex mobile app enables card registration, card activation, and fund deposits. Cardholders may also use the Wirex website for many of the same requirements.

Card Activation

Once the cardholder receives their card in the mail, it can be easily activated via the Wirex mobile app. It may take up to five minutes after going through the following steps before the card is ready to use.

1. Log in to your Wirex account.
2. On the Dashboard, tap “Cards”.
3. Select the card you want to activate.
4. Tap “Activate Card” and scan the card details. Manually activate your card by selecting “Enter Manually”. Enter the last 4 digits of the card number and its valid thru date. Tap “Activate Card” to complete the process.

Adding Funds

Users can add fiat currencies or crypto assets via the mobile app or website.

Mobile App:

1. Log in to your Wirex account.
2. On the Home screen, tap “Cards” and select the Wirex card you’d like to top up (available for GBP, EUR or USD).
3. On the Card screen, tap “Add Funds to Card”.
4. On the Add Funds to Card screen, enter the sum you’d like to add to your Wirex Visa card.
5. Tap “Next”, review your transaction, and tap “Add”.

Website:

1. Log in to your Wirex account.
2. Find “Accounts” on the left-hand side.
3. Select the account you would like to add funds to.
4. Scroll down to “Actions” > click “Add Funds”.
5. Select the external account or linked card you will top up.
6. If you select a linked card, you can complete the transaction within the Wirex app. When you select an external crypto asset or fiat currency account, you’ll be provided the necessary information to send money to your Wirex account from an external platform (sort code, IBAN number, cryptocurrency address, etc.). Complete the transaction through your selected external platform to receive funds.

Withdrawing Funds

Wirex provides the following instructions for using their website to withdraw crypto assets:

1. Log in to your Wirex account > select your crypto asset account on the left-hand side of the page.
2. From the actions list, select “Send”.
3. Enter the amount you wish to send and insert the recipient's wallet address and memo/destination tag (if required). Click “Send Funds”. You can also add a note for the recipient from this screen.
4. Confirm all of your details by clicking “Confirm”. Use “Change Transaction Details” if you need to correct any information.
5. You will receive a transfer confirmation email. For security reasons, it will expire within one hour. Click on “Confirm Transfer” to complete the transaction. If you have previously sent crypto assets to this address, no confirmation is necessary.

How to Use the Card

Using the Wirex crypto debit card for purchases is comparable to using traditional debit cards, with only a few slight differences.

A Wirex crypto debit card transaction works like this:

1. The cardholder deposits crypto assets or fiat currencies to a Wirex account.
2. Cardholders can’t directly spend crypto assets with Wirex. Those who wish to spend crypto assets must convert these funds to a supported fiat currency such as USD, GBP, or EUR. This step may be completed via the Wirex mobile app or website.
3. The cardholder adds fiat currency funds from the in-app wallet to their prepaid card account.
4. The cardholder spends these funds online or in-store at any Visa-approved merchant.
5. Visa verifies that there are sufficient funds available to complete the transaction.
6. The merchant receives payment in their local fiat currency (e.g. EUR, USD, or GBP).

Wirex Card Alternatives

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Wirex card available to United States residents?

No. The Wirex card is currently unavailable to US residents.

Does the Wirex card have account limits?

Yes. The Wirex card has the following account limits:

• Daily Spending: $10,000
• Monthly Spending: No Limits
• Yearly Spending: No Limits
• Daily ATM: $250
• Card Balance: $15,000
• Daily Top Up: $5,000

What are the fees associated with using a Wirex card?

Wirex fees vary greatly based on three cardholder regions: EEA, APAC, and other regions. EEA cardholders generally pay higher fees across fee categories. Users across all regions pay a 1% fee for crypto asset top-ups purchased using an external debit or credit card.

Is the Wirex card free to order?

Yes. Wirex does not charge an issuance fee for new cards.

Is Wirex regulated?

Yes. In August 2018, Wirex became the third crypto asset company to receive a UK Financial Conduct Authority e-money license.

Is the Wirex card safe?

Wirex is technically secure due to its usage of PCI DSS Level 1 certificate, 3-D Secure by Visa, and 99% cold wallet storage for crypto assets. According to many cardholders, funds lost in storage or during purchases appear to be common issues despite the card’s security features.

Does the Wirex card have a mobile app?

Yes. The Wirex card has a mobile app available on iOS and Android.

Conclusion: Is The Wirex Card Worth It?

The Wirex crypto debit card offers cryptoback rewards earned in BTC, high account limits, and relatively low fees. This being mentioned, Wirex does have several user experience issues that should be noted by potential cardholders.

Numerous user claims regarding missing funds, lack of transparency on FX fees, slow response times by customer support, and account lockouts can be found on various websites.

There are also questions surrounding the card's native Wirex Token (WXT). Many users do not like that the pre-sale price for WXT was higher than the IEO price. What’s even more concerning about WXT is that 49% of the entire token supply is controlled by the project itself. This excessive token supply centralization is alarming because it increases the potential for issues like price manipulation.

Wirex’s questionable transparency and significant volume of user complaints prevent it from being a viable crypto debit card option.