Head to head
Send vs Ethena Pay
Both cards run on the same benchmark test, so this compares deducted cost rather than advertised rates.
| Metric | Se Send | Et Ethena Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rank | #32 of 35 | #1 of 35 |
| FX spread | 0% | 1% |
| Base cashback | No cashback | 4% |
| Custody | Self-Custodial | Non-Custodial (no option to see keys until deleting account |
| Virtual card | Free | Yes, Free |
| Physical card | No | No |
| Spend limit | 35000 | |
| ATM withdrawals | 580 daily | |
| Setup time | 5 minutes | 10 minutes |
| KYC steps | 5 | 5 |
| Score | 7.2/10 | 8.5/10 |
Send
Send just released their card today, and here are my first impressions: A decent card with little to no perks and needs some work. Rating: 6/10 This is a card I was excited for, and so when I saw their announcement, I love Wirex in general, and so I signed up quickly. I probably won't be making the switch over. - The UI is great, and that was what we all expected - The app works intuitively; the process of grabbing my card was easy. - Good investment options, + RWA stocks, + CUSD deposit option - Self-Custody (sort of, you top up the card separately) - Bank transfer availability. - Too much KYC (Mobile number, ID, Proof of address, ugg, Facial scan), then had to do the KYC again for Bank Transfer? - Lack of docs detailing the card - Glitches in topping up to my card - No cashback - 2.2% FX fee. My wife wanted chocolate at 10 pm, so I took a trip to the gas station and bought this Cadbury chocolate for R29.90. According to the VISA rate, this should charge me exactly $1.87. My card charge was $1.92, with a 2.2% fee added. The app claims a $0.00 fee, which isn't true. Nowhere do I see documents showcasing the card's details and its fees. A flashy UI that is almost the same as every other Neobank. The card funding is separated from the account balance. You need to deposit into the main Non-custodial account, but the actual card-sending side needs its own top-up system. Unlike other cards, the sending system is delayed. I also had to run a whole new KYC to get my Bank Transfer details, and it seemed to glitch. The whitepaper on the card is lacking, but overall this was a decently smooth experience.
Ethena Pay
Crypto Card Review: Ethena Pay I've been testing Ethena Pay for the last couple of days, and it feels (almost) premium. It's in Beta and nearly ready for public launch; here are my first thoughts. Positives: - Non-USD FX Fee: 1% (cashback negates and beats this) - 4% Cashback on all purchases is sweet (up to 5% w/Pro) - UI is possibly the best among all cards I've tested - Personal US/EUR/GBP IBAN accounts - Insights page showing spending by categories and earning breakdowns - 5% APY - Instant deposits with limited Fees Negatives: - Apple Only (for now) - Multiple "Coming Soon" features - Non-custodial, but no way to see your keys without deleting your account. Rating: 7.5/10 As soon as it's on Android and includes a few of its promised upcoming features, this will be a 9/10.
Who ranks these cards
I'm Tristyn Pawson, founder of ConsistenC.xyz. Over the last five years I've worked on marketing, development and growth across five crypto cards and neobanks, building at least three of them from scratch.
Alongside that I've run in-depth research on 20+ crypto banks to understand what actually makes someone keep a card in their wallet. These rankings reflect that: which problems are tolerable, and which ones are genuine deal breakers.
- Years in market
- 5
- Cards built on
- 5
- Neobanks researched
- 20+