Side-by-side card comparison

ARQ vs Coinbase: overall score versus use-case fit

Coinbase Card has the higher Overall Score by 1 point (65 vs 64). ARQ Card looks stronger for Cashback and Funds control, while Coinbase Card comes out ahead for Lowest fees and Transfers.

Information checked Aug 30, 202658 official sources reviewed

01 · Overall score versus use-case fit

Coinbase Card is the better all-round starting point

Coinbase Card has the higher Overall Score in this comparison. ARQ Card may be the better fit for Cashback and Funds control. A score cannot tell you whether a provider will accept your application or whether every feature will be available where you live, so check the latest provider terms before signing up.

OverallARQ64Coinbase65Higher score
CashbackARQ41Coinbase37Higher score
TravelARQ62Coinbase62Same score
Funds controlARQ52Coinbase48Higher score
Lowest feesARQ52Coinbase55Higher score
TransfersARQ75Coinbase84Higher score

Choose ARQ Card if cashback and funds control matter most

ARQ Card comes out ahead for Cashback and Funds control in this comparison. It is worth a closer look if those are the parts of a card you expect to use most.

  • Clear four-country residence coverage
  • Virtual, physical and phone-wallet access
  • Paid tiers add cashback and earnings

Choose Coinbase Card if lowest fees and transfers matter most

Coinbase Card comes out ahead for Lowest fees and Transfers in this comparison. It is worth a closer look if those are the parts of a card you expect to use most.

  • Virtual and physical Visa cards cover online, store and ATM use
  • The U.S. schedule lists $0 card, monthly and Coinbase ATM fees
  • Cash, USDC and supported crypto can fund the same card flow

Where each card has the edge

The overall leader does not win every use case, so the reason you want the card matters here.

Overall Score
ARQ64
Coinbase65

Coinbase Card has the higher Overall Score by 1 points.

Entry cost & FX
ARQ$0 plan · Provider spread unknown; Argentina/Brazil variant charges may apply FX
Coinbase$0 plan · U.S. international transaction fee: $0. Visa conversion, U.K./EEA pricing and crypto spread remain separate FX

The starting plan and FX figures are tied, or the providers have not published enough matching information to name a lower-cost option.

Purchase rewards
ARQ0% base · up to 2%
CoinbaseNot disclosed

The providers have not published enough matching base cashback information to name a winner. Check the maximum rates, reward assets, caps and conditions below.

Funds control
ARQCustodial balance
CoinbaseCustodial balance

ARQ Card and Coinbase Card use the same custodial balance setup.

Everyday access
ARQVirtual + Physical · Apple Pay, Google Pay
CoinbaseVirtual + Physical · Unknown

ARQ Card lists more card formats and phone-wallet options (4 vs 2).

Money movement
ARQ4 stablecoins · ARQ P2P; USD ACH payout
Coinbase1 stablecoin · Stablecoin transfers; Coinbase U.S. account cash-out, Coinbase U.K. and EEA account cash-out

ARQ Card lists more stablecoins and ways to send money out (6 vs 4).

02 · Read the shortlist

A closer look at the split decision

Start with the strengths that drive each use-case result, then test them against costs and access.

2 cards compared
Cashback
0%-2%
Plan cost
$0
FX fee
Provider spread unknown; Argentina/Brazil variant charges may apply
ATM fee
1–3%
Card formats
Virtual, Physical
Wallet payments
Apple Pay, Google Pay
Receive methods
2 crypto · 2 fiat
Payout methods
0 crypto · 1 fiat
Cashback
Not disclosed
Plan cost
$0
FX fee
U.S. international transaction fee: $0. Visa conversion, U.K./EEA pricing and crypto spread remain separate
ATM fee
U.S. Coinbase ATM fee: $0. ATM operators may charge; U.K./EEA provider pricing is not published here
Card formats
Virtual, Physical
Wallet payments
Not disclosed
Receive methods
1 crypto · 2 fiat
Payout methods
1 crypto · 3 fiat

03 · Compare the details

See how the trade-offs line up

Comparable figures receive a marker; missing or unverified details stay visible instead of becoming an assumed advantage.

Best known Not disclosed
Cards
ARQ CardOverall64
Coinbase CardOverall65
01

Scores

6 fields
Overall Score
ARQ Card
64
Coinbase Card
65
Cashback score
ARQ Card
41
Coinbase Card
37
Travel score
ARQ Card
62
Coinbase Card
62
Funds control score
ARQ Card
52
Coinbase Card
48
Lowest fees score
ARQ Card
52
Coinbase Card
55
Transfers score
ARQ Card
75
Coinbase Card
84
02

Strengths & trade-offs

2 fields
Strengths
ARQ Card
Clear four-country residence coverage, Virtual, physical and phone-wallet access
Coinbase Card
Virtual and physical Visa cards cover online, store and ATM use, The U.S. schedule lists $0 card, monthly and Coinbase ATM fees
Trade-offs
ARQ Card
Provider FX spread remains unclear, Headline cashback requires membership
Coinbase Card
Crypto conversion includes a spread with no stable public rate, Rewards are U.S.-only and the current rate changes in the app
03

Costs

7 fields
Plan cost
ARQ Card
$0
Coinbase Card
$0
FX fee
ARQ Card
Provider spread unknown; Argentina/Brazil variant charges may apply
Coinbase Card
U.S. international transaction fee: $0. Visa conversion, U.K./EEA pricing and crypto spread remain separate
Top-up fee
ARQ Card
Standard receive: 3 USDc for USD/crypto and 3 EURc for EUR
Coinbase Card
Linked-bank and payroll funding are marketed at $0; other Coinbase account funding routes were not reviewed for this card profile
Card spending fee
ARQ Card
0%
Coinbase Card
0%
ATM fee
ARQ Card
1–3%
Coinbase Card
U.S. Coinbase ATM fee: $0. ATM operators may charge; U.K./EEA provider pricing is not published here
Virtual card
ARQ Card
Free
Coinbase Card
Not disclosed
Physical card
ARQ Card
$4.99 Standard; $0 Premium
Coinbase Card
Not disclosed
04

Plans

2 fields
Available plans
ARQ Card
3 plans: Standard, Premium, Prestige
Coinbase Card
Not disclosed
Top cashback plan
ARQ Card
Prestige: 2%
Coinbase Card
Not disclosed
05

Everyday use

8 fields
Network
ARQ Card
Mastercard
Coinbase Card
Visa
Card formats
ARQ Card
Virtual, Physical
Coinbase Card
Virtual, Physical
ATM withdrawals
ARQ Card
Available
Coinbase Card
Available
Mobile wallets
ARQ Card
Apple Pay, Google Pay
Coinbase Card
Not disclosed
Apps
ARQ Card
iOS, Android
Coinbase Card
iOS, Android
Daily spending limit
ARQ Card
Not disclosed
Coinbase Card
$2,500 per 24 hours in the U.S. programme
Monthly spending limit
ARQ Card
Not disclosed
Coinbase Card
U.S. monthly spend limit not published; U.K./EEA limits are customer-specific
ATM limit
ARQ Card
Not disclosed
Coinbase Card
$1,000 per 24 hours in the U.S.; U.K./EEA values are shown in app
06

Funding & transfers

5 fields
Networks
ARQ Card
Ethereum, Polygon, Tron
Coinbase Card
Coinbase-supported networks
Crypto deposits
ARQ Card
Stablecoins: USDC, USDT
Coinbase Card
Other crypto: Supported crypto
Fiat deposits
ARQ Card
USD receive, EUR receive
Coinbase Card
Linked bank account, Payroll deposit
Transfers
ARQ Card
ARQ P2P; USD ACH payout
Coinbase Card
Stablecoin transfers; Coinbase U.S. account cash-out, Coinbase U.K. and EEA account cash-out
Payout currencies
ARQ Card
USD
Coinbase Card
USD, GBP, EUR
07

Rewards

3 fields
Base cashback
ARQ Card
0%
Coinbase Card
Not disclosed
Max cashback
ARQ Card
2%
Coinbase Card
Not disclosed
Reward currency
ARQ Card
USDc cashback
Coinbase Card
Selected crypto offer
08

Earn

5 fields
Advertised APY
ARQ Card
Up to 4.5% APY
Coinbase Card
Not offered
How it works
ARQ Card
Earn on spending balance, Optional earn vault
Coinbase Card
Not offered
Separate deposit
ARQ Card
Yes
Coinbase Card
Not offered
Use balance for spending
ARQ Card
No
Coinbase Card
Not offered
Lock-up
ARQ Card
No
Coinbase Card
Not offered
09

Trust & availability

4 fields
Custody
ARQ Card
Custodial
Coinbase Card
Custodial
Control until payment
ARQ Card
Provider controls funds
Coinbase Card
Provider controls funds
Card issuer
ARQ Card
Not disclosed
Coinbase Card
Pathward, N.A., Paysafe Financial Services Limited, Paysafe Payment Solutions Limited
Card processing
ARQ Card
Not disclosed
Coinbase Card
Marqeta, Inc.
10

Sources

2 fields
Official sources
ARQ Card
36
Coinbase Card
22
Last reviewed
ARQ Card
Aug 5, 2026
Coinbase Card
Aug 30, 2026

04 · The trade-off

Coinbase Card is the stronger all-round choice

Coinbase Card finishes ahead with an Overall Score of 65 versus 64 for ARQ Card. The starting plan and FX figures are tied, or the providers have not published enough matching information to name a lower-cost option. The providers have not published enough matching base cashback information to name a winner. Check the maximum rates, reward assets, caps and conditions below.

ARQ Card still comes out ahead for Cashback and Funds control, which may matter more than the overall result if that is how you plan to use the card. ARQ Card and Coinbase Card use the same custodial balance setup.

ARQ Card lists more stablecoins and ways to send money out (6 vs 4). Before applying, confirm availability in your country and recheck the provider's current fees and reward conditions.

If one card now looks like the better fit, you can check the latest application terms on the provider site or read our full ARQ Card and Coinbase Card reviews first.

05 · Common questions

ARQ vs Coinbase FAQ

Is ARQ or Coinbase better overall?

Coinbase Card has the higher Overall Score (65 vs 64). That does not make it better for everyone: your preferred fees, rewards, way of holding funds and country availability can change the practical choice.

Which has lower fees, ARQ or Coinbase?

The starting plan and FX figures are tied, or the providers have not published enough matching information to name a lower-cost option. Compare plan, FX, card-spend, top-up and ATM charges separately because one fee does not represent the full cost.

Which has better cashback, ARQ or Coinbase?

The providers have not published enough matching base cashback information to name a winner. Check the maximum rates, reward assets, caps and conditions below. Maximum rates may depend on tiers, caps, categories or other conditions, so the entry rate and reward asset matter too.

How do ARQ and Coinbase differ on custody?

ARQ Card and Coinbase Card use the same custodial balance setup.

How current is this ARQ vs Coinbase comparison?

The latest information check for these two cards was August 30, 2026, using 58 official sources in total. Each full card review lists its own check date, sources and anything the provider has not clearly disclosed.

06 · Try another angle

Compare either card with a nearby alternative, or build a different pair in the comparison workspace.

Open the comparison workspace