Side-by-side card comparison

ARQ vs Xapo: overall score versus use-case fit

Xapo Card has the higher Overall Score by 6 points (70 vs 64). ARQ Card looks stronger for Cashback, while Xapo Card comes out ahead for Travel, Funds control, Lowest fees, and Transfers.

Information checked Sep 1, 202657 official sources reviewed

01 · Overall score versus use-case fit

Xapo Card is the better all-round starting point

Xapo Card has the higher Overall Score in this comparison. ARQ Card may be the better fit for Cashback. 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.

OverallARQ64Xapo70Higher score
CashbackARQ41Xapo24Higher score
TravelARQ62Xapo91Higher score
Funds controlARQ52Xapo63Higher score
Lowest feesARQ52Xapo77Higher score
TransfersARQ75Xapo100Higher score

Choose ARQ Card if cashback matters most

ARQ Card comes out ahead for Cashback 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 Xapo Card if travel and funds control matter most

Xapo Card comes out ahead for Travel, Funds control, 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.

  • No Xapo FX markup
  • Account-backed bank and crypto rails

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
Xapo70

Xapo Card has the higher Overall Score by 6 points.

Entry cost & FX
ARQ$0 plan · Provider spread unknown; Argentina/Brazil variant charges may apply FX
Xapo$1,000/year plan · 0–0.29% FX

ARQ Card has the lower starting plan cost ($0 vs $1,000/year).

Purchase rewards
ARQ0% base · up to 2%
Xapo0% base · up to 3%

Both cards show the same base cashback rate of 0%.

Funds control
ARQCustodial balance
XapoCustodial balance

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

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

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

Money movement
ARQ4 stablecoins · ARQ P2P; USD ACH payout
Xapo2 stablecoins · Stablecoin transfers; SWIFT payout, SEPA payout, Faster Payments payout, ACH payout

Xapo Card lists more stablecoins and ways to send money out (8 vs 6).

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
0%-3%
Plan cost
$1,000/year
FX fee
0–0.29%
ATM fee
0–2%
Card formats
Virtual, Physical
Wallet payments
Not disclosed
Receive methods
3 crypto · 4 fiat
Payout methods
3 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
Xapo CardOverall70
01

Scores

6 fields
Overall Score
ARQ Card
64
Xapo Card
70
Cashback score
ARQ Card
41
Xapo Card
24
Travel score
ARQ Card
62
Xapo Card
91
Funds control score
ARQ Card
52
Xapo Card
63
Lowest fees score
ARQ Card
52
Xapo Card
77
Transfers score
ARQ Card
75
Xapo Card
100
02

Strengths & trade-offs

2 fields
Strengths
ARQ Card
Clear four-country residence coverage, Virtual, physical and phone-wallet access
Xapo Card
No Xapo FX markup, Account-backed bank and crypto rails
Trade-offs
ARQ Card
Provider FX spread remains unclear, Headline cashback requires membership
Xapo Card
$1,000 annual membership, Cashback is temporary and capped ambiguously
03

Costs

7 fields
Plan cost
ARQ Card
$0
Xapo Card
$1,000/year
FX fee
ARQ Card
Provider spread unknown; Argentina/Brazil variant charges may apply
Xapo Card
0–0.29%
Top-up fee
ARQ Card
Standard receive: 3 USDc for USD/crypto and 3 EURc for EUR
Xapo Card
No direct card top-up; the Xapo Account balance funds card spending
Card spending fee
ARQ Card
0%
Xapo Card
0%
ATM fee
ARQ Card
1–3%
Xapo Card
0–2%
Virtual card
ARQ Card
Free
Xapo Card
$0 in the Visa Europe programme; outside-Europe pricing not disclosed
Physical card
ARQ Card
$4.99 Standard; $0 Premium
Xapo Card
$0 for Metal; $0 for standard physical Visa Europe; other standard pricing not disclosed
04

Plans

2 fields
Available plans
ARQ Card
3 plans: Standard, Premium, Prestige
Xapo Card
1 plans: Xapo Bank membership
Top cashback plan
ARQ Card
Prestige: 2%
Xapo Card
Xapo Bank membership: 0%
05

Everyday use

8 fields
Network
ARQ Card
Mastercard
Xapo Card
Visa/Mastercard
Card formats
ARQ Card
Virtual, Physical
Xapo Card
Virtual, Physical
ATM withdrawals
ARQ Card
Available
Xapo Card
Available
Mobile wallets
ARQ Card
Apple Pay, Google Pay
Xapo Card
Not disclosed
Apps
ARQ Card
iOS, Android
Xapo Card
iOS, Android
Daily spending limit
ARQ Card
Not disclosed
Xapo Card
$50,000 daily for point-of-sale and online purchases
Monthly spending limit
ARQ Card
Not disclosed
Xapo Card
$250,000 monthly under the Visa Europe programme
ATM limit
ARQ Card
Not disclosed
Xapo Card
$2,000 daily; Visa Europe also lists $15,000 monthly
06

Funding & transfers

5 fields
Networks
ARQ Card
Ethereum, Polygon, Tron
Xapo Card
Bitcoin, Lightning, Ethereum, Tron, Solana
Crypto deposits
ARQ Card
Stablecoins: USDC, USDT
Xapo Card
Stablecoins: USDC, USDT; Other crypto: BTC
Fiat deposits
ARQ Card
USD receive, EUR receive
Xapo Card
SWIFT receive, ACH receive, SEPA receive, Faster Payments receive
Transfers
ARQ Card
ARQ P2P; USD ACH payout
Xapo Card
Stablecoin transfers; SWIFT payout, SEPA payout, Faster Payments payout, ACH payout
Payout currencies
ARQ Card
USD
Xapo Card
USD, GBP, EUR
07

Rewards

3 fields
Base cashback
ARQ Card
0%
Xapo Card
0%
Max cashback
ARQ Card
2%
Xapo Card
3%
Reward currency
ARQ Card
USDc cashback
Xapo Card
BTC
08

Earn

5 fields
Advertised APY
ARQ Card
Up to 4.5% APY
Xapo Card
Up to 3.35% APY
How it works
ARQ Card
Earn on spending balance, Optional earn vault
Xapo Card
Earn on spending balance
Separate deposit
ARQ Card
Yes
Xapo Card
No
Use balance for spending
ARQ Card
No
Xapo Card
Yes
Lock-up
ARQ Card
No
Xapo Card
No
09

Trust & availability

4 fields
Custody
ARQ Card
Custodial
Xapo Card
Custodial
Control until payment
ARQ Card
Provider controls funds
Xapo Card
Provider controls funds
Card issuer
ARQ Card
Not disclosed
Xapo Card
Transact Payments Malta Limited
Bank transfers
ARQ Card
Not disclosed
Xapo Card
Xapo Bank Limited
10

Sources

2 fields
Official sources
ARQ Card
36
Xapo Card
21
Last reviewed
ARQ Card
Aug 5, 2026
Xapo Card
Sep 1, 2026

04 · The trade-off

Xapo Card is the stronger all-round choice

Xapo Card finishes ahead with an Overall Score of 70 versus 64 for ARQ Card. ARQ Card has the lower starting plan cost ($0 vs $1,000/year). Both cards show the same base cashback rate of 0%.

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

Xapo Card lists more stablecoins and ways to send money out (8 vs 6). 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 Xapo Card reviews first.

05 · Common questions

ARQ vs Xapo FAQ

Is ARQ or Xapo better overall?

Xapo Card has the higher Overall Score (70 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 Xapo?

ARQ Card has the lower starting plan cost ($0 vs $1,000/year). 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 Xapo?

Both cards show the same base cashback rate of 0%. Maximum rates may depend on tiers, caps, categories or other conditions, so the entry rate and reward asset matter too.

How do ARQ and Xapo differ on custody?

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

How current is this ARQ vs Xapo comparison?

The latest information check for these two cards was September 1, 2026, using 57 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