Side-by-side card comparison

ARQ vs XPlace: overall score versus use-case fit

XPlace Card has the higher Overall Score by 4 points (68 vs 64). ARQ Card looks stronger for Travel and Transfers, while XPlace Card comes out ahead for Cashback, Funds control, and Lowest fees.

Information checked Aug 27, 202662 official sources reviewed

01 · Overall score versus use-case fit

XPlace Card is the better all-round starting point

XPlace Card has the higher Overall Score in this comparison. ARQ Card may be the better fit for Travel and Transfers. 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.

OverallARQ64XPlace68Higher score
CashbackARQ41XPlace49Higher score
TravelARQ62XPlace61Higher score
Funds controlARQ52XPlace67Higher score
Lowest feesARQ52XPlace69Higher score
TransfersARQ75XPlace62Higher score

Choose ARQ Card if travel and transfers matter most

ARQ Card comes out ahead for Travel and Transfers 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 XPlace Card if cashback and funds control matter most

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

  • Two distinct USDC spending modes
  • Tiered USDC cashback with published caps
  • Phone wallets and non-custodial collateral

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
XPlace68

XPlace Card has the higher Overall Score by 4 points.

Entry cost & FX
ARQ$0 plan · Provider spread unknown; Argentina/Brazil variant charges may apply FX
XPlace$0 plan · 0–1% 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%
XPlace0.5% base · up to 4%

XPlace Card has the higher published base cashback rate (0.5% vs 0%).

Funds control
ARQCustodial balance
XPlaceHybrid custody

ARQ Card uses a custodial balance setup, while XPlace Card uses a hybrid custody setup. Neither approach is always better, so choose the level of control you are comfortable with.

Everyday access
ARQVirtual + Physical · Apple Pay, Google Pay
XPlaceVirtual + Physical · Apple Pay, Google Pay

Both cards list the same number of card formats and phone-wallet options.

Money movement
ARQ4 stablecoins · ARQ P2P; USD ACH payout
XPlace2 stablecoins · Stablecoin transfers

ARQ Card lists more stablecoins and ways to send money out (6 vs 3).

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
0.5%-4%
Plan cost
$0
FX fee
0–1%
ATM fee
Not available
Card formats
Virtual, Physical
Wallet payments
Apple Pay, Google Pay
Receive methods
1 crypto · 0 fiat
Payout methods
1 crypto · 0 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
XPlace CardOverall68
01

Scores

6 fields
Overall Score
ARQ Card
64
XPlace Card
68
Cashback score
ARQ Card
41
XPlace Card
49
Travel score
ARQ Card
62
XPlace Card
61
Funds control score
ARQ Card
52
XPlace Card
67
Lowest fees score
ARQ Card
52
XPlace Card
69
Transfers score
ARQ Card
75
XPlace Card
62
02

Strengths & trade-offs

2 fields
Strengths
ARQ Card
Clear four-country residence coverage, Virtual, physical and phone-wallet access
XPlace Card
Two distinct USDC spending modes, Tiered USDC cashback with published caps
Trade-offs
ARQ Card
Provider FX spread remains unclear, Headline cashback requires membership
XPlace Card
No live physical card or ATM access, Higher tiers cost more and FX has layers
03

Costs

7 fields
Plan cost
ARQ Card
$0
XPlace Card
$0
FX fee
ARQ Card
Provider spread unknown; Argentina/Brazil variant charges may apply
XPlace Card
0–1%
Top-up fee
ARQ Card
Standard receive: 3 USDc for USD/crypto and 3 EURc for EUR
XPlace Card
Provider fee not published; external network or bridge costs may apply and are not card fees
Card spending fee
ARQ Card
0%
XPlace Card
0%
ATM fee
ARQ Card
1–3%
XPlace Card
Not available
Virtual card
ARQ Card
Free
XPlace Card
Not disclosed
Physical card
ARQ Card
$4.99 Standard; $0 Premium
XPlace Card
Silver physical card: $99 with courier delivery included; estimated delivery 3-12 days. Other tier pricing remains unclear.
04

Plans

2 fields
Available plans
ARQ Card
3 plans: Standard, Premium, Prestige
XPlace Card
4 plans: Basic, Silver, Gold, Platinum
Top cashback plan
ARQ Card
Prestige: 2%
XPlace Card
Platinum: 2%
05

Everyday use

8 fields
Network
ARQ Card
Mastercard
XPlace Card
Visa
Card formats
ARQ Card
Virtual, Physical
XPlace Card
Virtual, Physical
ATM withdrawals
ARQ Card
Available
XPlace Card
Not available
Mobile wallets
ARQ Card
Apple Pay, Google Pay
XPlace Card
Apple Pay, Google Pay
Apps
ARQ Card
iOS, Android
XPlace Card
iOS, Android
Daily spending limit
ARQ Card
Not disclosed
XPlace Card
No provider-set daily amount published; users can set their own daily, weekly and monthly controls
Monthly spending limit
ARQ Card
Not disclosed
XPlace Card
Basic $2,000; Silver $10,000; Gold $50,000; Platinum $750,000 per month
ATM limit
ARQ Card
Not disclosed
XPlace Card
Not available while only the virtual card is live
06

Funding & transfers

5 fields
Networks
ARQ Card
Ethereum, Polygon, Tron
XPlace Card
Solana
Crypto deposits
ARQ Card
Stablecoins: USDC, USDT
XPlace Card
Stablecoins: USDC
Fiat deposits
ARQ Card
USD receive, EUR receive
XPlace Card
Not disclosed
Transfers
ARQ Card
ARQ P2P; USD ACH payout
XPlace Card
Stablecoin transfers
Payout currencies
ARQ Card
USD
XPlace Card
Not disclosed
07

Rewards

3 fields
Base cashback
ARQ Card
0%
XPlace Card
0.5%
Max cashback
ARQ Card
2%
XPlace Card
4%
Reward currency
ARQ Card
USDc cashback
XPlace Card
USDC
08

Earn

5 fields
Advertised APY
ARQ Card
Up to 4.5% APY
XPlace Card
Up to 6.15% APY
How it works
ARQ Card
Earn on spending balance, Optional earn vault
XPlace Card
Borrow against collateral, Optional earn vault
Separate deposit
ARQ Card
Yes
XPlace Card
Yes
Use balance for spending
ARQ Card
No
XPlace Card
No
Lock-up
ARQ Card
No
XPlace Card
No
09

Trust & availability

5 fields
Custody
ARQ Card
Custodial
XPlace Card
Hybrid custody
Control until payment
ARQ Card
Provider controls funds
XPlace Card
Provider controls funds
Card issuer
ARQ Card
Not disclosed
XPlace Card
Third National
Card processing
ARQ Card
Not disclosed
XPlace Card
Signify Holdings, Inc. (Rain)
Identity verification
ARQ Card
Not disclosed
XPlace Card
Sumsub
10

Sources

2 fields
Official sources
ARQ Card
36
XPlace Card
26
Last reviewed
ARQ Card
Aug 5, 2026
XPlace Card
Aug 27, 2026

04 · The trade-off

XPlace Card is the stronger all-round choice

XPlace Card finishes ahead with an Overall Score of 68 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. XPlace Card has the higher published base cashback rate (0.5% vs 0%).

ARQ Card still comes out ahead for Travel and Transfers, which may matter more than the overall result if that is how you plan to use the card. ARQ Card uses a custodial balance setup, while XPlace Card uses a hybrid custody setup. Neither approach is always better, so choose the level of control you are comfortable with.

ARQ Card lists more stablecoins and ways to send money out (6 vs 3). 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 XPlace Card reviews first.

05 · Common questions

ARQ vs XPlace FAQ

Is ARQ or XPlace better overall?

XPlace Card has the higher Overall Score (68 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 XPlace?

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 XPlace?

XPlace Card has the higher published base cashback rate (0.5% vs 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 XPlace differ on custody?

ARQ Card uses a custodial balance setup, while XPlace Card uses a hybrid custody setup. Neither approach is always better, so choose the level of control you are comfortable with.

How current is this ARQ vs XPlace comparison?

The latest information check for these two cards was August 27, 2026, using 62 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