Side-by-side card comparison

Ethena Pay vs ether.fi Cash: overall score versus use-case fit

ether.fi Cash Card has the higher Overall Score by 2 points (88 vs 86). Ethena Pay Card looks stronger for Lowest fees, while ether.fi Cash Card comes out ahead for Cashback, Travel, Funds control, and Transfers.

Information checked Sep 1, 202631 official sources reviewed

01 · Overall score versus use-case fit

ether.fi Cash Card is the better all-round starting point

ether.fi Cash Card has the higher Overall Score in this comparison. Ethena Pay Card may be the better fit for Lowest fees. 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.

OverallEthena Pay86ether.fi Cash88Higher score
CashbackEthena Pay89ether.fi Cash90Higher score
TravelEthena Pay64ether.fi Cash85Higher score
Funds controlEthena Pay86ether.fi Cash96Higher score
Lowest feesEthena Pay87ether.fi Cash71Higher score
TransfersEthena Pay82ether.fi Cash98Higher score

Choose Ethena Pay Card if lowest fees matters most

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

  • Strong Standard cashback bands
  • No Standard monthly fee or FX markup
  • Collateral stays in linked wallets

Choose ether.fi Cash Card if cashback and travel matter most

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

  • Card spend plus cash-account rails
  • Liquid USD can stay spendable
  • Tiers make perks easier to compare

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
Ethena Pay86
ether.fi Cash88

ether.fi Cash Card has the higher Overall Score by 2 points.

Entry cost & FX
Ethena Pay$0 plan · 0% Ethena Pay markup; Visa rate applies FX
ether.fi Cash$0 plan · 0–0.2% FX

Ethena Pay Card has the lower published FX fee (0% Ethena Pay markup; Visa rate applies vs 0–0.2%).

Purchase rewards
Ethena Pay4% base · up to 5%
ether.fi Cash3% base · up to 4%

Ethena Pay Card has the higher published base cashback rate (4% vs 3%).

Funds control
Ethena PayHybrid custody
ether.fi CashNon-custodial account

Ethena Pay Card uses a hybrid custody setup, while ether.fi Cash Card uses a non-custodial account setup. Neither approach is always better, so choose the level of control you are comfortable with.

Everyday access
Ethena PayVirtual · Apple Pay
ether.fi CashVirtual + Physical · Apple Pay, Google Pay

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

Money movement
Ethena Pay1 stablecoin · Stablecoin transfers; Ethena Pay user transfer; Bank withdrawal
ether.fi Cash6 stablecoins · Stablecoin transfers; EUR SEPA payout, USD ACH / FedWire payout

ether.fi Cash Card lists more stablecoins and ways to send money out (9 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
4%-5%
Plan cost
$0
FX fee
0% Ethena Pay markup; Visa rate applies
ATM fee
Not available
Card formats
Virtual
Wallet payments
Apple Pay
Receive methods
0 crypto · 0 fiat
Payout methods
1 crypto · 0 fiat

Partner links may earn us a commission. Read our affiliate disclosure for how these links work.

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
Ethena Pay CardOverall86
ether.fi Cash CardOverall88
01

Scores

6 fields
Overall Score
Ethena Pay Card
86
ether.fi Cash Card
88
Cashback score
Ethena Pay Card
89
ether.fi Cash Card
90
Travel score
Ethena Pay Card
64
ether.fi Cash Card
85
Funds control score
Ethena Pay Card
86
ether.fi Cash Card
96
Lowest fees score
Ethena Pay Card
87
ether.fi Cash Card
71
Transfers score
Ethena Pay Card
82
ether.fi Cash Card
98
02

Strengths & trade-offs

2 fields
Strengths
Ethena Pay Card
Strong Standard cashback bands, No Standard monthly fee or FX markup
ether.fi Cash Card
Card spend plus cash-account rails, Liquid USD can stay spendable
Trade-offs
Ethena Pay Card
Card access is still application-gated, One-day payment grace adds liquidation risk
ether.fi Cash Card
Vault returns depend on the selected strategy, Credit setup is more complex than a prepaid card
03

Costs

7 fields
Plan cost
Ethena Pay Card
$0
ether.fi Cash Card
$0
FX fee
Ethena Pay Card
0% Ethena Pay markup; Visa rate applies
ether.fi Cash Card
0–0.2%
Top-up fee
Ethena Pay Card
Provider collateral-funding fee unknown; external network gas is separate
ether.fi Cash Card
Not disclosed
Card spending fee
Ethena Pay Card
0%
ether.fi Cash Card
Not disclosed
ATM fee
Ethena Pay Card
Not available
ether.fi Cash Card
2%
Virtual card
Ethena Pay Card
USD 0
ether.fi Cash Card
Core: 1 free; Luxe: 2 free; Pinnacle: 10 free; VIP: unlimited
Physical card
Ethena Pay Card
Not disclosed
ether.fi Cash Card
Core: $60 including shipping; Luxe, Pinnacle and VIP: 1 free physical card
04

Plans

2 fields
Available plans
Ethena Pay Card
3 plans: Standard, Pro, VIP
ether.fi Cash Card
4 plans: Core, Luxe, Pinnacle, VIP
Top cashback plan
Ethena Pay Card
VIP: 5%
ether.fi Cash Card
VIP: 4%
05

Everyday use

8 fields
Network
Ethena Pay Card
Visa
ether.fi Cash Card
Visa
Card formats
Ethena Pay Card
Virtual
ether.fi Cash Card
Virtual, Physical
ATM withdrawals
Ethena Pay Card
Not available
ether.fi Cash Card
Available
Mobile wallets
Ethena Pay Card
Apple Pay
ether.fi Cash Card
Apple Pay, Google Pay
Apps
Ethena Pay Card
iOS, Web
ether.fi Cash Card
iOS, Android, Web
Daily spending limit
Ethena Pay Card
Dynamic, based on collateral market value
ether.fi Cash Card
Core $30,000/day; Luxe $50,000/day; Pinnacle $100,000/day
Monthly spending limit
Ethena Pay Card
Dynamic, based on collateral market value
ether.fi Cash Card
Monthly limit shown in app; cashback caps vary by plan
ATM limit
Ethena Pay Card
Not available
ether.fi Cash Card
$250/withdrawal; $750/day
06

Funding & transfers

5 fields
Networks
Ethena Pay Card
Ethereum, Polygon, Optimism, Arbitrum
ether.fi Cash Card
Optimism
Crypto deposits
Ethena Pay Card
Not disclosed
ether.fi Cash Card
Stablecoins: USDC, USDT, EURC, frxUSD, LiquidUSD; Other crypto: beHYPE, eBTC, ETHFI, eUSD, LiquidBTC +9
Fiat deposits
Ethena Pay Card
Not disclosed
ether.fi Cash Card
USD ACH / FedWire receive, EUR SEPA receive
Transfers
Ethena Pay Card
Stablecoin transfers; Ethena Pay user transfer; Bank withdrawal
ether.fi Cash Card
Stablecoin transfers; EUR SEPA payout, USD ACH / FedWire payout
Payout currencies
Ethena Pay Card
Not disclosed
ether.fi Cash Card
EUR, USD
07

Rewards

3 fields
Base cashback
Ethena Pay Card
4%
ether.fi Cash Card
3%
Max cashback
Ethena Pay Card
5%
ether.fi Cash Card
4%
Reward currency
Ethena Pay Card
AVAX
ether.fi Cash Card
USD cashback paid in USDC
08

Earn

5 fields
Advertised APY
Ethena Pay Card
Up to 6% APY
ether.fi Cash Card
Up to 5.02% APY
How it works
Ethena Pay Card
Earn on spending balance
ether.fi Cash Card
Earn on spending balance, Borrow against collateral, Optional earn vault
Separate deposit
Ethena Pay Card
No
ether.fi Cash Card
Not disclosed
Use balance for spending
Ethena Pay Card
Yes
ether.fi Cash Card
Not disclosed
Lock-up
Ethena Pay Card
No
ether.fi Cash Card
Not disclosed
09

Trust & availability

7 fields
Custody
Ethena Pay Card
Hybrid custody
ether.fi Cash Card
Non-custodial
Control until payment
Ethena Pay Card
You keep control
ether.fi Cash Card
You keep control
Card issuer
Ethena Pay Card
Third National
ether.fi Cash Card
Third National
Card processing
Ethena Pay Card
Signify Holdings, Inc. d/b/a Rain
ether.fi Cash Card
Not disclosed
Deposits & withdrawals
Ethena Pay Card
Not disclosed
ether.fi Cash Card
SEPA third-party provider
Identity verification
Ethena Pay Card
Sumsub
ether.fi Cash Card
Not disclosed
Programme operator
Ethena Pay Card
Not disclosed
ether.fi Cash Card
ether.fi, Ether.Fi SEZC
10

Sources

2 fields
Official sources
Ethena Pay Card
12
ether.fi Cash Card
19
Last reviewed
Ethena Pay Card
Sep 1, 2026
ether.fi Cash Card
Aug 29, 2026

04 · The trade-off

ether.fi Cash Card is the stronger all-round choice

ether.fi Cash Card finishes ahead with an Overall Score of 88 versus 86 for Ethena Pay Card. Ethena Pay Card has the lower published FX fee (0% Ethena Pay markup; Visa rate applies vs 0–0.2%). Ethena Pay Card has the higher published base cashback rate (4% vs 3%).

Ethena Pay Card still comes out ahead for Lowest fees, which may matter more than the overall result if that is how you plan to use the card. Ethena Pay Card uses a hybrid custody setup, while ether.fi Cash Card uses a non-custodial account setup. Neither approach is always better, so choose the level of control you are comfortable with.

ether.fi Cash Card lists more stablecoins and ways to send money out (9 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 Ethena Pay Card and ether.fi Cash Card reviews first.

05 · Common questions

Ethena Pay vs ether.fi Cash FAQ

Is Ethena Pay or ether.fi Cash better overall?

ether.fi Cash Card has the higher Overall Score (88 vs 86). 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, Ethena Pay or ether.fi Cash?

Ethena Pay Card has the lower published FX fee (0% Ethena Pay markup; Visa rate applies vs 0–0.2%). Compare plan, FX, card-spend, top-up and ATM charges separately because one fee does not represent the full cost.

Which has better cashback, Ethena Pay or ether.fi Cash?

Ethena Pay Card has the higher published base cashback rate (4% vs 3%). Maximum rates may depend on tiers, caps, categories or other conditions, so the entry rate and reward asset matter too.

How do Ethena Pay and ether.fi Cash differ on custody?

Ethena Pay Card uses a hybrid custody setup, while ether.fi Cash Card uses a non-custodial account setup. Neither approach is always better, so choose the level of control you are comfortable with.

How current is this Ethena Pay vs ether.fi Cash comparison?

The latest information check for these two cards was September 1, 2026, using 31 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