Side-by-side card comparison

Exa vs Brighty: overall score versus use-case fit

Brighty Card has the higher Overall Score by 4 points (70 vs 66). Exa Card looks stronger for Funds control and Transfers, while Brighty Card comes out ahead for Cashback, Travel, and Lowest fees.

Information checked Aug 23, 202656 official sources reviewed
Exa Visa Signature card design from the official Exa product page
Exactly Protocol / ExaExa

01 · Overall score versus use-case fit

Brighty Card is the better all-round starting point

Brighty Card has the higher Overall Score in this comparison. Exa Card may be the better fit for Funds control 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.

OverallExa66Brighty70Higher score
CashbackExa19Brighty48Higher score
TravelExa61Brighty80Higher score
Funds controlExa88Brighty65Higher score
Lowest feesExa67Brighty68Higher score
TransfersExa97Brighty93Higher score

Choose Exa Card if funds control and transfers matter most

Exa Card comes out ahead for 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.

  • Deposited assets can earn yield
  • Spend balance or borrow USDC
  • Self-custody on Exactly Protocol

Choose Brighty Card if cashback and travel matter most

Brighty Card comes out ahead for Cashback, Travel, 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.

  • Free entry plan
  • USDC cashback
  • Multiple account 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
Exa66
Brighty70

Brighty Card has the higher Overall Score by 4 points.

Entry cost & FX
Exa$0 plan · 1.5% FX
Brighty$0 plan · Visa: up to 2% foreign-transaction fee. Mastercard: not disclosed in the reviewed Brighty sources FX

Exa Card has the lower published FX fee (1.5% vs Visa: up to 2% foreign-transaction fee. Mastercard: not disclosed in the reviewed Brighty sources).

Purchase rewards
Exa0% cashback
Brighty0.5% base · up to 1.75%

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

Funds control
ExaSelf-controlled wallet
BrightyCustodial balance

Exa Card uses a self-controlled wallet setup, while Brighty Card uses a custodial balance setup. Neither approach is always better, so choose the level of control you are comfortable with.

Everyday access
ExaVirtual · Apple Pay, Google Pay
BrightyVirtual + Physical · Apple Pay

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

Money movement
Exa1 stablecoin · Stablecoin transfers; USD ACH bank payout, USD domestic wire payout, EUR SEPA bank payout
Brighty2 stablecoins · Stablecoin transfers; SEPA / Faster Payments payout, SWIFT payout

Both cards list the same number of stablecoins and ways to send money out.

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%
Plan cost
$0
FX fee
1.5%
ATM fee
$1 + 0.65%
Card formats
Virtual
Wallet payments
Apple Pay, Google Pay
Receive methods
5 crypto · 4 fiat
Payout methods
1 crypto · 2 fiat
Cashback
0.5%-1.8%
Plan cost
$0
FX fee
Visa: up to 2% foreign-transaction fee. Mastercard: not disclosed in the reviewed Brighty sources
ATM fee
Not disclosed
Card formats
Virtual, Physical
Wallet payments
Apple Pay
Receive methods
4 crypto · 2 fiat
Payout methods
16 crypto · 4 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
Exa CardOverall66
Brighty CardOverall70
01

Scores

6 fields
Overall Score
Exa Card
66
Brighty Card
70
Cashback score
Exa Card
19
Brighty Card
48
Travel score
Exa Card
61
Brighty Card
80
Funds control score
Exa Card
88
Brighty Card
65
Lowest fees score
Exa Card
67
Brighty Card
68
Transfers score
Exa Card
97
Brighty Card
93
02

Strengths & trade-offs

2 fields
Strengths
Exa Card
Deposited assets can earn yield, Spend balance or borrow USDC
Brighty Card
Free entry plan, USDC cashback
Trade-offs
Exa Card
Heavy Exactly Protocol dependency, Pay Later needs DeFi literacy
Brighty Card
Network-specific FX gap, Physical terms vary
03

Costs

7 fields
Plan cost
Exa Card
$0
Brighty Card
$0
FX fee
Exa Card
1.5%
Brighty Card
Visa: up to 2% foreign-transaction fee. Mastercard: not disclosed in the reviewed Brighty sources
Top-up fee
Exa Card
1%
Brighty Card
0%
Card spending fee
Exa Card
Not disclosed
Brighty Card
Not disclosed
ATM fee
Exa Card
$1 + 0.65%
Brighty Card
Not disclosed
Virtual card
Exa Card
Free with Exa Wallet
Brighty Card
Visa and Mastercard: published issue price €2.99; included-card interaction unresolved
Physical card
Exa Card
Not available
Brighty Card
Visa: One unavailable; Plus includes one and Pro includes two, with €0 issue price
04

Plans

2 fields
Available plans
Exa Card
Not disclosed
Brighty Card
3 plans: One, Plus, Pro
Top cashback plan
Exa Card
Not disclosed
Brighty Card
One: 0.5%
05

Everyday use

8 fields
Network
Exa Card
Visa
Brighty Card
Visa/Mastercard
Card formats
Exa Card
Virtual
Brighty Card
Virtual, Physical
ATM withdrawals
Exa Card
Available
Brighty Card
Available
Mobile wallets
Exa Card
Apple Pay, Google Pay
Brighty Card
Apple Pay
Apps
Exa Card
iOS, Android, Web
Brighty Card
iOS, Android
Daily spending limit
Exa Card
Dynamic / collateral-based; exact Exa App limit shown in app
Brighty Card
Published period is ambiguous: Visa virtual €15k / €15k / €50k; Mastercard virtual €15k / €25k / €50k for One / Plus / Pro
Monthly spending limit
Exa Card
Dynamic / collateral-based; exact Exa App limit shown in app
Brighty Card
Published period is ambiguous: physical Visa €15k on Plus and €50k on Pro
ATM limit
Exa Card
$250/withdrawal; $1000/day
Brighty Card
ATM withdrawal limits are not published; only physical Visa fees are known
06

Funding & transfers

5 fields
Networks
Exa Card
Optimism
Brighty Card
Ethereum, Tron, Bitcoin SegWit, Bitcoin Legacy, Cardano, Tezos +6
Crypto deposits
Exa Card
Stablecoins: USDC; Other crypto: ETH, OP, WBTC, wstETH
Brighty Card
Stablecoins: USDC, EURC; Other crypto: BTC, ETH
Fiat deposits
Exa Card
USD ACH deposit, USD wire deposit, EUR SEPA deposit, Local currency deposit
Brighty Card
SEPA / Faster Payments, SWIFT
Transfers
Exa Card
Stablecoin transfers; USD ACH bank payout, USD domestic wire payout, EUR SEPA bank payout
Brighty Card
Stablecoin transfers; SEPA / Faster Payments payout, SWIFT payout
Payout currencies
Exa Card
USD, EUR
Brighty Card
EUR, GBP, USD, AED
07

Rewards

3 fields
Base cashback
Exa Card
0%
Brighty Card
0.5%
Max cashback
Exa Card
0%
Brighty Card
1.8%
Reward currency
Exa Card
No cashback
Brighty Card
USDC
08

Earn

5 fields
Advertised APY
Exa Card
Up to 0.99776% APY
Brighty Card
Not disclosed
How it works
Exa Card
Earn on spending balance, Borrow against collateral
Brighty Card
Earn on spending balance
Separate deposit
Exa Card
No
Brighty Card
No
Use balance for spending
Exa Card
Yes
Brighty Card
Yes
Lock-up
Exa Card
No
Brighty Card
No
09

Trust & availability

8 fields
Custody
Exa Card
Self-custody
Brighty Card
Custodial
Control until payment
Exa Card
You keep control
Brighty Card
Provider controls funds
Card issuer
Exa Card
Third National Bank, Third National
Brighty Card
Wallester AS
Card processing
Exa Card
Exa Labs SAS
Brighty Card
Not disclosed
Custody / key management
Exa Card
Not disclosed
Brighty Card
Fireblocks
Deposits & withdrawals
Exa Card
Bridge, Manteca
Brighty Card
Not disclosed
Identity verification
Exa Card
Not disclosed
Brighty Card
Sumsub
Programme operator
Exa Card
Exa Labs SAS
Brighty Card
Not disclosed
10

Sources

2 fields
Official sources
Exa Card
31
Brighty Card
25
Last reviewed
Exa Card
Aug 23, 2026
Brighty Card
Aug 16, 2026

04 · The trade-off

Brighty Card is the stronger all-round choice

Brighty Card finishes ahead with an Overall Score of 70 versus 66 for Exa Card. Exa Card has the lower published FX fee (1.5% vs Visa: up to 2% foreign-transaction fee. Mastercard: not disclosed in the reviewed Brighty sources). Brighty Card has the higher published base cashback rate (0.5% vs 0%).

Exa Card still comes out ahead for Funds control and Transfers, which may matter more than the overall result if that is how you plan to use the card. Exa Card uses a self-controlled wallet setup, while Brighty Card uses a custodial balance setup. Neither approach is always better, so choose the level of control you are comfortable with.

Both cards list the same number of stablecoins and ways to send money out. 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 Exa Card and Brighty Card reviews first.

05 · Common questions

Exa vs Brighty FAQ

Is Exa or Brighty better overall?

Brighty Card has the higher Overall Score (70 vs 66). 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, Exa or Brighty?

Exa Card has the lower published FX fee (1.5% vs Visa: up to 2% foreign-transaction fee. Mastercard: not disclosed in the reviewed Brighty sources). Compare plan, FX, card-spend, top-up and ATM charges separately because one fee does not represent the full cost.

Which has better cashback, Exa or Brighty?

Brighty 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 Exa and Brighty differ on custody?

Exa Card uses a self-controlled wallet setup, while Brighty Card uses a custodial balance setup. Neither approach is always better, so choose the level of control you are comfortable with.

How current is this Exa vs Brighty comparison?

The latest information check for these two cards was August 23, 2026, using 56 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