Side-by-side card comparison

KAST vs Ethena Pay: overall score versus use-case fit

Ethena Pay Card has the higher Overall Score by 2 points (86 vs 84). KAST Card looks stronger for Travel and Transfers, while Ethena Pay Card comes out ahead for Cashback, Funds control, and Lowest fees.

Information checked Sep 1, 202632 official sources reviewed

01 · Overall score versus use-case fit

Ethena Pay Card is the better all-round starting point

Ethena Pay Card has the higher Overall Score in this comparison. KAST 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.

OverallKAST84Ethena Pay86Higher score
CashbackKAST75Ethena Pay89Higher score
TravelKAST93Ethena Pay64Higher score
Funds controlKAST71Ethena Pay86Higher score
Lowest feesKAST82Ethena Pay87Higher score
TransfersKAST100Ethena Pay82Higher score

Choose KAST Card if travel and transfers matter most

KAST 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.

  • Transfers span crypto, Tag and bank payouts
  • Physical, virtual and phone-wallet card access
  • Free tier starts with cashback

Choose Ethena Pay Card if cashback and funds control matter most

Ethena Pay 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.

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

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
KAST84
Ethena Pay86

Ethena Pay Card has the higher Overall Score by 2 points.

Entry cost & FX
KAST$0 plan · 0.5–1.75% FX
Ethena Pay$0 plan · 0% Ethena Pay markup; Visa rate applies FX

Ethena Pay Card has the lower published FX fee (0% Ethena Pay markup; Visa rate applies vs 0.5–1.75%).

Purchase rewards
KAST1.5% base · up to 3%
Ethena Pay4% base · up to 5%

Ethena Pay Card has the higher published base cashback rate (4% vs 1.5%).

Funds control
KASTCustodial balance
Ethena PayHybrid custody

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

Everyday access
KASTVirtual + Physical · Apple Pay, Google Pay
Ethena PayVirtual · Apple Pay

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

Money movement
KAST5 stablecoins · Stablecoin transfers; KAST Tag; Global USD SWIFT payout, USD local payout, EUR SEPA payout, Other local currency payouts
Ethena Pay1 stablecoin · Stablecoin transfers; Ethena Pay user transfer; Bank withdrawal

KAST Card lists more stablecoins and ways to send money out (12 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
1.5%-3%
Plan cost
$0
FX fee
0.5–1.75%
ATM fee
$3 + 2%
Card formats
Virtual, Physical
Wallet payments
Apple Pay, Google Pay
Receive methods
32 crypto · 6 fiat
Payout methods
2 crypto · 13 fiat
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

Current signup offers

Signup value available today

A welcome offer can improve the value of your first months with a card. Check the eligibility rules, qualifying actions and deadline first. Signup offers are excluded from card scores.

KAST Card

20% off

20% off your first subscription

  • Discount is automatically applied at checkout.

Offer terms can change. Check the current KAST referral programme before signing up.

Ethena Pay Card

No active signup offer listed

We do not currently list an active signup offer for this card.

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
KAST CardOverall84
Ethena Pay CardOverall86
01

Scores

6 fields
Overall Score
KAST Card
84
Ethena Pay Card
86
Cashback score
KAST Card
75
Ethena Pay Card
89
Travel score
KAST Card
93
Ethena Pay Card
64
Funds control score
KAST Card
71
Ethena Pay Card
86
Lowest fees score
KAST Card
82
Ethena Pay Card
87
Transfers score
KAST Card
100
Ethena Pay Card
82
02

Strengths & trade-offs

2 fields
Strengths
KAST Card
Transfers span crypto, Tag and bank payouts, Physical, virtual and phone-wallet card access
Ethena Pay Card
Strong Standard cashback bands, No Standard monthly fee or FX markup
Trade-offs
KAST Card
Non-USD FX can exceed entry cashback, ATM use adds two charges
Ethena Pay Card
Card access is still application-gated, One-day payment grace adds liquidation risk
03

Costs

7 fields
Plan cost
KAST Card
$0
Ethena Pay Card
$0
FX fee
KAST Card
0.5–1.75%
Ethena Pay Card
0% Ethena Pay markup; Visa rate applies
Top-up fee
KAST Card
0%
Ethena Pay Card
Provider collateral-funding fee unknown; external network gas is separate
Card spending fee
KAST Card
0%
Ethena Pay Card
0%
ATM fee
KAST Card
$3 + 2%
Ethena Pay Card
Not available
Virtual card
KAST Card
Free first two
Ethena Pay Card
USD 0
Physical card
KAST Card
Free; $40 shipping
Ethena Pay Card
Not disclosed
04

Plans

2 fields
Available plans
KAST Card
3 plans: Standard, Premium, Private
Ethena Pay Card
3 plans: Standard, Pro, VIP
Top cashback plan
KAST Card
Private: 3%
Ethena Pay Card
VIP: 5%
05

Everyday use

8 fields
Network
KAST Card
Visa
Ethena Pay Card
Visa
Card formats
KAST Card
Virtual, Physical
Ethena Pay Card
Virtual
ATM withdrawals
KAST Card
Available
Ethena Pay Card
Not available
Mobile wallets
KAST Card
Apple Pay, Google Pay
Ethena Pay Card
Apple Pay
Apps
KAST Card
iOS, Android
Ethena Pay Card
iOS, Web
Daily spending limit
KAST Card
No cap
Ethena Pay Card
Dynamic, based on collateral market value
Monthly spending limit
KAST Card
No cap
Ethena Pay Card
Dynamic, based on collateral market value
ATM limit
KAST Card
Limits shown in app
Ethena Pay Card
Not available
06

Funding & transfers

5 fields
Networks
KAST Card
Solana, Ethereum, Tron, Polygon, BNB Chain, Arbitrum +7
Ethena Pay Card
Ethereum, Polygon, Optimism, Arbitrum
Crypto deposits
KAST Card
Stablecoins: USDT, USDC, USDe, PYUSD, RLUSD; Other crypto: BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP, AAVE +22
Ethena Pay Card
Not disclosed
Fiat deposits
KAST Card
USD bank transfer, EU bank transfer, BRL PIX deposit, MXN SPEI deposit +2
Ethena Pay Card
Not disclosed
Transfers
KAST Card
Stablecoin transfers; KAST Tag; Global USD SWIFT payout, USD local payout, EUR SEPA payout, Other local currency payouts
Ethena Pay Card
Stablecoin transfers; Ethena Pay user transfer; Bank withdrawal
Payout currencies
KAST Card
USD, EUR, AED, SAR, JPY, INR, PHP, THB +4
Ethena Pay Card
Not disclosed
07

Rewards

3 fields
Base cashback
KAST Card
1.5%
Ethena Pay Card
4%
Max cashback
KAST Card
3%
Ethena Pay Card
5%
Reward currency
KAST Card
USD cashback
Ethena Pay Card
AVAX
08

Earn

5 fields
Advertised APY
KAST Card
Up to 7% APY
Ethena Pay Card
Up to 6% APY
How it works
KAST Card
Optional earn vault
Ethena Pay Card
Earn on spending balance
Separate deposit
KAST Card
Yes
Ethena Pay Card
No
Use balance for spending
KAST Card
No
Ethena Pay Card
Yes
Lock-up
KAST Card
No
Ethena Pay Card
No
09

Trust & availability

7 fields
Custody
KAST Card
Custodial
Ethena Pay Card
Hybrid custody
Control until payment
KAST Card
Provider controls funds
Ethena Pay Card
You keep control
Card issuer
KAST Card
Third National
Ethena Pay Card
Third National
Card processing
KAST Card
Tazapay
Ethena Pay Card
Signify Holdings, Inc. d/b/a Rain
Custody / key management
KAST Card
BitGo
Ethena Pay Card
Not disclosed
Identity verification
KAST Card
Not disclosed
Ethena Pay Card
Sumsub
Programme operator
KAST Card
Troia Corp
Ethena Pay Card
Not disclosed
10

Sources

2 fields
Official sources
KAST Card
20
Ethena Pay Card
12
Last reviewed
KAST Card
Aug 31, 2026
Ethena Pay Card
Sep 1, 2026

04 · The trade-off

Ethena Pay Card is the stronger all-round choice

Ethena Pay Card finishes ahead with an Overall Score of 86 versus 84 for KAST Card. Ethena Pay Card has the lower published FX fee (0% Ethena Pay markup; Visa rate applies vs 0.5–1.75%). Ethena Pay Card has the higher published base cashback rate (4% vs 1.5%).

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

KAST Card lists more stablecoins and ways to send money out (12 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 KAST Card and Ethena Pay Card reviews first.

05 · Common questions

KAST vs Ethena Pay FAQ

Is KAST or Ethena Pay better overall?

Ethena Pay Card has the higher Overall Score (86 vs 84). 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, KAST or Ethena Pay?

Ethena Pay Card has the lower published FX fee (0% Ethena Pay markup; Visa rate applies vs 0.5–1.75%). Compare plan, FX, card-spend, top-up and ATM charges separately because one fee does not represent the full cost.

Which has better cashback, KAST or Ethena Pay?

Ethena Pay Card has the higher published base cashback rate (4% vs 1.5%). Maximum rates may depend on tiers, caps, categories or other conditions, so the entry rate and reward asset matter too.

How do KAST and Ethena Pay differ on custody?

KAST Card uses a custodial balance setup, while Ethena Pay 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 KAST vs Ethena Pay comparison?

The latest information check for these two cards was September 1, 2026, using 32 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