ZEN.COMZEN
77
Side-by-side card comparison
ZEN vs Exa: overall score versus use-case fit
ZEN Card has the higher Overall Score by 11 points (77 vs 66). ZEN Card looks stronger for Cashback, Travel, Lowest fees, and Transfers, while Exa Card comes out ahead for Funds control.
Information checked Aug 23, 202674 official sources reviewed
01 · Overall score versus use-case fit
ZEN Card is the better all-round starting point
ZEN Card has the higher Overall Score in this comparison. Exa Card may be the better fit for Funds control. 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.
OverallZEN77Exa66Higher score
CashbackZEN39Exa19Higher score
TravelZEN96Exa61Higher score
Funds controlZEN65Exa88Higher score
Lowest feesZEN80Exa67Higher score
TransfersZEN98Exa97Higher score
Choose ZEN Card if cashback and travel matter most
ZEN Card comes out ahead for Cashback, Travel, 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.
- Free plan with 0.5% weekday FX margin
- Physical, virtual and phone-wallet access
- Four current crypto-route assets
Choose Exa Card if funds control matters most
Exa Card comes out ahead for Funds control 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
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
- ZEN77Exa66
ZEN Card has the higher Overall Score by 11 points.
- Entry cost & FX
- ZEN$0 plan · 0–0.5% FXExa$0 plan · 1.5% FX
ZEN Card has the lower published FX fee (0–0.5% vs 1.5%).
- Purchase rewards
- ZEN0% baseExa0% cashback
Both cards show the same base cashback rate of 0%.
- Funds control
- ZENCustodial balanceExaSelf-controlled wallet
ZEN Card uses a custodial balance setup, while Exa Card uses a self-controlled wallet setup. Neither approach is always better, so choose the level of control you are comfortable with.
- Everyday access
- ZENVirtual + Physical · Apple Pay, Google PayExaVirtual · Apple Pay, Google Pay
ZEN Card lists more card formats and phone-wallet options (4 vs 3).
- Money movement
- ZEN2 stablecoins · Stablecoin transfers; Card-to-card transfer; SEPA transfersExa1 stablecoin · Stablecoin transfers; USD ACH bank payout, USD domestic wire payout, EUR SEPA bank 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.
77
- Cashback
- 0% base
- Plan cost
- $0
- FX fee
- 0–0.5%
- ATM fee
- 0–1.5%
- Card formats
- Virtual, Physical
- Wallet payments
- Apple Pay, Google Pay
- Receive methods
- 4 crypto · 2 fiat
- Payout methods
- 4 crypto · 1 fiat
66
- 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
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
CardsZEN CardOverall77Exa CardOverall66
ZEN CardOverall77Exa CardOverall66Scores
6 fields- Overall Score
- ZEN Card77Exa Card66
- Cashback score
- ZEN Card39Exa Card19
- Travel score
- ZEN Card96Exa Card61
- Funds control score
- ZEN Card65Exa Card88
- Lowest fees score
- ZEN Card80Exa Card67
- Transfers score
- ZEN Card98Exa Card97
Strengths & trade-offs
2 fields- Strengths
- ZEN CardFree plan with 0.5% weekday FX margin, Physical, virtual and phone-wallet accessExa CardDeposited assets can earn yield, Spend balance or borrow USDC
- Trade-offs
- ZEN CardFree-plan ATM withdrawals cost 1.5%, No universal public cashback rateExa CardHeavy Exactly Protocol dependency, Pay Later needs DeFi literacy
Costs
7 fields- Plan cost
- ZEN Card$0Exa Card$0
- FX fee
- ZEN Card0–0.5%Exa Card1.5%
- Top-up fee
- ZEN Card0–3%Exa Card1%
- Card spending fee
- ZEN Card0%Exa CardNot disclosed
- ATM fee
- ZEN Card0–1.5%Exa Card$1 + 0.65%
- Virtual card
- ZEN CardFree/Gold: 1 included; Platinum/Pro: 3 included; next card €5Exa CardFree with Exa Wallet
- Physical card
- ZEN CardFree first card €10; Gold 1 included; Platinum/Pro 2 included; next card €10Exa CardNot available
Plans
2 fields- Available plans
- ZEN Card4 plans: Free, Gold, Platinum, ProExa CardNot disclosed
- Top cashback plan
- ZEN CardFree: 0%Exa CardNot disclosed
Everyday use
8 fields- Network
- ZEN CardMastercard/VisaExa CardVisa
- Card formats
- ZEN CardVirtual, PhysicalExa CardVirtual
- ATM withdrawals
- ZEN CardAvailableExa CardAvailable
- Mobile wallets
- ZEN CardApple Pay, Google PayExa CardApple Pay, Google Pay
- Apps
- ZEN CardiOS, Android, WebExa CardiOS, Android, Web
- Daily spending limit
- ZEN CardStandard €10,000/day; maximum €30,000/day (currency equivalents also published)Exa CardDynamic / collateral-based; exact Exa App limit shown in app
- Monthly spending limit
- ZEN CardNot publicly confirmedExa CardDynamic / collateral-based; exact Exa App limit shown in app
- ATM limit
- ZEN CardStandard €2,000/day; maximum €30,000/day (currency equivalents also published)Exa Card$250/withdrawal; $1000/day
Funding & transfers
5 fields- Networks
- ZEN CardNot disclosedExa CardOptimism
- Crypto deposits
- ZEN CardStablecoins: USDT, USDC; Other crypto: BTC, ETHExa CardStablecoins: USDC; Other crypto: ETH, OP, WBTC, wstETH
- Fiat deposits
- ZEN CardSEPA bank transfer, Payment-card top-upExa CardUSD ACH deposit, USD wire deposit, EUR SEPA deposit, Local currency deposit
- Transfers
- ZEN CardStablecoin transfers; Card-to-card transfer; SEPA transfersExa CardStablecoin transfers; USD ACH bank payout, USD domestic wire payout, EUR SEPA bank payout
- Payout currencies
- ZEN CardEURExa CardUSD, EUR
Rewards
3 fields- Base cashback
- ZEN Card0%Exa Card0%
- Max cashback
- ZEN CardNot disclosedExa Card0%
- Reward currency
- ZEN CardTransaction currencyExa CardNo cashback
Earn
5 fields- Advertised APY
- ZEN CardNot offeredExa CardUp to 0.99776% APY
- How it works
- ZEN CardNot offeredExa CardEarn on spending balance, Borrow against collateral
- Separate deposit
- ZEN CardNot offeredExa CardNo
- Use balance for spending
- ZEN CardNot offeredExa CardYes
- Lock-up
- ZEN CardNot offeredExa CardNo
Trust & availability
6 fields- Custody
- ZEN CardCustodialExa CardSelf-custody
- Control until payment
- ZEN CardProvider controls fundsExa CardYou keep control
- Card issuer
- ZEN CardUAB ZEN.COMExa CardThird National Bank, Third National
- Card processing
- ZEN CardNot disclosedExa CardExa Labs SAS
- Deposits & withdrawals
- ZEN CardTriple A Technologies Pte Ltd, Coreline Solutions LLCExa CardBridge, Manteca
- Programme operator
- ZEN CardNot disclosedExa CardExa Labs SAS
Sources
2 fields- Official sources
- ZEN Card43Exa Card31
- Last reviewed
- ZEN CardAug 23, 2026Exa CardAug 23, 2026
04 · The trade-off
ZEN Card is the stronger all-round choice
ZEN Card finishes ahead with an Overall Score of 77 versus 66 for Exa Card. ZEN Card has the lower published FX fee (0–0.5% vs 1.5%). Both cards show the same base cashback rate of 0%.
Exa Card still comes out ahead for Funds control, which may matter more than the overall result if that is how you plan to use the card. ZEN Card uses a custodial balance setup, while Exa Card uses a self-controlled wallet 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 ZEN Card and Exa Card reviews first.
Continue with
ZEN Card
Continue with
Exa Card
05 · Common questions
ZEN vs Exa FAQ
Is ZEN or Exa better overall?
ZEN Card has the higher Overall Score (77 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, ZEN or Exa?
ZEN Card has the lower published FX fee (0–0.5% vs 1.5%). Compare plan, FX, card-spend, top-up and ATM charges separately because one fee does not represent the full cost.
Which has better cashback, ZEN or Exa?
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 ZEN and Exa differ on custody?
ZEN Card uses a custodial balance setup, while Exa Card uses a self-controlled wallet setup. Neither approach is always better, so choose the level of control you are comfortable with.
How current is this ZEN vs Exa comparison?
The latest information check for these two cards was August 23, 2026, using 74 official sources in total. Each full card review lists its own check date, sources and anything the provider has not clearly disclosed.