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Card comparison · August 2026

Kite vs ether.fi Cash

ether.fi Cash gives you a free virtual card on its Core tier and pays 3% back in wETH. What it does not publish is the FX rate, and everything above Core is gated on a deposit or ETHFI staked.

Get the Kite app See the full comparison

What it takes to move up a tierKiteether.fi Cash

Virtual cardFree1 free on Core

Non-USD spend1.8%, publishedNot published

To move up a tierNo tiers$15k deposit or $199/yr

Who holds itYou doYou do

No card fees Virtual and physical 0.53% to load Non-custodial Gas covered 40+ countries for payments

The short answer

Kite vs ether.fi Cash: the short answer

Both entry cards are free. ether.fi Core includes one virtual card, and so does Kite.

ether.fi’s cashback is stronger: 3% in wETH on the first $2,000 a month.

Its better tiers are gated on capital: $15,000 deposited or 30,000 ETHFI, then $100,000 or 150,000.

Neither of its pages publishes an FX rate. Kite’s is 1.8%, whatever you hold.

Side by side

Kite vs ether.fi Cash: fees and features compared

This compares the virtual card on each side, so the two columns are like for like. Every figure comes from ether.fi Cash's own site and help centre on 31 August 2026, and from Kite's. Nothing here is estimated, and ATM withdrawals are left out because they need a physical card.

	kite	ether.fi Cash
Card type	Visa debit card. The virtual card issues as soon as your checks clear	Visa. Core includes one free virtual card, Luxe two, Pinnacle ten and VIP unlimited
Card issuance	Free. No fee to issue the virtual card, to replace it or to keep it	Free on Core. A physical card is $60 including shipping, and free from Luxe upwards
Monthly or annual fee	FreeKite	No annual fee at Core. Luxe needs a $15,000 deposit, 30,000 ETHFI staked or $199 a year. Pinnacle $100,000, 150,000 ETHFI or $999 a year. VIP is invite only
Cost to load the card	0.53%	Not published
Spending in US dollars	No fee	Not published
Spending in another currency	1.8%Kite	Not published on the comparison page or in the help centre
Network gas fees	Covered, on every supported chain	Not stated
Who holds your money	Non-custodial. Multi-party encryption (TSS-MPC), export your key anytime	Non-custodial. “Fully non-custodial, you retain full ownership and control of your funds”
Stablecoins and chains	USDC and USDT across Base, Ethereum, BSC, Polygon, Arbitrum	Stablecoins and collateral held against an ether.fi portfolio, with 30+ spending currencies
Where you can sign up	9 countries for the full card: Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia. Stablecoin payments, QR pay and the wallet in 40+ more across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and the AmericasKite	Not published as an eligibility list
Card limits	$50,000 and 50 transactions a day, $990,000 a year	Not published as card limits. The cashback caps are the published numbers: $2,000 a month at Core, $10,000 at Luxe, $50,000 above
Cashback and rewards	Exclusive cashback drops on AI spends, conferences, and more.	3% in wETH on the first $2,000 a month at Core, $10,000 at Luxe, $50,000 at Pinnacle, and 4% at VIP. 5% back on travel
Apple Pay / Google Pay	Google Pay liveApple Pay Coming soon	Not stated on the comparison page

Sources

The differences

Why people switch from ether.fi Cash to Kite

One tier, and it is the good one

ether.fi's better rates need a $15,000 deposit or 30,000 ETHFI. Kite has one card and one rate.

Nine countries, written down

ether.fi publishes 30+ currencies but no eligibility list. Kite names every country it serves.

A rate for spending abroad you can read today

Neither ether.fi page gives an FX rate. Kite charges 1.8% abroad and nothing in US dollars.

Custody

Who holds your money with Kite and ether.fi Cash

ether.fi is non-custodial too, and describes itself as fully non-custodial with you retaining ownership and control of your funds. With Kite it stays in a wallet only you can open, and you can export the key and walk away whenever you want.

No seed phrase to lose

Multi-party encryption

Your key is split, and never put together in one place. Not even on our servers.

One address, five chains

Base, Ethereum, BSC, Polygon and Arbitrum. Gas is on us.

Getting started

How to get your Kite Stable Card in 3 simple steps

Sign up and verify

Download the app and verify yourself in about two minutes. You need to be 18 or over and living in one of the nine countries Kite serves.

Get your free card

Your virtual Visa is issued instantly and you can order the physical card at the same time. Google Pay works today, and Apple Pay is coming soon.

No issuance or replacement fee

Load it and spend

Move USDC or USDT onto the card for 0.53%. It lands in five to ten minutes and you can spend it anywhere Visa is accepted.

Gas is covered

Questions

Questions about Kite and ether.fi Cash, answered

How much does an ether.fi Cash card cost?

Nothing at Core, which includes one free virtual card; a physical card is $60 including shipping. Luxe needs a $15,000 deposit, 30,000 ETHFI staked or $199 a year, and Pinnacle $100,000, 150,000 ETHFI or $999 a year. The Kite Stable Card is free, and there is only one tier.

Is ether.fi Cash non-custodial?

Yes. ether.fi describes the product as fully non-custodial, with you retaining ownership and control of your funds. Kite is non-custodial too, using multi-party encryption instead of a stored seed phrase, so there is nothing to write down and you can export your key at any time.

How does ether.fi Cash cashback work?

It pays 3% in wETH on the first $2,000 of monthly spend at Core, the first $10,000 at Luxe and the first $50,000 at Pinnacle, with 4% at VIP, plus 5% back on travel. Above the cap the rate drops. Kite has cashback and rewards on the Stable Card with no tier to subscribe to, and no published rate yet.

What is the ether.fi Cash foreign exchange fee?

ether.fi does not publish one, on either its membership comparison page or its help centre. Kite charges a flat 1.8% when you spend in a currency other than US dollars, and nothing at all when you spend in dollars.

How do ether.fi membership levels work?

Everyone starts at Core. Luxe needs $15,000 deposited, 30,000 ETHFI staked or $199 a year; Pinnacle needs $100,000, 150,000 ETHFI or $999 a year; VIP is invite only. The level sets your cashback cap and how many free virtual cards you get. Kite has one card and one set of rates.

ether.fi Cash or Kite: which should I pick?

If you already hold ETHFI or a large ether.fi balance, the cashback is real and the tier comes with it. If you want a card that costs nothing, publishes what spending abroad costs and tells you whether your country is covered, that is Kite.