Our card fee tests
Before a card goes on this page, we use it for at least a week of normal spending: coffees, groceries, subscriptions, and a few purchases in other currencies. Then we check every purchase against the real exchange rate and compare what we paid with what the card says it charges.
So far, both cards we’ve tested cost more than they advertise. Not by a lot, but enough to matter. How we test
Tria Card
790 purchases · 1 Nov 2025 to 30 Sep 2026
- Advertised fees
- 1.50%
- What we paid
- 1.93%
- Advertised cashback
- 0.5–6%
On non-USD purchases, since Tria's 0.5% fee began
Read the test →ether.fi Cash
185 purchases · 21 Jun 2026 to 30 Sep 2026
- Advertised fees
- 1.00%
- What we paid
- 1.32%
- Cashback received
- 3.00%
On non-USD purchases, on Pinnacle
Read the test →
What each test looks for
FX fees
What the card charges when you pay in a currency other than its own.
Hidden exchange-rate markup
An exchange rate worse than the real one. It never shows up as a fee, but you pay it all the same.
Conversion and small-purchase fees
Charges for turning your crypto into money at checkout, or for small purchases.
Cashback actually paid
What really lands in the account, set against all of the above.
How we test
At least a week of regular spending on each card, then every purchase checked against that day's mid-market rate: the real exchange rate, with no markup. Read the full method
General information only. These figures are calculated from the spend you enter and the card terms we've collected. We haven't considered your objectives, financial situation or needs, and this isn't a recommendation. Consider whether a card suits you and read the provider's terms before applying. Figures are estimates, terms change, and crypto is volatile.