The BitPay Card Is Gone. Here's What You Need to Know.
Available in USIf you’ve been searching for a BitPay card, the first thing you need to know is that there isn’t one to sign up for. The BitPay Card programme shut down in mid-2023 after the bank that issued it exited the crypto business. There is no application page, no order button, and no card to load today. The company itself still exists — BitPay is a long-standing crypto wallet provider and is licensed by the New York State Department of Financial Services — but the card is a separate product, and that product is closed.
This matters because a lot of the information you’ll find online about the BitPay Card is either outdated, unofficial, or wrong. The card’s public pages no longer describe its fees, limits, or eligibility requirements at all. What remains are news reports from 2023, a few third-party reviews written while the card still existed, and the company’s own wallet and app — which is a different thing. If you’re weighing whether to use this card, the honest answer is that you’re evaluating a product that has already ended.
The conditions described here are current as of October 28, 2026.
Verdict: The Score Is 1.7 Out of 10
I scored this card 1.7 out of 10. That is not a marginal result or a mixed review — it reflects a product that no longer operates. Let me walk you through how that number breaks down and what it means for you.
Score Breakdown
| Criterion | Score | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Who can get it | 0/10 | Card closed; support and ATM access ended 15 June 2023 after the issuing bank left crypto. No card page exists on the site. |
| Cost | 3/10 | Unofficial historical figures only: 3% FX fee, $2.50 ATM withdrawal, $5/month dormancy fee after 90 days of inactivity, $10 card replacement. Not officially disclosed. |
| Top-up options | 3/10 | Not disclosed; the card is closed and the last day to load was 1 June 2023. |
| Reliability and complaints | 1/10 | Programme closed 15 June 2023; remaining balances were mailed as cheques. BitPay’s Trustpilot score is 1.2/5 from 299 reviews. A replacement card reportedly never launched. |
| Everyday use | 2/10 | The card no longer exists; conditions for virtual cards, physical cards, wallets and ATM access are not disclosed. |
| Total | 1.7/10 | — |
The breakdown tells the story clearly. Every single criterion scores low because the card itself is closed. There’s no point in comparing this card’s fees or limits to a competitor when you can’t even get one.
Who this card is not for: Anyone looking for a working crypto card today. The card was designed for people who wanted a prepaid Visa they could load from crypto — useful for US residents who wanted crypto spending without a traditional banking relationship, particularly during the period when traditional banks were hesitant to serve crypto customers. That user has other options now.
Who might still care: If you held this card and never claimed your remaining balance, or you’re still trying to figure out what happened to the funds, this page will explain what occurred and when. Former cardholders tracking down leftover balances are the main group this review still serves.
The bottom line: you cannot apply for this card, so there’s no decision to make about whether it’s right for you. If you’re choosing a crypto card, jump to the alternatives section below.
What Happened to the Programme
Here’s the timeline. In January 2023, Metropolitan Commercial Bank — the bank that issued the BitPay Card — announced it was exiting crypto banking. On 17 May 2023, cardholders received an email saying the prepaid Mastercard programme was winding down. Loading stopped on 1 June 2023. ATM access and card spending ended on 15 June 2023. Around 30 June 2023, remaining balances were mailed as paper cheques to the address linked to the card.
This wasn’t the first time a crypto card programme collapsed. In 2018, a non-US prepaid Visa issued by Wave Crest was shut down after Visa revoked Wave Crest’s licence. Investors in crypto cards have learned that programmes can end, sometimes with little notice.
Sources disagree on what came after. One review reported that a replacement card was planned but never launched. Another source, CryptoCardHub, says new applications are paused with a waitlist open (their page is undated). In 2026, BitPay’s own website shows no card product at all. The company’s current status is clear — it’s licensed to engage in Virtual Currency Business Activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services, with NMLS ID#1496848 — but that’s a company-wide licence, not a card licence. The card issuer relationship is not stated on any current official page.
The bottom line for you: there was no gradual phase-out. The card was switched off in a matter of weeks, and whatever you were planning with it in 2026 simply isn’t possible.
If You Already Have the Card (or Had Leftover Balance)
If you were a cardholder in 2023, you were told that remaining balances would be issued as a cheque to the address linked to your card, within roughly 30 days after the 15 June 2023 cut-off. No specific refund amount or formal claims process has been publicly documented. If you never received that cheque, or you’re unsure whether a balance was ever calculated, your first step is to contact BitPay support directly.
BitPay still operates a help library and support is reachable from the app, though card-specific support has ceased. The languages and hours of support are not stated on the public site.
For context, historical (unofficial) figures from third-party reviews during the card’s life include: $2.50 per domestic ATM withdrawal, a $5 per month dormancy fee after 90 days of inactivity, $10 for a standard card replacement, and a $10,000 daily purchase cap with $25,000 monthly ATM cap. These numbers are not from official BitPay documentation — they’re from CryptoSlate reviews written while the card existed. They can’t help you now, but they might help you reconcile old bank statements or tax records if you’re auditing your 2023 activity.
If you’re trying to delete a BitPay account or close a wallet, that’s a separate process from the card and still handled through the company’s app and support channels.
What Can Go Wrong
Even setting aside the closure itself, several structural risks applied to this card and to crypto cards generally. Understanding them helps you evaluate whatever card you choose next.
Your money depends on multiple parties. A crypto card involves several players: the card network (Visa or Mastercard) routes transactions, an issuing bank or licensed e-money institution holds the programme, and the crypto company is often just a front-end or programme manager. When any one of them pulls out, the card can stop. That’s exactly what happened here.
Card programmes can be suspended by the network itself. Visa and Mastercard don’t issue crypto cards directly — they license issuers, and they can revoke those licences. In November 2022 Visa terminated its global agreements with FTX, winding down the FTX US debit card. In 2018, Visa suspended Wave Crest in Europe. These are systemic risks no cardholder controls.
Custodial risks apply to the wallet side. If your crypto is held by a provider rather than by you, you’re trusting that provider. Custodial platforms have a documented history of failures: Mt. Gox (about US$350 million reported stolen, 2011–2014), Coincheck (about US$400 million, 2018), Ronin Network (US$625 million, 2022). A private key has no recovery mechanism — blockchain transfers are irreversible.
Identity checks can block your money. KYC (know-your-customer) rules require regulated businesses to verify your identity. In the EU, that includes name, address, date of birth, nationality, a sanctions check, and a politically-exposed-person determination. If due diligence can’t be completed, the institution must refuse the transaction or end the relationship. This is why accounts get frozen pending documents.
Some merchants decline foreign-issued or prepaid cards. The first six or eight digits of a card number identify the issuing bank and country. Merchants can look this up and apply extra scrutiny if the issuer country differs from your billing address. Address verification (AVS) is generally unavailable for foreign-issued cards, which causes declines.
Even legitimate payments can leave temporary holds. A declined authorisation may leave a hold on your funds for several days — typically up to seven.
Stablecoins aren’t as stable as their name suggests. They aim to track a fiat currency, but USDC temporarily lost its peg in March 2023 during the US banking crisis, and TerraUSD collapsed in May 2022. Network fees are also paid in the native token (gas in ETH, or TRX on Tron), so you need a small balance of the right coin even to send USDT.
User complaints have been significant. BitPay’s company-level Trustpilot score is 1.2 out of 5 from 299 reviews (read 20 October 2026; 89% are one-star). Common themes include funds that cannot be withdrawn or sent (June–October 2026), burdensome or declined KYC (including a KYC check for a $15 payment in October 2026), bot-only support with no phone option, and account closure refusals. The company does not reply to negative reviews. Note: these reviews concern the broader BitPay company, not specifically the card.
What to Take Instead
If you need a functioning crypto card in 2026, here are three alternatives I scored during the same review process. Each comes with its own risks, but they are currently operating.
Cardex — Score 5.6/10
Cardex offers “one crypto card, 200+ countries” with no country list or exclusions stated. The App Store listing is Naira-focused (you pay in Nigerian naira). The card runs on VERVE, Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay networks, with both virtual and physical cards. You fund it from USDT, USDC or BTC wallets. The site claims real-time crypto-to-fiat conversion at the moment of payment using an “AI-Powered Conversion Rate” that scans global exchange rates — but no fee percentage is disclosed. No rewards programme is stated.
MSX — Score 6.4/10
MSX scored highest of the three alternatives at 6.4 out of 10. However, I was unable to find official information about who can get the card, what networks it runs on, its fees, funding methods, or rewards. The lack of transparent public details is itself a consideration. Check the company’s own current terms carefully before committing funds.
Whop Cards — Score 5.2/10
Whop Cards are Visa cards available to consumers in 31 US states (including California, Texas, Florida, New York, Washington and others) and businesses in 41 states. They’re not available in a long list of countries including Belarus, China, Cuba, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, North Korea, Russia, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, Venezuela and Vietnam. The page says “no extra fees” with no issuance or monthly amounts listed. You spend from a Whop balance (pending balance is usable as soon as a payment arrives; standard withdrawals use settled funds), backed by stablecoin collateral from a linked wallet. You get 5% cashback at select merchants (currently Uber). The specific coins and networks backing the collateral are not stated.
Here’s a quick comparison:
| Feature | Cardex | MSX | Whop Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 5.6/10 | 6.4/10 | 5.2/10 |
| Who can get it | 200+ countries (no exclusions stated) | Not stated on official pages | 31 US states (consumers), 41 states (businesses) |
| Card networks | VERVE, Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay | Not stated | Visa |
| Funding | USDT, USDC, BTC wallets | Not stated | Whop balance (stablecoin-backed) |
| Fees | Not stated | Not stated | “No extra fees” stated, no amounts listed |
| Rewards | Not stated | Not stated | 5% cashback at select merchants (Uber) |
Before committing to any of these, verify the current terms on the provider’s own site, since card programmes can change. Consider the regulatory status: in the EU, MiCA rules took legal effect in June 2023, with e-money token rules applying from 30 June 2024 and CASP rules from 30 December 2024. You can check whether a provider is authorised on ESMA’s interim register. In the US, FinCEN treats administrators and exchangers of convertible virtual currency as money transmitters, so legitimate providers should be registered.
Who I Would Recommend It To
Being direct: I would not recommend the BitPay Card to anyone, because it no longer exists as a product. There is nothing to sign up for.
If you’re a former cardholder trying to locate a leftover balance or a cheque that never arrived, contacting BitPay support is worthwhile — the company still operates, even though the card doesn’t.
If you’re choosing a crypto card today, the alternatives above give you a starting point, but each comes with its own uncertainties. Whop Cards at least state their US state coverage clearly. MSX scored highest but publishes almost no details, which I’d treat as a yellow flag rather than a green one. Cardex covers the most countries but discloses no fees. Whichever you consider, verify the provider’s regulatory status, read the current terms yourself, and keep your crypto in a wallet you control where possible — the risks of relying on a provider are real and have materialised repeatedly across this industry.
Frequently Asked questions
What is BitPay Card?
The BitPay Card was a prepaid Mastercard you could load with cryptocurrency and spend like a regular debit card. It was issued by Metropolitan Commercial Bank and managed by the crypto wallet company BitPay. The programme ended in 2023: loading stopped 1 June 2023 and spending and ATM access ended 15 June 2023. It’s no longer available to new applicants.
How does a BitPay Card work?
When it was active, you’d convert crypto into fiat balance in your BitPay wallet, load that balance onto the card, and the card would spend only that stored amount. It behaved like a prepaid card, so it couldn’t overdraw. After each purchase, the remaining balance stayed on the card. The card is now closed, so none of this is possible today.
Is BitPay a bank?
No. BitPay is a crypto wallet provider and payment company, not a bank. It’s licensed by the New York State Department of Financial Services to engage in Virtual Currency Business Activity, with NMLS ID#1496848. The BitPay Card was issued by a separate partner bank, and when that bank exited crypto, the card closed.
Who owns BitPay?
BitPay is a private company founded in 2011 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. It operates as BitPay Software, LLC. The wallet provider is still active in 2026 — it’s only the card product that was discontinued.
Can I still get a BitPay Card?
No. The card is closed and no application is available. The company website shows no card product in 2026. One source says a waitlist is open, but that’s unconfirmed. If you’re looking for a crypto card, consider the alternatives discussed above.
How do I get my leftover BitPay Card balance?
If you held the card in 2023, remaining balances were to be mailed as cheques to the address on file around 30 June 2023. If you didn’t receive one, contact BitPay support through their app or help centre. There’s no publicly documented claims process, so you may need to rely on general customer support rather than a dedicated card claims team.
Does BitPay Card require KYC?
The card no longer exists, so the question is moot. KYC was a standard requirement in the industry: EU rules mandate verification of name, address, date of birth, nationality and identity documents, plus sanctions screening. BitPay’s Trustpilot reviews include complaints about burdensome KYC and account closures.
Is the BitPay Card safe?
The card itself is closed. The BitPay wallet company still operates and holds an NYDFS licence, but its Trustpilot score is 1.2/5 from 299 reviews, with common complaints about withdrawal problems and KYC issues. Users should be aware that custodial crypto services carry counterparty risk, as demonstrated by Mt. Gox, Coincheck and Ronin.
What should I use instead of the BitPay Card?
The three options I reviewed are Cardex (5.6/10), MSX (6.4/10) and Whop Cards (5.2/10). Each has trade-offs: MSX publishes almost no details, Cardex discloses no fees, and Whop is US-state-limited with clear coverage. Check regulatory status on ESMA’s register if you’re in the EU, and read current terms before depositing funds.
Is BitPay Card worth it?
That question doesn’t apply anymore — the card closed in June 2023 and can’t be obtained. If you held one and still have questions about your balance or a cheque, reach out to BitPay support. For choosing a crypto card today, the alternatives above are your starting point.
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