Coinbase Card – Full Review

Name: Coinbase Card – Full Review
Item: Coinbase Card
Rating: 3.5
Author: Jarrod West

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"Spend crypto, earn crypto"

The Coinbase card allows you to spend the crypto in your Coinbase account on everyday purchases, and receive crypto rewards for doing so!

Learn More (at Coinbase's secure site)

Jarrod West

- Updated: May 8, 2023, 6:46am CDT|

4Comments

The information regarding the Coinbase Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Coinbase is easily the most popular cryptocurrency company in the world to date. Founded out of a 2-bedroom apartment in 2012, the company now has a market cap of over $40 billion and has onboarded millions of people into the world of crypto.

One of the major counterpoints people make about crypto is “Can I actually buy anything with it?” While many would argue that you shouldn’t sell your crypto for goods and services and instead hold onto it as an investment, the Coinbase card provides a solution to those looking to do just that — allowing you to spend the USD value of your crypto and receive rewards for doing so.

Pros

Up to 4% back in your choice of crypto
Spend your crypto instantly
Easily choose which crypto you want to spend
Can earn rewards in multiple crypto assets
Worldwide acceptance
No annual fee

Cons

Charges a 2.49% fee to covert your crypto to dollars to complete the transaction (unless you are using USDC as a payment method)
Since it is a debit card, it does not offer the consumer protections that a credit card does

Coinbase Card - Card Snapshot

Welcome Bonus & Info (Partner Content)
- Spend crypto. You can spend crypto everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted.
- Earn crypto rewards. Earn up to 4% back in rewards whenever you make a purchase.
- No annual fee. Coinbase card has no annual fee or sign-up fee.
- Phone and email support. Reach outy whenever you have a question.
Card Categories:
- Credit Card Reviews
- Credit Cards with No Annual Fee

Great Card If

You want to earn crypto rewards
You hold crypto with Coinbase and want to be able to spend some
You prefer a debit card to a credit card

Don't Get If

You don’t use Coinbase
You have no interest in crypto
You prefer to use a credit card

Coinbase Card - Fees

Foreign Transaction Fees
$0

The Ideal Cardholder

The most ideal cardholder of the Coinbase card is someone who is already a Coinbase customer and is looking to start earning crypto rewards on all of their day-to-day purchases by spending their current crypto holdings on the platform or a stablecoin like USDC.

Along with that, if you’re someone who is looking to dip your toe into the world of crypto, both the Coinbase platform and the Coinbase card provide a beginner-friendly experience that allows you to purchase crypto, learn about it, and spend some of it, in a relatively easy manner.

How To Earn More Crypto

Everyday Purchases

Since the Coinbase card offers you the opportunity to earn rewards on every purchase you make with the card, the easiest way to earn as many rewards as possible is to use it for all of your purchases. Depending on which crypto you choose to earn your rewards in, you’ll be rewarded at the following rates:

4% back in Stellar Lumens (XLM)
4% back in The Graph (GRT)
1% back in Bitcoin (BTC)
1% back in Ethereum (ETH)
1% back in Dogecoin (DOGE)
1% back in Dai (DAI)

While you choose to spend any balance you have of the 35+ supported assets on Coinbase, don’t forget that you’ll be charged a 2.49% transaction fee when doing so for Coinbase converting that asset to dollars for you to complete the transaction. In our view, this significantly limits the usefulness of the card as there is no sense in paying a 2.49% fee just to earn 1% in rewards.

There is one easy way around this fee, though, that we highly recommend. If you hold a balance of the USDC stablecoin (a coin pegged to the price of the U.S. dollar) and set this as your crypto payment method, then you won’t be charged the 2.49% crypto conversion fee! Plus, by spending a stablecoin instead, you’ll leave a larger balance of your other assets that ideally will benefit from price appreciation.

How To Use Your Crypto for Max Value

Staking

If you’re looking to grow the crypto rewards you receive from your Coinbase card as fast as possible, one of the best ways to do so is by staking those rewards on Coinbase.

For the uninitiated, staking lets you earn passive income with your crypto by contributing to the Proof of Stake (PoS) network of the asset you are staking. Staking your crypto makes the blockchain that powers that asset more secure and more efficient. In exchange, you get rewarded with more assets from the network.

Currently, Coinbase offers staking rewards for 6 assets at the following rates:

Ethereum (ETH) — 5% APY
Alogorand (ALGO) — 4% APY
Cosmos (ATOM) — 4% APY
Tezos (XTZ) — 4.63% APY
Dai (DAI) — 2% APY
USD Coin (USDC) — 0.15% APY

Staking is a great way to further benefit from your crypto holding because if you’re planning to hold onto it as a long-term investment anyways, staking allows you to take advantage of compound interest by receiving passive rewards payments for doing so.

Of the above assets, only 2 are eligible rewards assets with your Coinbase card: Ethereum and Dai. Of course, you could earn rewards in 1 asset, and then trade them for another — which brings us to our next section.

Trading

Once you receive your rewards payment from your purchases with the Coinbase card, those rewards are yours to do as you wish. As you may know, Coinbase originally started as a cryptocurrency wallet and trading platform, and while you used to be able to trade just 3 assets on the platform, that figure has now ballooned to 35+.

So if you ever want to trade your rewards for another asset that allows you to stake, or for another that you believe has better growth potential, you can easily do so on the Coinbase platform.

Selling for Cash

Lastly, you can easily sell the crypto rewards you receive from your Coinbase card for cash at any time you’d like. Doing so is quick and easy, and then you can withdraw the cash to your physical bank account.

Alternative Cards to the Coinbase Card

Gemini Credit Card

If you’re keen to earn crypto rewards and prefer a credit card to a debit card, then the Gemini card could be a great option for you.

For starters, the card offers bonus categories to help you earn even more rewards, giving you 3% back on dining purchases (on up to $6,000 in spend annually), 2% back on grocery purchases, and 1% back on all other purchases.

The card has no annual fee, your crypto rewards post instantly after your transaction is completed, and you can choose to earn your rewards in one of over 40+ supported assets.

BlockFi Rewards Visa® Signature Credit Card

The BlockFi Rewards card is another great credit card for those looking to earn crypto rewards. With it, you’ll earn 1.5% back in bitcoin on all purchases with no limits to how much you can earn, and no annual fee.

Plus, it offers perks like 0.25% back in bitcoin on all of your trades on the platform (up to $200 per year), and a 2% APY bonus on your stablecoin balances (up to $200 per year).

Hot Tip: For more suggestions, check out our guide to the best credit cards that earn crypto rewards.

The information regarding the Gemini Credit Card and BlockFi Rewards Visa® Signature Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

Featured Image Credit: Coinbase

Frequently asked questions

What are the fees of the Coinbase card?

The Coinbase card does not have an annual fee or any foreign transaction fees. However, if you are paying with crypto, Coinbase does charge a 2.49% transaction fee in order to convert the amount of crypto needed to dollars to complete your transaction.

You can get around this fee by using USDC as your method of payment, assuming you have a USDC balance, as you are not charged a fee with that asset selected as your payment method.

What is the Coinbase card limit?

The Coinbase card is a debit card, not a credit card, and thus does not have a preset limit. The limit you will be able to spend up to will entirely be determined by your Coinbase balance, just like cash in a bank account with a traditional debit card.

Are crypto rewards taxable?

The IRS usually categorizes rewards received from a debit card as a rebate, and not income, so you should not have to pay taxes on the crypto rewards you receive from your Coinbase card.

That said, if you receive crypto rewards from your card and the value of those assets increase, and then you decide to sell that asset for a profit, you naturally would owe any applicable capital gains taxes on that trade (but be sure to consult with a tax professional).

How do you use the Coinbase card?

You can use the Coinbase card just like any other debit card. Once you receive it, the card will already be linked to your Coinbase balance. All you need to do is select what crypto asset you want to use as your payment method (we recommend USDC to avoid the 2.49% fee), and then select the asset you want to earn rewards in.

From there, you can use the Coinbase card just like any other debit card to pay for your daily transactions.

Is the Coinbase card worth it?

If you're someone who is looking to earn crypto rewards on your daily purchases, you already use the Coinbase platform, and you prefer a debit card to a credit card, then yes, the Coinbase card would probably be worth it to you.

With it, you can earn anywhere from 1% to 4% back in your asset of choice with no fees (as long as you pay with USDC), making it a great option for Coinbase customers looking to start earning more crypto.

Is the Coinbase card a credit card or debit card?

The Coinbase card is a debit card that allows you to spend the balance of your crypto assets in your Coinbase account.

About Jarrod West

Jarrod has been writing about the ins and outs of credit cards and loyalty programs, along with airlines and hotels, for over 6 years. He is regularly called upon to share his expertise on the latest news within the space, and has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, RetailMeNot, and Yahoo! Finance. Jarrod has over 20 credit cards in his wallet and has tested out dozens more in order to vet the very best card options for readers. As he is constantly sampling new cards, Jarrod also earns (and redeems) over 1 million points and miles each year. This allows him to book luxury travel experiences the world over, and save tens of thousands of dollars in the process.

Chris November 7, 2021
Be mindful of the CB card, the same lack of customer service extends to their card. Yes, customer service for the card is handled through CB. I’m having my first experience with it now, and it’s seriously lacking. It’s done through email, which they did respond to quickly, only a few hours. I was thorough in my question/concern about a pending transaction that didn’t go through on the restaurant’s end, so I used a different card. Apparently, the transaction did go through though, and is showing a pending and decline transaction. Their response to me is sometimes restaurants add 20% for gratuity on the hold, so get with the restaurant within 3 days. Not sure how that’s relevant that I want to ensure the transaction isn’t going to go through…thinking this card is not going to be worth the hassle.
ALinSF January 6, 2022
As a user since the summer of 2021, I think it’s important to know there is essentially zero customer service. On Nov 9, 2021 my card and presumably many others were hacked and charged with multiple charges (2 for me, but many others reported far more) from “KazanExpress”. Somehow, my notifications didn’t tell me, but I was on my account and saw the activity and froze my account after the first charge and the second attempt was denied. I asked for a replacement card and to dispute charge. It took many hours and many calls over 3 days to get a conditional credit for the $579.05 which was charged and to verify the $1,134.37 charge was successfully denied. A replacement card was issued on Nov 29 (it took 20 days of nearly daily calling – and mostly be hung up by bots or waiting for over an hour on hold that I had to hang up). On Dec 17, an email from Coinbase asked me to activate the card, but I didn’t receive anything in the mail so had to cancel and freeze that card and ask for a replacement. The customer service number told me they cannot send replacement cards easily and certainly can’t do anything else easily and to request a replacement card online. I did that on Dec 17, 2021, and no card has arrived and it is Jan 6, 2022. I am writing this while on hold with customer service (On hold for just under 15 minutes so far so writing this post to kill time). Good luck to anyone using this Visa.
- Gdubz February 25, 2023
  Thanks for the advice much appreciated
Paul Burris March 13, 2023
Coinbase card doesn’t make sense when you go to deposit USD funds and it states seven days until you can cash out, but then after you deposit, it extends to fourteen days! Good grief!

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