Wirex
Crypto fintechNo DGS (EMI)Best for: Crypto cardBest for: Crypto-to-fiat spendBest for: Cashback
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Spend crypto & fiat from one card
- crypto cashback
- multi-currency wallet
Cons
- Not a bank — no €100k deposit guarantee (funds safeguarded)
Rating breakdown
Foreigner onboarding67
USD handling20
Transfers50
Value & fees60
Licence & deposit protection
No DGS (EMI)No DGS — EMI safeguarded fiat + crypto custody
This is an electronic money institution (EMI), not a bank. Funds are safeguarded, but NOT covered by the €100,000 deposit guarantee. Convenient, but legally it isn't a bank deposit.
- Licence
- EMI · EEA EMI + crypto registrations
- IBAN
- Multi-currency details
- SEPA Instant
- Receive only
- Verification of Payee (VoP)
- No
Editorial review
Wirex runs on an EMI licence: convenient, but your money is safeguarded rather than covered by the €100k deposit guarantee.
It is a crypto fintech licensed in multi supporting EUR, GBP etc, BTC etc. FX model: Spread on crypto; card-network rate + markup.
It tends to suit crypto card, crypto-to-fiat spend, cashback.
Fees & terms
- Exchange rate
- Spread on crypto; card-network rate + markup
- Card cost
- Free / paid tiers
- Cashback
- Crypto cashback (Cryptoback) on card spend
- Currencies
- EUR, GBP etc, BTC etc
- Cards
- Global Physical, Global Virtual
- Transfers
- SEPA in/out, Crypto in/out
- Payments
- Apple Pay, Google Pay
- Licence
- EMI — EEA EMI + crypto registrations
- IBAN
- Multi-currency details
- Multi-currency account
- EUR + GBP wallet details
- SEPA Instant
- Receive only
- Verification of Payee (VoP)
- No
- FX model
- Spread on crypto; card-network rate + markup
- Opening requirements
- No local address needed
- English support
- Yes
- Remote opening
- Yes
- MiCA status
- crypto card + EMI
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
Also consider
FAQ
- Is my money protected?
- No. Wirex operates under an EMI licence — funds are safeguarded but NOT covered by a €100k Deposit Guarantee Scheme. It is not a bank in the deposit-protection sense.
- What IBAN and transfers?
- Wirex issues local receiving details in several currencies. SEPA Instant: receive. Multi-currency: EUR + GBP wallet details.
- Can I open remotely, in English?
- Opening is remote. English support is available. Requirements: No local address needed.
Data provenance & verification
Every fact is checked against an official source and stamped with a date. We re-check fees quarterly and document requirements twice a year. Fields not yet independently verified are labelled honestly.
Updated: Dataset compiled: