Short answer: On our standard traveller profile, Tria Card (Max plan) keeps the most for a German resident: $60.83 a month after plan fees and FX. Pelikan × ether.fi (Luxe) is second at $45.78 and ether.fi Cash (Luxe) third at $39.03. 19 cards are ranked in Germany, and 10 of them keep less than zero. France, Spain and Italy show the same list.
We rank every card on one number: US dollars kept per month, after plan fees, foreign exchange, spending fees and the cost of any locked tokens. The standard profile is $1,500 a month of spending at home, four trips a year at $800 each in a local currency, and six flights a year at $450. That is about $1,992 a month through the card. Figures are from the cards.json build of 25 October 2026.
Which crypto card keeps the most in Germany?
Standard profile, cash only, plan as chosen by the calculator.
| # | Card | Plan | Kept a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tria Card | Max (Metal) | $60.83 |
| 2 | Pelikan × ether.fi | Luxe ($199/yr) | $45.78 |
| 3 | ether.fi Cash | Luxe ($199/yr) | $39.03 |
| 4 | MEXC Card | Standard | $33.86 |
| 5 | Lava Card | Cashback | $19.92 |
| 6 | Bleap | Standard | $16.45 |
| 7 | Infini | Pro | $13.94 |
| 8 | COCA Card | Starter | $10.20 |
| 9 | KAST | Standard | $3.98 |
| 10 | Revolut | Standard | −$0.76 |
| 11 | Wirex | One (Base) | −$3.47 |
| 12 | Kolo | Cashback | −$3.47 |
| 13 | Bringin | €37.69/yr | −$3.53 |
| 14 | MetaMask Card | Virtual (Free) | −$5.97 |
| 15 | XPlace | Gold | −$21.75 |
| 16 | Plasma One | Core | −$28.49 |
| 17 | Oobit | Level 5 | −$35.81 |
| 18 | Bitget Wallet Card | Booster | −$37.82 |
| 19 | RedotPay | Pro | −$42.54 |
The bottom ten cost more than they pay back once FX and fees are counted. To run your own numbers, open the calculator with Germany preset and change the spending.
Why does Tria Card come first for a German resident?
It pays the highest rate on the first $2,000 a month, and that outweighs its FX cost. The four lines, a month:
| Line | Tria Max | Pelikan × ether.fi Luxe | MEXC Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashback | $106.00 | $59.75 | $79.67 |
| Travel bonus | $13.50 | $6.75 | — |
| Plan fee | −$20.83 | −$16.58 | — |
| FX | −$37.84 | −$4.13 | −$25.89 |
| Spend fee | — | — | −$19.92 |
| Kept | $60.83 | $45.78 | $33.86 |
Tria settles in US dollars and charges no fee on them. A German resident spends euros, so about 1.9% goes on FX on almost every purchase, at home too. That is the $37.84 line. The ether.fi-based cards settle euros at 0%, so their FX line covers only trip spending in other currencies. MEXC added a 1% fee on every purchase from 1 October 2026.
The Tria Card page shows its plans and its rank in every country we track.
Which free crypto card is best in Germany?
If you rule out paid plans, the order changes. Free plans only, standard profile:
- Pelikan × ether.fi Core: $37.24 a month.
- MEXC Card Standard: $33.86.
- ether.fi Cash Core: $30.49.
- Lava Card: $19.92.
Pelikan × ether.fi leads only because of its flight bonus: an extra 3% on flights booked with Pelikan, worth $6.75 a month here. Book your flights elsewhere and it keeps $30.49, the same as ether.fi Cash, and MEXC moves to first (our arithmetic). Cashbackpacker is run by Pelikan, so weigh that line yourself.
Does the ranking change if you travel a lot?
Yes. On our frequent-traveller profile ($2,500 a month at home, 12 trips of $1,000 and 20 flights of $300, so $4,000 a month in total), the ether.fi-based cards overtake Tria:
| Card | Kept a month |
|---|---|
| Pelikan × ether.fi Luxe | $87.92 |
| ether.fi Cash Luxe | $72.92 |
| Tria Max | $68.17 |
| MEXC Standard | $8.00 |
Tria's FX line grows to $76.00 a month at that spend, and its 6% band stops at $2,000. The $15.00 gap between Pelikan × ether.fi and ether.fi Cash is again the Pelikan flight bonus. By our arithmetic, Tria Max and ether.fi Luxe keep the same amount near $2,550 of total card spending a month for a euro resident. Below that, Tria keeps more. Above it, ether.fi Luxe does. This ignores moves in the ETHFI token price.
How does Germany compare with the US, UK and UAE?
Tria is first everywhere we rank, but what sits below it depends on your home currency and on what is sold where you live.
| Where you live | Cards ranked | #1 | #2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany, France, Spain, Italy | 19 | Tria $60.83 | Pelikan × ether.fi $45.78 |
| United Kingdom | 16 | Tria $60.83 | MEXC $33.86 |
| United Arab Emirates | 16 | Tria $60.83 | Ethena Pay $53.78 |
| United States | 13 | Tria $93.60 | Lava $59.75 |
Germany's edge is the euro. ether.fi settles euros and dollars at 0%, but not pounds or dirhams, which is why the ether.fi-based cards rank higher here than in the UK. The full ranking by country has the top five per market.
How do you choose a crypto card in Germany?
- Write down your monthly card spending. Under about $2,550 a month, Tria Max keeps more than ether.fi Luxe on our arithmetic. Above it, the order flips.
- Decide whether you will pay a plan fee. Tria Max costs $250 a year and ether.fi Luxe $199. If you will not pay, use the free list above.
- Check where you book flights. The Pelikan and Tria travel bonuses count only through their own booking channels.
- Decide how you feel about token rewards. Tria pays cashback in USDT. ether.fi pays it in ETHFI, a token whose price moves.
- Count perks only if you will use them. The calculator counts travel perks by default. With them, Pelikan × ether.fi moves to first in Germany at $88.20 a month, of which $42.42 is in kind.
What are the risks of a crypto card in Germany?
Crypto cards are not bank deposits, so money on them is not covered by deposit insurance. Revolut is different: its EEA bank protects deposits up to €100,000, but on its Standard plan it pays no cashback and keeps −$0.76 a month here. Programmes change too. Gnosis Pay ended its cashback on 30 September 2026, and MEXC added its 1% spending fee the next day.
FAQ
What is the best crypto card in Germany? On our standard traveller profile, Tria Card (Max) keeps the most: $60.83 a month, as of the 25 October 2026 data. For a frequent traveller spending about $4,000 a month, Pelikan × ether.fi Luxe and ether.fi Cash Luxe keep more.
Which free crypto card keeps the most in Germany? Pelikan × ether.fi Core at $37.24 a month on our standard profile, but only with flights booked through Pelikan. Without that bonus MEXC Card Standard leads at $33.86.
Is the ranking the same in France, Spain and Italy? Yes. The same 19 cards appear in the same order with the same amounts in all four countries. The Netherlands differs, because neither ether.fi-based card is ranked there.
Rankings use one formula for every card, including ours; no card can pay for a place. Cashbackpacker is run by Pelikan, which also offers the Pelikan × ether.fi card. General information, not financial advice. Crypto cards are not bank deposits; rewards, fees and availability change.
Related guides
- Best cashback card for travel (2026): ranked by what you keep in the US, UK, UAE and euro area
- Travel card ranking by country (2026): how the top 5 changes in the US, UK, UAE and the euro area
- Best free cashback card for travel (2026): no annual fee, ranked by where you live
- Tria Card review (2026): 6% advertised, what you keep
- ether.fi Cash card review (2026): what you keep in the US, UK, UAE and euro area