Short answer: Many travel cashback cards pay their top rate only up to a monthly limit. Tria Card Max pays 6% on the first $2,000 a month, then 1%. MEXC Card Standard stops at 100 USDT. Past those limits, a non-dollar purchase costs more in FX and fees than it earns, on our arithmetic. In a big travel month, check the band before the rate.
A headline cashback rate often covers only the first dollars you spend each month. In a travel month the trip lands on top of normal spending, and the card can drop into a lower band partway through it. In our data, 11 of the 28 ranked cards pay in bands on at least one plan. Figures are in US dollars, from the cards.json build of 25 October 2026; "our arithmetic" marks our own sums.
What is a monthly cashback cap?
A band is a slice of monthly spending that earns a set rate; past it, a lower rate applies. A cap limits the reward itself. On MEXC Card Standard the two coincide: 4% of $2,500 is $100, the 100 USDT cap.
| Card and plan | Top rate | Stops after, a month | Most the top band pays | Then |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tria Card Max (Metal), $250/yr | 6% | $2,000 | $120 | 1% |
| ether.fi Cash Core, free | 3% | $2,000 | $60 | 1% to $3,000, then 0.5% |
| ether.fi Cash Luxe, $199/yr | 3% | $10,000 | $300 | 1% to $20,000, then 0.5% |
| MEXC Card Standard, free | 4% | $2,500 | $100 | 0% |
The fourth column is our arithmetic: rate times band. ether.fi adds two limits. On Core, euro spending earns 3% only on roughly the first $800 a month. Rewards are capped at $1,000 a month, far above what travel spending earns: Core pays $105 on $10,000 (our arithmetic). MEXC's advertised 10% needs its Elite tier. Pelikan × ether.fi, the card Pelikan offers, uses ether.fi's bands.
What happens to cashback in a big travel month?
Add a $1,500 trip to a normal $2,000 month and, on Tria Max, all of it lands in the 1% band. What that costs depends on the currency.
| Card spend in the month | Tria Max, all in US dollars | Tria Max, all in other currencies | MEXC Standard, all in other currencies |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | ≈ $39 | ≈ $20 | ≈ $17 |
| $2,000 | ≈ $99 | ≈ $60 | ≈ $34 |
| $2,500 | ≈ $104 | ≈ $56 | ≈ $42 |
| $3,500 | ≈ $114 | ≈ $47 | ≈ $20 |
| $5,000 | ≈ $129 | ≈ $33 | ≈ −$15 |
Our arithmetic, kept a month: Tria's $250 fee spread monthly, 1.93% FX on non-dollar purchases (measured over 335 purchases); MEXC's 1% spending fee plus 1.3% FX. No travel-desk bonuses.
In pounds, dirhams or euros, Tria Max peaks at $2,000 and then falls. Each extra dollar earns 1% and pays about 1.93% FX, a loss of about 0.9 cents. So the trip month keeps about $47, against about $60 in the normal month. In US dollars there is no FX, and the curve keeps rising slowly.
MEXC peaks at $2,500, where the 100 USDT cap fills. After that, each purchase in another currency earns nothing and loses 2.3% to the fee and FX. Above about $4,350, the month keeps less than zero (our arithmetic). ether.fi Core does the same in pounds or dirhams: after $2,000 it pays 1% against 1.8% FX.
Do cashback caps work the same in every country?
The bands are the same everywhere. What changes is whether home spending pays FX, and whether the card is offered. Standard profile: $1,500 a month at home, four trips and six flights a year, about $1,992 a month in total. Cash only; the engine picks the plan.
| Home market | Cards ranked | Tria Max (Metal) | ether.fi Cash | MEXC Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 13 | $93.60 (#1) | $54.95, Core (#3) | not ranked |
| United Kingdom | 16 | $60.83 (#1) | $23.90, Core (#4) | $33.86 (#2) |
| United Arab Emirates | 16 | $60.83 (#1) | $23.90, Core (#4) | $33.86 (#3) |
| Germany, France, Spain, Italy | 19 | $60.83 (#1) | $39.03, Luxe (#3) | $33.86 (#4) |
| Netherlands | 17 | $60.83 (#1) | not ranked | $33.86 (#2) |
- Tria keeps $60.83 in the UK, the UAE and euro-area countries such as Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands. Every non-dollar currency pays the same FX, and $1,992 fits inside the $2,000 band. US home spending pays no FX, so it keeps $93.60; trips abroad still pay FX.
- ether.fi Core keeps $54.95 in the US, $30.49 in Germany and $23.90 in the UK and the UAE. In dollars, the profile fits the $2,000 band and home spending pays no FX. Euros earn 3% only up to roughly $800. Pounds and dirhams pay 1.8% FX. So in Germany, France, Spain and Italy the engine picks the paid Luxe plan.
- MEXC keeps $33.86 wherever it is ranked. It earns $79.67 on this profile, below the 100 USDT cap, and pays its fee and FX on every purchase.
In the UAE, Ethena Pay (Standard, in beta) is second at $53.78; its 4% stops at $2,500 a month. The full travel cashback ranking lists every card.
When does a wider band beat a higher rate?
ether.fi Luxe pays half Tria's top rate, but its 3% runs to $10,000 a month. Where it overtakes Tria Max depends on your home currency (our arithmetic, standard trip pattern, extra spending at home):
| Home currency | ether.fi Luxe keeps more than Tria Max above about |
|---|---|
| Euros (Germany, France, Spain, Italy) | $2,550 a month |
| Pounds or dirhams (UK, UAE) | $4,000 a month |
| US dollars (US) | $4,750 a month |
Euros come first because ether.fi settles them at 0% and Tria does not. In dollars, neither card charges FX at home, so Luxe needs far more spending to catch up. The sums ignore token prices: ether.fi pays rewards in ETHFI, a token that moves, and Tria in USDT. Our frequent-traveller ranking runs the full formula on a $4,000 month.
How do you plan a big travel month around a cap?
- Find the band, not the rate. Check where your plan's top rate stops.
- Count the whole month. Everyday spending fills the band too; a late-month trip may land past it.
- Switch cards when the band is full. On Tria Max or MEXC Standard, a non-dollar purchase past the band costs more than it earns. A second card with room in its band, or lower FX, keeps more.
- Split big payments across months where you can. A deposit now and the balance next month keeps more inside the top band.
- Use a travel channel outside the band. Our engine counts Tria's 6% on trips booked through Tria Travel with no monthly cap; it applies only when you book there. See cards that pay back on flights.
- Run your own month. Compare a normal month and a trip month in the cashback calculator. The Tria Card page has every plan.
FAQ
What is the monthly cashback cap on Tria Card? On Max (Metal), 6% covers the first $2,000 a month, then 1%: at most $120 at the top rate (our arithmetic). Pro pays 4.5% and Lite 1.5% on the first $1,000.
Does ether.fi Cash have a cashback limit? Yes. Core pays 3% on the first $2,000 a month, then 1% to $3,000 and 0.5% above; euro spending earns 3% only on roughly the first $800. Luxe ($199 a year) pays 3% up to $10,000.
What happens when you hit the MEXC Card cap? On Standard, 4% stops at $2,500, the 100 USDT cap. Later purchases earn nothing but still pay the 1% fee, plus FX outside dollars. Above about $4,350 a month in other currencies, you keep less than zero (our arithmetic).
Is a paid plan with a bigger band worth it? Only if you fill the band. In the US, the free ether.fi Core plan beats Luxe on the standard profile: about $1,992 a month fits inside Core's $2,000 band. In Germany, France, Spain and Italy the engine picks Luxe, because Core's euro band is short.
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
- Best cashback card for digital nomads (2026): home currency picks the winner
- Best card for booking flights (2026): who pays extra on airfare, and when it counts
- Best free cashback card for travel (2026): no annual fee, ranked by where you live
