Guides
Everything we wish someone had told us before the first bitcoin card: how the flow works, what it really costs, what can go wrong.
Getting started
How Bitcoin Debit Cards Actually Work
The full path from your wallet to the payment terminal - who sells your bitcoin, when, at what price, and who holds what along the way.
631 words · updated 2026-09-26
Spending Bitcoin vs Earning Bitcoin
Spend cards put bitcoin into the payment; earn cards give sats back. Different mechanics, different risks - and why the difference matters more than the percentage.
567 words · updated 2026-09-26
Spending bitcoin
On-chain vs Lightning Card Funding
When the bitcoin network fee costs more than the card's own fee, and when Lightning changes the math entirely.
657 words · updated 2026-09-26
Refunds After Spending Bitcoin
What happens when you return a purchase made with a bitcoin card - who refunds what, in which currency, and how the exchange rate can cost you money on the way back.
486 words · updated 2026-09-26
Bitcoin Cards Abroad - ATMs and DCC
Using a bitcoin card outside your home country - ATM fees, the terminal's currency-choice trap, and what to do before the trip.
507 words · updated 2026-09-26
Fees & rewards
Hidden Conversion Spreads
Where the cost hides when the fee table says zero - the markup inside the rate, the weekend markup, and the DCC trap at checkout.
452 words · updated 2026-09-26
Bitcoin Cards Without Altcoin Staking
Cards that don't require you to buy their token, stake it, or hold a balance to unlock usable features - and why that requirement is a cost.
435 words · updated 2026-09-26
Safety & custody
Custody, Frozen Accounts and Getting Money Back
What happens to your balance when a card program ends, an account gets frozen, or a dispute goes wrong - and the steps that protect you.
507 words · updated 2026-09-26
BTC-Backed Cards and Liquidation Risk
How bitcoin-collateral credit works, what happens when the price drops, and when borrowing against BTC beats selling it.
528 words · updated 2026-09-26
Checking a Card Before Your First Deposit
The five-minute check that separates a card you'll be happy with from a stranded balance - documents, issuer, loop test.
498 words · updated 2026-09-26