Lemon Cash vs Meru

On cashback Lemon Cash wins (up to 2%); for spending abroad FX markup matters, and Meru does better (0% vs 0.5%). The structural difference is custody: Meru leaves you the keys, while Lemon Cash holds funds on the platform. Neither wins across the board: weigh the points above against your use case before choosing between Lemon Cash and Meru.

Lemon Cash Meru
Tier B B
Rating ★ 3.9 ★ 3.6
Estimated net annual cost €0 €0
Account fee Free
IBAN condiviso
Multi-currency Yes · 2 currencies USD, USDC, USDT
Outbound transfers to third-party IBANs No
Utility direct billing No
SEPA direct debit (SDD) No
On-chain crypto withdrawal Yes
Interest on balance 4%
ATM withdrawal Free Free
Fund custody Custodial (platform holds funds) Self-custody (funds in your control)
KYC Full Full
Supported countries LATAM · 5+ countries LATAM · 14+ countries
Regulator CNV Argentina / El Salvador regulator
OAM Italy registration No No
Segment B2C B2C
Past incidents 2022 negative-balance bug
Network Visa
Regions LATAM LATAM
Licences & safety VASP ND

Frequently asked questions

Lemon Cash vs Meru: which is better?

On cashback Lemon Cash wins (up to 2%); for spending abroad FX markup matters, and Meru does better (0% vs 0.5%). The structural difference is custody: Meru leaves you the keys, while Lemon Cash holds funds on the platform. Neither wins across the board: weigh the points above against your use case before choosing between Lemon Cash and Meru.

Which is cheaper, Lemon Cash or Meru?

On the standard spending profile Lemon Cash has the lowest net annual cost: €0 versus €0 for Meru.

Which offers more cashback, Lemon Cash or Meru?

Lemon Cash has the highest cashback: up to 2%. Note the top rate often requires token staking and is subject to spending caps.

Is Lemon Cash custodial or self-custody?

Lemon Cash is custodial: funds are held by the platform, while Meru is self-custody.

Which is better for spending abroad?

For foreign-currency spending Meru wins, with the lowest FX markup: 0%.