Costs, licensing, consumer protection Privacy, self-custody, censorship resistance

Mercuryo Spend

Mercuryo · Mastercard

3.5/5 2.7/5 · Data verified on

Mercuryo Spend is a Mastercard-network crypto card launched in April 2025 by payments-infrastructure provider Mercuryo, available only to European Economic Area (EEA) residents. Unlike custodial exchange cards, funds stay in the user's wallet: the card is topped up by converting crypto to euro on demand, with native Ledger Live integration to fund it directly from a Ledger hardware wallet. The virtual (and physical) card is free, with no annual fee and only a 1 euro inactivity charge after three consecutive months of non-use. Non-euro transactions carry a markup of up to 1% on top of the Mastercard exchange rate; there is no cashback. Accepted at 150+ million Mastercard merchants worldwide.

46
Transparency: Low
46/100 · see methodology
46
Data exposure: Low
46/100 · lower is better for sovereignty · methodology

Data & conditions

Network Mastercard
Fund custody Self-custody (funds in your control)
Issuance fee Free
Annual fee Free
ATM withdrawal Free
FX markup 1%
Cashback
Contactless Yes
Virtual card Yes
KYC Full
Privacy 6/10
Supported countries EEA
Funding / solidity Mercuryo e un fornitore di infrastruttura di pagamento crypto-fiat fondato nel 2018, con sede legale a Londra (MONETLEY LTD). Offre soluzioni di on/off-ramp, conti e carte; la Spend Card e stata lanciata nell'aprile 2025 ed e compatibile con 40 criptovalute.
Estimated net annual cost €0/year
Regulator FCA (UK)
Segment B2C
Funding / solidityMercuryo is a crypto-fiat payments infrastructure provider founded in 2018, headquartered in London (MONETLEY LTD). It offers on/off-ramp, account and card solutions; the Spend Card launched in April 2025 and supports 40 cryptocurrencies.
MiCA / License status FCA EMI (MONETLEY LTD, ref. 900921)Quicko Sp. z o.o. (emittente carta, Polonia) Issued in the European Economic Area by MONETLEY LTD, an e-money institution (EMI) authorised by the UK FCA (ref. 900921); card issued by Quicko Sp. z o.o. (Poland) under Mastercard licence.

Strengths

  • Self-custody model: funds stay in your wallet, with native Ledger Live integration to fund the card from a Ledger hardware device
  • No issuance fee and no annual fee; both virtual and physical card
  • Broad Mastercard acceptance (150M+ merchants) with no markup on euro spending
  • Self-custody: funds stay in your wallet — the platform cannot touch them.

Weaknesses

  • Available only in the EEA: US, UK and the rest of the world are excluded
  • No cashback or yield on loaded funds
  • Up to 1% markup on foreign currencies and an inactivity fee after three months of non-use
  • Full KYC required: verified identity, zero pseudonymity.
  • Subject to regulation (Issued in the European Economic Area by MONETLEY LTD, an e-money institution (EMI) authorised by the UK FCA (ref. 900921); card issued by Quicko Sp. z o.o. (Poland) under Mastercard licence.): reporting to authorities and freezes on order.

Verdict

B C ★ 3.5/5 ★ 2.7/5 Estimated net annual cost: €0/year

Mastercard card issued in the EEA via MONETLEY LTD (FCA-authorised EMI) with the physical card issued by Quicko (Poland); full KYC required. Protection is that of a regulated e-money institution, but converted funds are not covered by deposit guarantee schemes.

Among the most sovereignty-friendly cards: a self-custody model where funds stay in the user's wallet with native Ledger Live integration, converting crypto to euro only at spend time. Full KYC is still required and it relies on the centralised Mastercard network.

Privacy & anonymity 30% 1.5
Fund control 20% 5.0
Censorship resistance 20% 1.5
Costs 10% 3.8

Promp's editorial rating based on real fees and net annual cost. Promp reviews third-party products independently.

"Sovereignty" rating: score computed on privacy/anonymity (30%), fund control (20%), censorship resistance (20%), trustless/auditability (20%) and costs (10%). Same data, different weights.

FAQ

Is the Mercuryo Spend card self-custodial?

Yes: funds stay in your wallet (with Ledger Live integration) and are converted from crypto to euro only at top-up or payment time, rather than being held upfront by an exchange.

Where can I use the Mercuryo Spend card?

Only in the European Economic Area (EEA): you need an EEA ID document and address. It is not available to US or UK residents.

Sources

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Update history

✓ Terms unchanged since Jun 22, 2026

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