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

Shakepay Card Base

A plan byShakepay Card · Visa

4.0/5 1.0/5 · Data verified on

Visa prepaid card from Shakepay, a Canadian Bitcoin exchange founded in 2015 in Montreal, paying Bitcoin cashback on every purchase. NOTE: the product and app are available ONLY in Canada; because the regioni enum has no Canada entry, it is indexed as ['US'] as a North-America proxy. Fees depend on the loyalty status (Base/Bright/Blue): cashback from 1% to 1.5% (up to 4% with promotions) and FX markup from 3% down to 0%. The card values shown reflect the Base tier. Custodial with full KYC; FINTRAC-registered MSB and member of CIRO and Payments Canada.

Estimated net annual cost €0/year

Base

FX markup
3%
Cashback
1%
3%
FX markup
1%
Cashback
Free
Annual fee
Free
Issuance fee
Custodial
Custody

The number that matters

The banner cashback isn't what you pocket.

After FX markup, fees and withdrawals, on an average profile of €1,000/mo (20% abroad).

Advertised cashback 1.5%
Real net cashback 1.5%

Data verified on Jun 22, 2026 · personalise the calc

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

Data & conditions

§ Amounts in USD/GBP are shown in the service's native currency.

Network Visa
Fund custody Custodial (platform holds funds)
Issuance fee Free
Annual fee Free
Free ATM limit 1.000 CAD/giorno (limite spesa giornaliero 5.000 CAD)
ATM withdrawal Free
FX markup 3%
Cashback 1% in BTC · Nessuno
Contactless Yes
Virtual card Yes
KYC Full
Privacy 3/10
Supported countries US · 1+ countries
Funding / solidity Shakepay e un exchange Bitcoin canadese fondato nel 2015 a Montreal. Opera tramite due entita: Shakepay Inc., certificata CIRO, gestisce l'exchange crypto e il direct deposit, mentre Shakepay Financial Inc. cura le operazioni cash e i servizi di pagamento quotidiani come bill pay e la carta Visa con cashback in Bitcoin.
Estimated net annual cost €0/year
Regulator FINTRAC / CIRO
OAM Italy registration No
Segment B2C
Funding / solidityShakepay is a Canadian Bitcoin exchange founded in 2015 in Montreal. It operates through two entities: Shakepay Inc., CIRO-certified, runs the crypto exchange and direct deposit, while Shakepay Financial Inc. handles cash operations and everyday payment services such as bill pay and the Bitcoin-cashback Visa card.
MiCA / License status FINTRAC MSBCIRO member Shakepay Inc. is registered with FINTRAC as a Money Service Business (MSB) for virtual currencies and money transferring, and is a CIRO (Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization) member registered as an Investment Dealer with the AMF and the securities regulators of all Canadian provinces and territories. The Shakepay Visa Prepaid Card is issued by Peoples Trust Company under Visa Int. licence; payment services are handled by Shakepay Financial Inc.

Strengths

  • No issuance fee and no annual fee.
  • Bitcoin cashback on every purchase, with FX down to 0% and higher cashback at higher status.
  • Both virtual and physical card; FINTRAC-registered, CIRO-member issuer.
  • No notable sovereignty advantage documented.

Weaknesses

  • Available only in Canada.
  • FX markup up to 3% on the Base tier.
  • Custodial with full KYC: funds are held by Shakepay.
  • Custodial: the platform holds your funds and can freeze or lose them.
  • Full KYC required: verified identity, zero pseudonymity.
  • Subject to regulation (Shakepay Inc. is registered with FINTRAC as a Money Service Business (MSB) for virtual currencies and money transferring, and is a CIRO (Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization) member registered as an Investment Dealer with the AMF and the securities regulators of all Canadian provinces and territories. The Shakepay Visa Prepaid Card is issued by Peoples Trust Company under Visa Int. licence; payment services are handled by Shakepay Financial Inc.): reporting to authorities and freezes on order.

Verdict

B D ★ 4.0/5 ★ 1.0/5 Estimated net annual cost: €0/year

Strong regulatory protection: Shakepay Inc. is a CIRO member and FINTRAC-registered MSB, while the card is issued by Peoples Trust Company under Visa licence. It remains a custodial product with full KYC, available only in Canada, so it offers no protection or availability for Italian users.

Low sovereignty: a custodial product with full KYC where funds and keys are held by Shakepay. The Bitcoin cashback only incentivises self-custody if the user withdraws the BTC to their own wallet, but day-to-day use remains fully intermediated.

Privacy & anonymity 30% 0.8
Fund control 20% 0.0
Censorship resistance 20% 1.5
Costs 10% 2.5

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

In which countries is the Shakepay Card available?

The Shakepay Card is available only in Canada. In this dataset it is indexed as ['US'] purely as a North-America proxy because the regions enum has no Canada entry.

In which currency is cashback paid?

Cashback is credited in Bitcoin (BTC) to the Shakepay balance. The rate starts at 1% on the Base tier and rises up to 1.5%, with promotional boosts up to 4%.

Sources

Show 2 more sources

Update history

✓ Terms unchanged since Jun 22, 2026

🔔 Notify me of changes

← All Shakepay Card plans