Airtm
Airtm Inc. · Visa
Airtm is a digital dollar wallet (USDC) and payments platform aimed mainly at freelancers, remote workers and companies in emerging markets, with deep roots in Latin America. It lets users receive, convert and withdraw dollars across 500+ local payment methods in around 190 countries. Its card is a virtual-only Visa USD Virtual Card for spending dollars anywhere Visa is accepted. Airtm Inc. is registered as a Money Services Business with the US FinCEN and holds funds on a custodial basis.
Data & conditions
| Account fee | Free |
|---|---|
| Network | Visa |
| ATM withdrawal | Free |
| Fund custody | Custodial (platform holds funds) |
| KYC | Full |
| Supported countries | LATAM, AFRICA, APAC, EEA, US · 190+ countries |
| Regulator | FinCEN (USA) |
| Segment | B2C |
| MiCA / License status | FinCEN MSB (USA) Airtm Inc. is registered as a Money Services Business (MSB) with the US FinCEN under registration number 31000329787639. It does not hold an EU/EEA e-money licence: the service operates as a custodial USD/USDC payments platform with full KYC, without a dedicated European licence. |
Strengths
- First card issuance is free with no fixed monthly fee
- Dollar account accessible in around 190 countries with 500+ local cash-out methods
- Strong coverage of LATAM, Africa and Asia markets for cross-border earners
- No notable sovereignty advantage documented.
Weaknesses
- Custodial wallet: funds are held by Airtm, not by the user
- Virtual-only card with no physical version and no ATM withdrawals
- Loading fee on the first amounts added each month plus an inactivity penalty
- Custodial: the platform holds your funds and can freeze or lose them.
- Full KYC required: verified identity, zero pseudonymity.
- Subject to regulation (Airtm Inc. is registered as a Money Services Business (MSB) with the US FinCEN under registration number 31000329787639. It does not hold an EU/EEA e-money licence: the service operates as a custodial USD/USDC payments platform with full KYC, without a dedicated European licence.): reporting to authorities and freezes on order.
Verdict
Below-average protection: Airtm is only registered as an MSB with the US FinCEN and holds no European e-money licence, so European users' funds do not enjoy protections equivalent to those of an EU-supervised EMI. The model is custodial and funds are held by Airtm, exposing users to counterparty risk.
Low sovereignty: the wallet is fully custodial and requires full KYC, so users control neither keys nor funds and the platform can freeze or restrict accounts. The centralized nature and US oversight leave little room for financial self-determination.
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 Airtm card physical or virtual?
It is a virtual-only Visa USD Virtual Card: it works online and for payments wherever Visa is accepted, but there is no plastic card and no ATM withdrawal.
How much does the Airtm card cost?
Creating your first card is free and there is no fixed monthly fee. A loading fee applies to the first amounts added each month (nothing extra is charged beyond 200 USD in the same month), plus an inactivity penalty if the card goes unused.
Sources
- Official service page Nome · Azienda · Categoria · Regioni · +3 Data verified on Jun 22, 2026
- help.airtm.com Card issuance fee · Monthly fee · Virtual card · Regulator · +2 Data verified on Jun 23, 2026
- todey.xyz Payment network · Custodial · Virtual card · FX markup · +1 Data verified on Jun 22, 2026