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

Meru

Name: Meru
Brand: Meru

Meru · Visa

3.6/5 2.7/5 · Data verified on Jun 22, 2026

Meru is a global dollar account built for Latin America: it provides US and European banking rails (ACH, Wire, SEPA, SPEI), a US-issued Visa card, and the ability to hold funds in USDC/USDT stablecoins across networks such as Stellar, Polygon, Base and Tron. The model is non-custodial and targets freelancers and remote workers who get paid in dollars. The virtual card is free, while the physical card costs 5 USD.

Transparency: Low

46/100 · see methodology

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.

Account fee	—
Multi-currency	USD, USDC, USDT
Network	Visa
ATM withdrawal	Free
Fund custody	Self-custody (funds in your control)
KYC	Full
Supported countries	LATAM · 14+ countries
OAM Italy registration	No
Segment	B2C
Funding / solidity	Meru is operated by Meru R3mit Solutions Inc., a privately held company based in the United States. It offers USD accounts designed for international use, claims coverage in more than 150 countries, and has 11-50 employees.
MiCA / License status	ND

Strengths

Dollar account with US/EU rails (ACH, Wire, SEPA, SPEI) for those getting paid from abroad.
Non-custodial model with USDC/USDT stablecoins across several networks (Stellar, Polygon, Base, Tron).
0% Meru-side FX markup on international purchases and no Meru-side ATM fee.

Self-custody: funds stay in your wallet — the platform cannot touch them.

Weaknesses

Availability limited to Latin America; not usable as a resident account in Italy or the EU.
Regulatory standing and licensing are not publicly documented.
ATM networks and the card issuer may apply their own fees outside Meru's control.

Full KYC required: verified identity, zero pseudonymity.

Verdict

B C ★ 3.6/5 ★ 2.7/5 Estimated net annual cost: €0/year

A dollar account and Visa card built for Latin America, with US/EU rails to get paid from abroad. Regulatory standing and licensing are not publicly documented: treat it as an operational tool, not an EU-protected account.

Non-custodial model with USDC/USDT stablecoins across several networks (Stellar, Polygon, Base, Tron), a point in favour of self-sovereignty. Full KYC is still mandatory, however, alongside reliance on Visa rails and banking on-ramps.

Privacy & anonymity 30% 1.3

Fund control 20% 5.0

Censorship resistance 20% 1.5

Costs 10% 5.0

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

What network does the Meru card use?

The Meru card is a US-issued Visa, usable for online, in-store and subscription purchases. The virtual card is free, while the physical card has a one-time 5 USD fee.

Is Meru custodial or non-custodial?

Meru is described as non-custodial and lets you hold funds in USDC/USDT stablecoins across networks such as Stellar, Polygon, Base and Tron. Full KYC is required.