Binance vs KuCoin

Binance discontinued its European Visa card in December 2023 and relaunched as a Brazil-only Mastercard prepaid in October 2025. KuCoin's KuCard is a Visa debit available exclusively in the EEA. There is no market where both cards compete.

A European user cannot apply for Binance. A Brazilian user cannot apply for KuCoin. KuCoin is additionally banned in the Philippines and Canada (Ontario permanent ban from OSC).

Both cards support Apple Pay and Google Pay. Both charge 0% FX fees. Both have no annual fee.

The headline rates tell one story. The net returns after conversion fees tell a very different one. KuCoin charges a 2% crypto-to-fiat conversion fee on every transaction - more than double Binance's 0.9%. Binance additionally charges 1-2% FX on international (non-BRL) transactions.

At base tier, KuCoin loses money on every transaction. The 2% conversion fee exceeds the approximately 1% cashback, producing a -1% net loss per purchase. A casual European user spending $1,000/month without KCS holdings loses $120/year by using the KuCard. Even Binance's domestic BRL spending at 1.1% net is better than KuCoin's maximum 1% net.

At KuCoin's maximum 3% tier, the net return is 1% ($240/year at $2,000/month) - lower than Binance's domestic net of 1.1% ($264/year). Binance caps at 250 BRL/month while KuCoin has no published cap, so at very high spending (above approximately $2,400/month), KuCoin's uncapped 1% net eventually outearns Binance's capped returns. But 1% net is poor by European exchange card standards.

KuCoin's 2% crypto-to-fiat conversion fee is the highest among major exchange cards in Europe.

Conversion fee comparison across EEA cards:

• Kraken: 0%
• Crypto.com: 0%
• OKX: 0.9%
• Bybit: 0.9%
• Binance: 0.9% (Brazil only)
• KuCoin: 2%

In SpendNode's head-to-head with EEA competitors, Kraken's 1% cashback with 0% conversion nets a clean 1%. KuCoin needs 3% cashback (requiring top-tier KCS holdings) to match Kraken's effortless 1%. OKX at 3% cashback with 0.9% conversion nets 2.1% - still double KuCoin's maximum 1%. Crypto.com Plus at 2% with 0% conversion nets 2% - double KuCoin's maximum.

For a European user spending $3,000/month, the opportunity cost of choosing KuCoin over alternatives is significant:

• KuCoin max (3%): $30/month ($360/year)
• Kraken (1%): $30/month ($360/year) - same cashback with zero effort
• OKX mid (3%): $63/month ($756/year) - 2.1x more
• Crypto.com Plus (2%): $33/month including Spotify ($396/year) - 10% more with perks

KuCoin's card is functional but not competitive in the EEA market. It exists primarily as a convenience for existing KuCoin exchange users who prefer not to move assets to another platform.

KuCoin supports 7 spendable assets (KCS, USDT, USDC, BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP). Binance supports 10 (BNB, BTC, ETH, SOL, ADA, LINK, XRP, USDT, USDC, FDUSD). Both are mid-range for asset diversity.

ATM policies differ significantly:

• Binance: 2 free withdrawals/month, $1.50 each after, approx. $540/day limit
• KuCoin: 1.5% per withdrawal, $250/day limit

A $200 ATM withdrawal on Binance is free (within the 2/month allowance). The same withdrawal on KuCoin costs $3 (1.5%). KuCoin's lower daily limit ($250) also restricts cash access for travelers.

KuCoin operates on Visa (80M+ merchants globally). Binance operates on Mastercard. Both networks have near-universal acceptance.

Using the KuCard without KCS holdings and assuming it is earning cashback. At the base tier (approximately 1% cashback), KuCoin's 2% conversion fee exceeds the reward rate, creating a -1% net loss on every purchase. A user spending $2,000/month at base tier loses $240/year. This makes the KuCard one of the only exchange cards in Europe that costs money to use at base tier. How to avoid it: Before activating the KuCard for daily spending, check your KCS-based tier in the KuCoin app. If your cashback rate is below 2%, every purchase is a net loss after the conversion fee. At 2%, you break even (earning nothing). Only at 3% do you earn a positive 1% net - and even then, competing EEA cards deliver more.

Choosing Binance for international spending from Brazil. The 2% cashback minus 2.9% total fees (0.9% conversion + 2% FX) produces a -0.9% net loss on every cross-currency transaction. A Brazilian user spending $1,000/month internationally loses $108/year. How to avoid it: Reserve the Binance card for domestic BRL purchases only. For international spending, use a no-FX-fee card like RedotPay or Gate.io.

In the EEA: KuCoin is your only option between these two, but it is not the best exchange card available. The 2% conversion fee makes it uncompetitive against Kraken (0% fees, 1% cashback, 3.6% APY), OKX (0.9% conversion, up to 5%), or Crypto.com (0% fees, lifestyle perks). Only consider KuCoin if you already hold significant assets on the exchange and prefer not to transfer them.

In Brazil: Binance is your only option. The 1.1% domestic net is decent for low-volume spending but caps at 250 BRL/month and loses money on international purchases.

Outlook: KuCoin's card competitiveness hinges entirely on the 2% conversion fee. If reduced to match the industry standard (0.9% or lower), the 3% headline would net 2.1%+ and become genuinely competitive. As of early 2026, no fee reduction has been announced. Binance has not indicated plans to expand beyond Brazil. Both cards are likely to remain niche options in their respective markets, outperformed by purpose-built competitors. Watch for KuCoin fee structure changes, which would be the single most impactful shift for this comparison.