Bybit vs KuCoin

Both cards are available in the EEA, but that is where the overlap ends. Bybit additionally serves the UK, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Australia on Mastercard. KuCoin's KuCard is a Visa debit restricted exclusively to the EEA.

For any user outside the EEA, there is no comparison. A European freelancer spending time in the UK or Southeast Asia can use Bybit in all those markets. The KuCard stops working the moment you leave the EEA. KuCoin is additionally banned in the Philippines (SEC 10-exchange ban) and Canada (Ontario permanent ban from OSC). Bybit is banned in 6 countries (France, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Japan, Singapore).

Within the EEA, both cards function. Both support Apple Pay and Google Pay. But Bybit operates on Mastercard while KuCoin operates on Visa - both networks have near-universal European acceptance.

As of January 2026, EEA residents must migrate to Bybit EU accounts for MiCA compliance. This is a one-time friction step that does not change fees, rewards, or card features.

The headline comparison (2% vs 3%) inverts once you subtract fees. Bybit charges 0.9% conversion plus 0.5% FX on cross-currency spending (1.4% total), or 0.9% conversion only on same-currency EUR spending. KuCoin charges 2% conversion with 0% FX on every transaction regardless of currency.

KuCoin at base tier loses $360/year on $3,000/month spending. The 2% conversion fee exceeds the approximately 1% base cashback, producing a -1% net loss on every purchase. This makes KuCoin one of the only exchange cards in Europe that costs money to use at base tier.

Even at KuCoin's maximum 3% tier (requiring significant KCS holdings), the net return is 1% ($360/year at $3,000/month). Bybit Standard on same-currency EUR spending nets 1.1% ($396/year) with zero token commitment. On cross-currency spending, Bybit Standard at 0.6% net ($216/year) underperforms KuCoin max - but KuCoin max requires substantial KCS holdings while Bybit Standard requires nothing.

At Bybit Supreme (10% headline, 8.6% net on cross-currency), annual returns reach $3,096 - more than 8x KuCoin's maximum $360. This tier requires institutional-grade trading volume and is not accessible to typical retail users, but it illustrates the ceiling gap.

Based on SpendNode's full comparison, KuCoin's zero-FX headline sounds compelling against Bybit's 0.5%. But the conversion fee is the larger cost, and KuCoin's 2% is more than double Bybit's 0.9%.

Total fee comparison per transaction:

• KuCoin: 2% (conversion) + 0% (FX) = 2% total
• Bybit cross-currency: 0.9% (conversion) + 0.5% (FX) = 1.4% total
• Bybit same-currency: 0.9% (conversion) + 0% (FX) = 0.9% total

Bybit is 0.6 percentage points cheaper on cross-currency and 1.1 percentage points cheaper on same-currency spending. For a European user making EUR purchases (the most common scenario), Bybit's 0.9% total beats KuCoin's 2% by more than half.

Conversion fee context across EEA exchange cards:

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

KuCoin's conversion fee is an outlier. Every other major exchange card charges 0.9% or less. Until KuCoin reduces this fee, its card will remain mathematically uncompetitive regardless of cashback rate.

Bybit offers 8% APR on idle USDT through Bybit Earn. KuCoin has no comparable integrated yield product for card balances.

Combined annual returns at $3,000/month spending with $10,000 idle balance:

• Bybit Standard (same-currency): $396 cashback + $800 yield = $1,196/year
• Bybit Standard (cross-currency): $216 cashback + $800 yield = $1,016/year
• KuCoin max (3%): $360 cashback + $0 yield = $360/year
• KuCoin base (approx. 1%): -$360 cashback + $0 yield = -$360/year (net loss)

With yield included, Bybit Standard earns 3.3x more than KuCoin max and produces positive returns where KuCoin base tier produces losses. The yield component alone ($800/year) exceeds KuCoin's maximum total cashback ($360/year).

Bybit Supreme additionally bundles TradingView reimbursement and ChatGPT Plus rebates (approximately $30-40/month in professional tool value), 0% ATM fees with $5,000/day limits, and $250,000/month spending capacity. KuCoin offers no equivalent professional tool ecosystem.

Spending limits:

• Bybit Standard: $50,000/month
• Bybit Supreme: $250,000/month
• KuCoin: $30,000/month

Bybit Standard offers 67% more monthly spending capacity than KuCoin. For higher-volume spenders, this gap is meaningful.

ATM access:

• Bybit Standard: 2% fee, $2,000/day limit
• Bybit Supreme: 0% fee, $5,000/day limit
• KuCoin: 1.5% fee, $250/day limit

A $200 ATM withdrawal costs $4 on Bybit Standard and $3 on KuCoin - a marginal difference. But KuCoin's $250/day limit severely restricts cash access for travelers. Bybit's $2,000/day limit (Standard) or $5,000/day (Supreme) provides genuine cash flexibility. For a user withdrawing $250 weekly, the annual ATM costs are $260 on Bybit Standard versus $195 on KuCoin - KuCoin saves $65/year on ATM but loses far more on conversion fees.

Asset support:

• Bybit: 5 assets (USDT, USDC, BTC, ETH, XRP)
• KuCoin: 7 assets (KCS, USDT, USDC, BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP)

KuCoin supports SOL and KCS where Bybit does not. Neither card offers the broad altcoin diversity of cards like Kraken (400+), but KuCoin's slight edge here is one of its few advantages.

Both cards are custodial debit models where crypto is converted at the point of sale, creating a taxable disposal event on every transaction. The tax treatment is identical.

Using the KuCard without KCS holdings and assuming it earns 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 - paying to use a "free" card. How to avoid it: Check your KCS-based tier in the KuCoin app before activating the card for daily spending. If your cashback rate is below 2%, every purchase is a net loss after the conversion fee. At exactly 2%, you break even (earning nothing). Only at 3% do you earn a positive 1% net return - and even then, Bybit Standard's 1.1% same-currency net delivers more with zero token commitment.

Choosing KuCoin for its 0% FX fee without comparing total transaction costs. The "0% FX vs 0.5% FX" comparison makes KuCoin appear cheaper. But KuCoin's 2% conversion fee raises its total cost to 2% per transaction versus Bybit's 1.4% (cross-currency) or 0.9% (same-currency). A user spending $3,000/month on same-currency EUR purchases pays $324/year in total fees on KuCoin versus $324/year on Bybit - but Bybit returns $396 in cashback while KuCoin base tier returns only $120 (and loses $240 net). How to avoid it: Always compare total transaction costs (conversion + FX), not individual fee lines. KuCoin's 0% FX is offset by the highest conversion fee in the European exchange card market.

For EEA users: Bybit is the better card at every tier level. Lower total fees (1.4% vs 2%), higher cashback (2-10% vs 1-3%), 8% APR on idle USDT, and $50K/month spending limits beat KuCoin on every metric except ATM cost (marginal) and asset count (7 vs 5, marginal).

Outside the EEA: Bybit is your only option. KuCoin's card is EEA-exclusive, while Bybit serves the UK, LATAM, APAC, and Australia.

For existing KuCoin users reluctant to move assets: The convenience of spending directly from your KuCoin balance has a measurable cost. At base tier, that convenience costs $360+/year on $3,000/month spending (the net loss). At max tier, it costs the difference between KuCoin's 1% net and Bybit's 1.1%+ net. Moving assets to Bybit and using that card instead saves money at every tier.

Outlook: KuCoin's card competitiveness depends entirely on its 2% conversion fee. A reduction to the industry-standard 0.9% would make its 3% max tier net 2.1% - genuinely competitive with Bybit Standard. No fee reduction has been announced as of early 2026. Bybit's January 2026 EU migration under MiCA is complete for existing users, and its tier system continues rewarding active traders. The structural gap will persist until KuCoin addresses its conversion fee pricing.