COCA vs Ready

Both cards use smart contract wallets for genuine self-custody, but on different chains.

COCA - Non-custodial Visa debit, Wirex issuer. Privy smart wallet (ERC-4337/EIP-7702) with biometric recovery. Six tiers by COCA token holding (no staking): Starter (0, 1%) through Elite (30K, 8%). 0% FX on direct stablecoin pairs (EURC to EUR, USDC to USD), 1% on indirect pairs. $0 annual, $250/month ATM. 6% APY on stablecoins. 50% off subscriptions. IBAN + SEPA. 54 countries. Assets: USDC, USDT, ETH, BTC.

Ready - Self-custodial Mastercard debit, formerly Argent. Starknet smart contract wallet with co-signer model. Two tiers: Lite (free, 0.5% STRK, 1% FX) and Metal (120 USDC/year, 3% STRK, 0% FX, 16g metal, $800/month ATM). USDC-only. EEA + UK. Google Pay (Apple Pay coming). Cashback capped at $150/month in STRK ($1,800/year).

Based on SpendNode's full comparison, Ready Lite is a net-negative card on cross-currency spending. The 0.5% cashback minus 1% FX fee = -0.5% net loss on every international transaction. Ready Metal eliminates FX fees and earns 3% - matching COCA Standard on rate but losing on total value once COCA's APY and subscription savings are added.

Ready Metal's $150/month cashback cap matters at higher volumes. On $5,000/month spending (the cap), Metal earns $150/month = $1,800/year. Above $5,000/month, additional spending earns 0%. COCA Standard has caps too (above tier cap, spending earns 1%), but COCA's higher tiers (5-8%) extend the earning range further.

COCA has that Ready does not:

• 6% APY on stablecoin balances ($300-600/year on $5K-10K)
• 50% off five subscription services (approximately $240/year)
• Personal IBAN with SEPA bank transfers
• Multi-asset support (USDC, USDT, ETH, BTC vs USDC only)
• 54 countries (vs EEA/UK only)
• Six progressive tiers (vs two)
• Higher cashback ceiling (8% vs 3%)

Ready has that COCA does not:

• Starknet-native architecture (for Starknet ecosystem users)
• No ecosystem token required for the card (USDC-only funding, STRK received as cashback)
• 16g metal card at $120/year (COCA's physical card pricing varies by tier)
• Established brand (formerly Argent, since 2017)
• 4.5 App Store rating (2,293 reviews) vs COCA (no App Store listing)
• Partner perks (Ramp, Layerswap, Koinly, NordVPN discounts)

Using Ready Lite for cross-currency European spending when the FX fee makes it a net-loss card. Ready Lite charges 1% FX on non-domestic transactions. With only 0.5% cashback, the net return on cross-currency spending is -0.5% per transaction. A European traveler spending $2,000/month across currencies loses $120/year. Even COCA Starter (free, 1%, 0-1% FX) earns $240/year on the same spending. The gap is $360/year between two free cards. How to avoid it: If you use Ready Lite internationally, upgrade to Metal (0% FX, 3%) for positive returns. If the $120/year fee is too much, COCA Starter (free, 1%, 0-1% FX) delivers more value with zero commitment.

Dismissing Ready Metal because COCA has more features, without considering the simplicity advantage. COCA requires buying and holding COCA tokens for tiers above 1%. Ready Metal requires only $120/year in USDC - no token purchase, no price monitoring, no ecosystem bet. For users who want a straightforward self-custodial card at 3% with no token exposure beyond receiving STRK as cashback, Ready Metal is the simpler product. The $120 annual fee is predictable and denominated in USDC (no volatility). COCA's 3% tier requires holding 300 COCA tokens whose dollar value fluctuates. How to avoid it: Compare total risk-adjusted returns. If the COCA token maintains value, COCA Standard offers more total value. If you prefer zero token risk and pure simplicity, Ready Metal's $120/year for 3% + 0% FX + metal + self-custody is a strong package.

For maximum returns from self-custodial spending: COCA at Standard (3%) or above. Higher cashback ceiling, 6% APY, subscription savings, and IBAN banking deliver $600+ more annual value than Ready Metal.

For simple, no-token self-custodial spending in Europe: Ready Metal at $120/year. 3% STRK cashback, 0% FX, metal card, and no ecosystem token required. Clean and predictable.

For free self-custodial entry: COCA Starter (1%, 0-1% FX, 54 countries) versus Ready Lite (0.5%, 1% FX, EEA/UK). COCA still wins on cashback rate and geographic reach, though both now charge 1% FX on indirect pairs.

For Starknet ecosystem users: Ready integrates natively with Starknet. If you hold STRK or build on Starknet, Ready keeps you within the ecosystem.

Outlook: COCA's feature density at zero subscription cost puts pressure on Ready's simpler two-tier model. If Ready expands beyond EEA/UK, adds more assets (ETH, BTC), or increases cashback tiers, it becomes more competitive. If COCA builds Starknet support or Ready-style simplicity, the geographic and feature gaps narrow. Watch for Ready's expansion roadmap and COCA's app reliability as the key variables. For European users, both cards work well as a pair: Ready for daily USDC spending simplicity, COCA for cashback optimization and banking.