MetaMask vs Tria

MetaMask - Self-custodial Mastercard debit powered by Baanx. Spends directly from your MetaMask wallet across Linea, Base, and Solana. Two tiers: Virtual (free, 1% cashback, no-KYC, $10K/month cap) and Metal (waitlist, 3%, $50K/month). Zero FX markup. Earns 1 Rewards point per dollar. Apple Pay + Google Pay compatible. Available in 50+ countries. Supports USDC, USDT, wETH, EURe, GBPe, and Aave yield tokens.

Tria - Self-custodial Visa debit. Three tiers: Virtual (free, 1.5%, $10K/month), Signature ($109/year, 3%, Visa Signature insurance, 15% APY, $50K/month), Premium ($250/year, 6%, 0% ATM, metal, purchase protection, $100K/month). 0% FX all tiers. XP farming for airdrop. GLOBAL. Assets: ETH, USDC, USDT.

According to SpendNode's side-by-side data, at the free tier (the only tier both cards guarantee access to), Tria earns 50% more. Tria Virtual (1.5%) generates $180/year more than MetaMask Virtual (1%) on $3,000/month spending. Both are free, both have 0% FX, both are self-custodial. The rate advantage is clean and immediate.

At 3%, MetaMask Metal matches Tria Signature on rate but Metal is waitlist-only. Tria Signature is available now at $109/year. Availability matters - MetaMask Metal may not be accessible when you need it.

Tria Premium (6%) has no MetaMask equivalent. The $1,910/year in net cashback on $3,000/month exceeds MetaMask's maximum published rate (3%) by $830/year.

Tria: Up to 15% APY on wallet balances at Signature and Premium tiers. On $10,000: up to $1,500/year. Stablecoin-denominated. Variable rates.

MetaMask: Supports Aave yield-bearing tokens (aUSDC, aBasUSDC) as spending assets. You can hold these tokens in your wallet, earning Aave yield (typically 3-5%), and spend them directly. The yield is not MetaMask-specific - it is standard Aave DeFi yield accessed through the wallet.

Tria's integrated 15% APY significantly exceeds Aave's typical 3-5% yield. But Aave is battle-tested with years of operation and billions in TVL. Higher APY implies higher risk.

Both cards farm ecosystem rewards, but through different mechanisms.

MetaMask Rewards: 1 point per $1 spent. Points accumulate in the MetaMask ecosystem. No token exists yet. The 30M+ MetaMask wallet user base and Consensys/Linea backing make any future token distribution potentially significant. Historical DeFi airdrops (Uniswap, Optimism, Arbitrum) delivered $1,000-10,000+ to active users.

Tria XP: Earned through card spending and activity. 300,000+ enrolled users farming XP for a future token generation event. The user base is smaller than MetaMask's, but the points-to-token conversion is more explicitly tied to card activity.

MetaMask's airdrop potential benefits from a larger ecosystem (Linea L2, Consensys infrastructure). Tria's XP farming is more directly tied to card usage. Neither has launched a token yet - both are speculative.

Choosing MetaMask Virtual for 1% when Tria Virtual offers 1.5% for free with equal self-custody. Both cards are free, self-custodial, and have 0% FX. Tria earns 50% more cashback ($540 vs $360 per year on $3K/mo). The only reasons to prefer MetaMask Virtual: no-KYC requirement, existing MetaMask wallet integration, and preference for Mastercard over Visa. If none of these matter, Tria's 1.5% is the better free option. How to avoid it: Compare the free tiers directly. If you have no strong preference for MetaMask's ecosystem or KYC-free access, Tria Virtual earns more on every transaction.

Ignoring MetaMask's Rewards points when comparing only cashback rates. Tria wins on pure cashback at every tier. But MetaMask's 1 point per $1 spent adds uncounted value. On $3,000/month, MetaMask accumulates 36,000 points/year versus Tria's XP (amount depends on tier multiplier). If the MetaMask ecosystem is larger or more valuable at token launch, the point value could exceed the cashback gap. Tria's XP may be worth less per point but with higher per-user allocation. How to avoid it: View MetaMask Rewards points as free options on a future token. If you believe the Consensys ecosystem will produce a valuable token, MetaMask's 1% cashback + points may deliver higher total expected value than Tria's higher cashback alone. If you want certain returns now, Tria wins.

For maximum certain cashback with self-custody: Tria at any tier. 1.5-6% beats MetaMask's 1-3% at every level, with 0% FX and available tiers (no waitlist).

For zero-friction, zero-commitment entry: MetaMask Virtual with 1%, no-KYC, instant activation, and the broadest wallet integration in crypto. The lowest barrier to self-custodial spending.

For highest yield on idle balances: Tria Signature/Premium with up to 15% APY. MetaMask supports Aave yield tokens (3-5%) but does not match Tria's integrated yield.

For MetaMask/Consensys ecosystem positioning: MetaMask with Rewards points accumulation. The 30M+ user base makes any token event potentially significant.

For travel insurance: Tria Signature includes Visa Signature travel protection at $109/year. MetaMask does not offer travel insurance at any tier.

Outlook: MetaMask Metal at 3% (when generally available) would match Tria Signature on rate with no annual fee and broader ecosystem integration. Until then, Tria offers the better available deal. If Tria's airdrop event delivers significant value, early adopters benefit from the XP farming. If MetaMask's ecosystem token launches first, MetaMask point holders benefit instead. Both cards are competing for the same DeFi-native audience in 2026.