Best Crypto Cards in France (2026)

The AMF (Autorite des marches financiers) is the primary regulator for crypto in France. Since 2019, France pioneered the PSAN (Prestataire de Services sur Actifs Numeriques) registration system, making it one of the first EU countries to require formal licensing for crypto service providers.

Under MiCA (effective 2024), PSAN has transitioned to the EU-wide CASP (Crypto-Asset Service Provider) framework. Any issuer licensed in the EEA can now serve French users through passporting. The AMF maintains a public blacklist of unauthorized providers and actively enforces advertising rules (the AMF-ACPR joint crypto advertising guidelines require balanced risk warnings).

Binance obtained PSAN registration in May 2022, confirming full French market access. Crypto.com holds a DASP (Digital Asset Service Provider) registration. Ledger, headquartered in Paris, operates under French regulatory oversight natively. OKX and Bybit serve French users through their EEA-licensed entities.

Before applying, verify the issuer holds either a PSAN/DASP registration or a MiCA CASP license visible on the AMF register (amf-france.org).

France applies a flat 30% tax (PFU, prelevement forfaitaire unique) on crypto capital gains for individuals. This "flat tax" breaks down as 12.8% income tax plus 17.2% social contributions (CSG/CRDS). Spending crypto through a card is a taxable disposition triggering PFU.

Example: You bought 0.01 BTC at EUR 400 and spend it when it is worth EUR 600. The EUR 200 gain is taxed at 30%, costing you EUR 60 in tax on a EUR 600 purchase.

Professional traders (activite habituelle) pay at their marginal income tax rate plus social charges, which can exceed 45%. The distinction between occasional and professional depends on frequency, tools used, and income proportion.

Key French rule: Crypto-to-crypto swaps are NOT taxable events. Only conversion to fiat (including card spending) triggers PFU. This creates a powerful swap-then-spend strategy (see Spending Tips below).

Fund with stablecoins to avoid the 30% PFU entirely. USDC spending generates near-zero capital gains, effectively reducing your crypto card tax rate to 0%.

French crypto card applications require a Carte nationale d'identite (CNI) or passport for identity verification, a justificatif de domicile dated within 3 months (utility bill, avis d'imposition, or bank statement), and your numero fiscal (13-digit tax identification number found on your avis d'imposition).

Verification through EEA-licensed issuers typically completes in minutes if you already hold an exchange account (Binance, Crypto.com, OKX). New account creation may take 1-3 business days for full KYC approval. Ledger card applications leverage existing Ledger Live accounts for faster onboarding.

Physical cards ship via La Poste to French addresses within 5-10 business days. Virtual cards are available immediately after approval for Apple Pay and Google Pay use.

The Swap-Then-Spend Strategy

France's crypto-to-crypto swap exemption is the single most valuable tax advantage for card users. Here is how it works: convert appreciated BTC or ETH to USDC (not a taxable event in France), then spend the USDC through your card (near-zero gain, near-zero PFU). The 30% flat tax applies only to the tiny stablecoin fluctuation, not the original BTC appreciation. This is legal under current French tax law and transforms the 30% PFU into an effective 0% rate.

Card Selection by Use Case

• Plutus (9% cashback, EUR 60/year): Best for heavy spenders who can justify the annual fee through perks
• Binance (8% cashback, free): Best all-around card for exchange users with zero annual or FX fees
• Ledger (1% cashback, free): Best for self-custody purists wanting a French-made card
• KAST (2% cashback, free): Best no-fee starter card for beginners

Break-Even: Plutus vs Binance

Plutus breaks even at EUR 500/month. Above that, the 1% cashback difference compounds in Plutus's favor.

Spending Scenario: EUR 1,500/month

The swap-then-spend strategy saves EUR 432/year on a EUR 1,500/month spend. Over 3 years, that is EUR 1,296 in avoided PFU.

Local Payment Infrastructure

France has strong contactless payment adoption, especially in Paris, Lyon, and Marseille. Carte Bancaire (CB) is the dominant domestic network, but all Visa and Mastercard crypto cards work at CB-enabled terminals (which is virtually everywhere). Apple Pay usage is growing rapidly, making crypto cards with Apple Pay support particularly practical for daily use. SEPA instant transfers enable fast EUR top-ups from any French bank account.

Dominant exchange-linked cards: Binance (PSAN-registered, 8% cashback), Crypto.com (DASP-registered, up to 5%), and OKX (5% cashback via Mastercard) are the three largest exchange issuers serving France with full regulatory compliance.

French-made self-custody: Ledger CL Card is the standout option. Headquartered in Paris, Ledger offers hardware wallet security with a Visa debit card. For French users who prioritize keeping their keys, this is the natural choice. Other self-custody options include MetaMask Card, Gnosis Pay, and 1inch Card.

EEA-passported issuers: Plutus (up to 9% with perks), Wirex (up to 8% at elite tier), Nexo (2% credit-style card), KAST, and xPlace all serve France through EEA licensing. Bybit and Bitget round out the exchange-linked options.

No major issuer has withdrawn from the French market. France's clear regulatory framework (PSAN/MiCA) makes it one of the most stable markets in Europe for crypto card availability. Domestic exchange platforms like Coinhouse hold PSAN registration but do not currently offer card products tracked in our comparison.