Plus (Ruby Steel) Review 2026

Plus (Ruby Steel) Review

The Crypto.com Plus Card (formerly Ruby Steel) is the first rewards-bearing tier in the Crypto.com Visa program, offering 2% CRO cashback (capped at $25/month), a 3-month Spotify rebate, 0% FX fees, and $400/month free ATM withdrawals with a $4.99/month subscription or $500 12-month CRO staking lockup.

The First Rung on the CRO Rewards Ladder

Our fee audit covers the Plus card's real costs, reward caps, and when to upgrade. The Crypto.com Plus card is where rewards begin. The Basic tier earns 0% - so Plus is the first tier where Crypto.com asks for either recurring spend commitment or CRO balance commitment in exchange for cashback. You unlock 2% CRO rewards by either paying $4.99/month (or $49.90/year) or by staking $500 in CRO for 12 months.

The critical detail that most reviews miss: if your subscription lapses or your stake expires and you do not renew, your reward rate drops to 0% immediately. There is no grace period, no warning, no partial rate. You are either earning 2% or earning nothing.

Card Specs: What You Are Actually Getting

Physical and Virtual Cards

Plus (Ruby Steel) - SG$650 CRO stake, 2% card spending rewards, 4.5% APR on cash, metal card. The first tier with rewards.

• Virtual card: Issued instantly upon subscription activation or stake confirmation. Usable immediately for online purchases and mobile wallets
• Physical card: Metal card (one of the lowest-cost metal crypto cards available). Ruby red finish with Crypto.com branding
• Design: Distinctive red metal construction - a significant upgrade from the plastic Basic card
• Shipping: Physical card delivery varies by region (1-3 weeks)

Payment Network

• Network: Visa prepaid debit
• Acceptance: 80M+ merchants worldwide
• Contactless: Yes (NFC), standard Visa limits
• Mobile wallets: Apple Pay, Google Pay
• Online: Works at all standard online merchants; some recurring billing services may reject prepaid cards

Security Features

• 2FA: Biometric (Face ID, fingerprint) and PIN authentication
• Instant freeze/unfreeze: One-tap toggle in the Crypto.com App
• Real-time notifications: Push alerts for every transaction
• Visa Zero Liability: Unauthorized transaction protection
• Prepaid safeguard: No credit line, no overdraft, spend only what you load

How Spending Works: Transaction Flow

Example: $75 dinner at a restaurant in New York

Step 1: Load card balance

• Open the Crypto.com App, tap "Top Up Card"
• Fund with CRO, BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, or fiat (bank transfer via ACH)
• Crypto is converted to USD at the current market rate. No additional conversion fee on top-up
• Make sure your balance covers the purchase amount

Step 2: Pay at the restaurant

• Tap your Ruby Steel card or use Apple Pay
• Visa processes the $75 charge
• Your prepaid card balance is debited $75 instantly
• Push notification confirms the transaction

Step 3: CRO reward calculation

• The Crypto.com system applies your 2% rate to the eligible purchase amount
• $75 x 2% = $1.50 in CRO
• This counts toward your $25 monthly cap
• If you have already earned $25 this month, no additional CRO is credited

Step 4: CRO credited to your account

• CRO rewards appear in your Crypto.com App wallet, typically within 24 hours
• You can hold, sell, stake, or transfer the CRO immediately
• The CRO is credited at the market price at the time of the reward calculation

Monthly cap mechanics: At 2% cashback, you hit the $25 monthly cap when your eligible spending reaches $1,250. Every dollar above $1,250 earns nothing for the rest of that billing cycle. The cap resets on the 1st of each month.

Fee Deep Dive: Subscription vs Staking

Subscription vs Staking: Which Path Is Better?

Subscription ($4.99/month):

• Lower commitment: cancel anytime, rewards drop to 0%
• Predictable cost: $59.88/year
• No price risk: your $4.99 is spent regardless of CRO price
• Best for: Users who want flexibility and are not bullish on CRO

Staking ($500 CRO lockup for 12 months):

• No monthly cost: $0 recurring fees
• Capital at risk: if CRO drops 50%, your $500 stake is worth $250
• Capital upside: if CRO doubles, your $500 stake is worth $1,000
• Break-even vs subscription: you "save" $59.88/year in subscription fees but lock $500 in a volatile asset
• Best for: Users who are already bullish on CRO and would hold it regardless

The math: If CRO drops more than 12% in 12 months, the subscription path would have been cheaper (12% of $500 = $60, roughly equal to the annual subscription). If CRO is flat or rises, the staking path wins.

ROI Analysis: When Does Plus Pay for Itself?

Subscription Path Break-Even

At 2% cashback, you need to spend $250/month to break even on the $4.99 subscription ($250 x 2% = $5.00).

Cap ceiling: At $1,250/month, you max out at $25 CRO. Spending $2,000/month or $5,000/month earns the same $25. If you consistently spend above $1,250/month, the Pro tier ($29.99/mo, 3% CRO, $75 cap) becomes more efficient.

When to Upgrade to Pro

The Pro tier costs $29.99/month for 3% with a $75 cap. The crossover point:

Pro's net advantage (after its higher subscription) starts at approximately $1,500/month spending. Below $1,500/month, Plus is more cost-effective.

The Spotify Rebate: How It Actually Works

Plus includes a 3-month Spotify rebate - 100% reimbursement in CRO for your Spotify subscription.

How it works:

1. Link your Spotify account billing to the Crypto.com card
2. When Spotify charges your card (e.g., $10.99/month), Crypto.com reimburses the full amount in CRO
3. The CRO is credited at market price and appears in your app wallet
4. This continues for 3 months from activation

Value: $10.99 x 3 = $32.97 in CRO over the rebate period.

The fine print:

• The rebate is in CRO, not cash. If CRO drops 30% before you sell, your actual value is $23.08
• After 3 months, the rebate expires. To continue getting Spotify rebated, you need to upgrade to Pro (6 months) or Private (permanent)
• Truth+ subscription is also rebated for 3 months on Plus

Impact on break-even: The $32.97 Spotify rebate effectively covers 6.6 months of the $4.99 subscription. Combined with cashback, a user spending $500/month breaks even in month 1 and is net positive for the entire first year.

Foreign Exchange: Advertised vs Reality

Advertised: 0% foreign transaction fees.

Reality: Identical to Basic - Crypto.com charges 0% on top of the Visa exchange rate. The Visa rate includes a small spread vs interbank (typically 0.3-0.5%).

Example: EUR 200 purchase in Berlin (card base currency: USD)

The Plus advantage on FX: When reviewing international spending costs, unlike Basic (where you pay the Visa spread and get nothing back), Plus earns 2% CRO on international purchases. Since the Visa spread is only 0.3-0.5%, your 2% cashback more than covers it - making international spending actually net positive by approximately 1.5-1.7%.

Limits and Restrictions

Spending and ATM Limits

Reward Exclusions

The 2% CRO rate does not apply to:

• Financial services transactions (peer-to-peer transfers, money orders)
• Government payments (taxes, fines)
• Crypto exchange purchases (buying crypto with the card)
• Gambling sites in certain jurisdictions

Workaround: Pay excluded categories from your bank account. Use the Plus card exclusively for reward-eligible retail, dining, and travel spending to maximize the $25 monthly cap.

What Happens If Crypto.com Goes Bankrupt?

Your card balance:

• Held by Crypto.com's licensed entity. In the EU, e-money regulations require fund segregation
• Recovery timeline: 30-90 days in regulated jurisdictions
• Not FDIC insured (US) or FSCS protected (UK) as it is e-money, not a bank deposit

Your CRO rewards:

• Held in your Crypto.com App wallet (custodial). If the exchange fails, pending and accumulated CRO is at risk
• Crypto.com maintains $750M insurance via Lloyd's of London
• Mitigation: Transfer earned CRO to a self-custody wallet (MetaMask, Ledger) regularly. Do not let rewards accumulate on the platform

Your CRO stake ($500, staking path only):

• Locked for 12 months. Cannot be withdrawn early
• If Crypto.com fails during your lockup, the staked CRO is at risk
• This is the primary risk of the staking path vs subscription

Comparison:

• Gnosis Pay: Self-custodial, funds in Safe wallet. Zero platform exposure
• Plutus: Fiat in FCA-regulated Modulr account, PLU rewards in your own wallet. Minimal exposure
• Crypto.com Plus: Fully custodial. Card balance, rewards, and stake are all on the platform

Real User Scenarios

Scenario 1: Priya (Remote Worker in Portugal, $1,200/month spending)

Setup:

• Plus tier via subscription ($4.99/month)
• Spends in EUR for rent (excluded), groceries, dining, and co-working
• Eligible spending approximately $900/month (after rent exclusion)
• Uses Spotify rebate (3 months)

Results after 12 months:

• Eligible spending: $10,800
• CRO earned: $216 (capped at $18/month average due to some months under $1,250)
• Spotify rebate (3 months): $32.97 in CRO
• Subscription cost: -$59.88
• FX savings vs old bank card (2% FX fee on EUR spending): approx. $216
• Net annual value: approx. $405 ($216 CRO + $32.97 Spotify + $216 FX savings - $59.88 subscription)

Her verdict: "The CRO cashback alone almost covers the subscription. Add Spotify and FX savings and I am well ahead. The $25 cap is annoying but I rarely hit it."

Scenario 2: Tom (US Office Worker, $2,000/month domestic spending)

Setup:

• Plus tier via $500 CRO staking (12 months)
• All domestic USD spending (no FX benefit)
• Hits the $25 monthly cap every month ($1,250 of $2,000 is "productive")

Results after 12 months:

• CRO earned: $300 ($25/month x 12)
• Spotify rebate: $32.97 in CRO
• Subscription cost: $0 (staking path)
• CRO price movement: -15% during lockup ($500 stake worth $425, -$75 paper loss)
• Net annual value: $300 + $32.97 - $75 price drop = $257.97

His verdict: "Even with CRO dropping 15%, I came out ahead. But $750 of my monthly spending earns nothing because of the cap. I am upgrading to Pro next year."

Scenario 3: Leila (UK Student, $600/month spending)

Setup:

• Plus tier via subscription ($4.99/month)
• Mix of online and in-store purchases, some international (EUR merchants)
• Spotify Premium user (gets the rebate)

Results after 12 months:

• CRO earned: $144 ($600 x 2% x 12)
• Spotify rebate: $32.97 in CRO
• Subscription cost: -$59.88
• FX savings on EUR purchases (approx. $100/month): approx. $24
• Net annual value: approx. $141 ($144 + $32.97 + $24 - $59.88)

Her verdict: "I get free Spotify for three months and earn back more than the subscription costs. For a student budget, this is the sweet spot before I can afford Pro."

How Crypto.com Plus Compares

For budget-conscious users ($500-1,250/month):

• Bybit Card: Free, up to 10% on select rotating categories, no subscription. Higher peak reward but less consistent. No lifestyle perks
• KAST Standard: Free, 1% cashback + 4% $MOVE, 2-minute KYC. Better for users who want to test card spend before paying into a monthly plan. KAST rewards are pre-TGE (speculative)
• Bitpanda Card: Free, 1% cashback in BTC, 0% FX, EEA only. Lower rate but no subscription

For users considering an upgrade:

• Crypto.com Pro: $29.99/month for 3% with $75 cap + lounge access + Netflix. Worth it above $1,500/month spend
• Plutus Everyday: GBP 9.99/month for 3% + 2 perk slots, GBP 500 eligible spend cap, 2.5% FX on non-domestic. Higher rate but subscription cost and FX fee limit value. UK/EEA only

Plus unique value: The only crypto card that combines a sub-$5/month subscription with 2% guaranteed CRO rewards, 0% FX, a metal card, and backing from a top-3 global crypto platform. The Spotify rebate for the first 3 months effectively makes the card free to start.

The Verdict: Is the Crypto.com Plus Card Worth It in 2026?

Use the Plus card if:

• You spend $250+/month on a card and want to start earning CRO
• You are already a Spotify user (the 3-month rebate effectively pays for 6+ months of the subscription)
• You want a metal card with 0% FX fees for under $5/month
• You are testing the Crypto.com ecosystem before committing to Pro ($29.99/mo) or staking $5,000+

Skip the Plus card if:

• You spend over $1,250/month consistently. The $25 cap wastes your spending volume. Upgrade to Pro
• You want cashback without any recurring cost. Bybit, KAST, and Bitpanda all offer free cards with rewards
• You prioritize self-custody. Plus is fully custodial. Consider Gnosis Pay or MetaMask
• You are not comfortable with CRO price risk (staking path) or a recurring subscription (subscription path)

Final verdict: We rate the Crypto.com Plus card as the lowest-cost way to start earning CRO rewards without jumping straight into the higher subscription tiers. At $4.99/month with a $250 break-even, the economics are easy to test. The Spotify rebate, 0% FX, and metal card design deliver tangible value beyond the cashback number. The $25 monthly cap is the main limitation - once you outgrow it, Pro is the natural next step.