CASHBACK
Verified Benefit
SELF CUSTODY SPEND
Verified Benefit
STABLECOIN SPEND
Verified Benefit
Our Official Verdict
Premium Self-Custody: 3% Back on Every Swipe, Zero FX
Ready Metal is the premium self-custody card for European crypto users. At $120/year, the 3% STRK cashback pays for itself at just $333/month in spending. Combined with 0% FX fees and $800/month free ATM, it competes directly with Crypto.com's Jade tier but with genuine self-custody instead of exchange custody. The 16g metal build and partner perks round out a compelling package.
Fees & Charges
Annual Fee
$120
FX Fee
0%
ATM Fee
2%
Requirements
Supported Regions
EEA, UK
Spendable Assets
USDC
Ready Metal Card Review
The Ready Metal Card is a premium 16g self-custody metal Mastercard on Starknet offering 3% cashback in STRK, 0% foreign exchange fees, and $800/month in free ATM withdrawals for 120 USDC per year.
The Premium Self-Custody Card Europe Needed
The Ready Metal Card is what happens when a wallet team with 9 years of security track record decides to compete directly with exchange-backed metal cards. For 120 USDC/year, you get 3% cashback in STRK, zero FX fees, $800/month in free ATM withdrawals, and a 16g metal card, all while your USDC stays in your own Starknet smart contract wallet until the moment you spend.
This puts it in direct competition with Crypto.com's Jade/Indigo tier, which also offers 3% cashback but requires $4,000 in CRO staked in a custodial exchange. Ready asks for $120. The trade-off is clear: less capital locked up, genuine self-custody, but USDC-only and EEA/UK exclusive.
Spending and Mechanics
Network: Mastercard (global acceptance, 140+ countries) Funding: USDC only on Starknet Digital wallets: Google Pay (live), Apple Pay (coming soon) Card material: 16g metal (gold or silver finish) Virtual card: Included free, instant issuance
The Metal card shares the same $5,000 single transaction, $10,000 daily, and $30,000 monthly spending limits as the Lite tier. Higher limits are available on request through support.
ROI Analysis: 3% Cashback Math
At realistic spending levels:
| Monthly Spend | Annual Cashback (STRK) | Net After $120 Fee | Monthly ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| $333 | $120 | $0 (break-even) | 0% |
| $1,000 | $360 | $240 | 2% net |
| $2,000 | $720 | $600 | 2.5% net |
| $5,000 (cap) | $1,800 | $1,680 | 2.8% net |
Break-even: $120 / 3% = $4,000/year or $333/month. Above this, every dollar spent returns 3 cents in STRK. The $5,000/month spending cap means maximum annual cashback is $1,800 in STRK.
First 30 days bonus: New Metal cardholders earn 10% cashback on up to $1,500 spent, worth up to $150 in STRK, effectively covering the annual fee in the first month.
Fee Analysis: The Real Cost
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | 120 USDC (upfront, no auto-renewal) |
| FX fee | 0% |
| Conversion spread | 0% (Mastercard rate, no markup) |
| ATM (under $800/mo) | Free |
| ATM (over $800/mo) | 2% |
| Top-up fee | $0 |
| Gas fee | $0 |
The 0% FX fee is the headline differentiator from Lite. For EEA users who travel frequently or spend in multiple currencies, the savings are substantial. At $2,000/month in cross-border spending, the Lite card's 1% FX costs $20/month ($240/year). Metal's 0% FX saves that entire amount, making the effective cost of Metal just $120 - $240 = -$120 (it pays for itself in FX savings alone before cashback).
Exclusive Perks
Metal cardholders get partner discounts on:
- Ramp: Discounted crypto purchases (not available in UK)
- Layerswap: Bridging fees refunded in STRK weekly (up to $100/month)
- Koinly: Tax reporting discount (not for existing subscribers)
- Nansen: On-chain analytics discount
- StarknetID: Identity discount
- Airalo: eSIM data packages
- NordVPN: VPN discount
The Layerswap perk is particularly valuable: up to $100/month in bridge fees refunded effectively gives Metal users free cross-chain transfers, which pairs well with the USDC funding model.
Security and Self-Custody
Identical architecture to Lite: Starknet smart contract wallet with dual-signature (user + co-signer). Kulipa issues the card and handles KYC. Ready never holds your funds. Card freeze available instantly in-app. PIN viewable via Face ID.
The Metal Card NFT is a non-transferable token unlocking on-chain perks for early adopters.
Verdict
Ready Metal is the strongest self-custody card in Europe for users who spend over $333/month. The 3% cashback matches Crypto.com Jade without requiring $4,000 in locked capital, and the 0% FX eliminates a cost that most competitors charge. The main risk is the STRK cashback program's dependency on Starknet Foundation quarterly reviews. If you spend under $333/month, the Ready Lite card is free and offers the same self-custody architecture.
Fees and break-even math
Break-even: $120 / 0.03 = $4,000/year ($333/month). FX break-even vs Lite: At any cross-border spending, Metal saves 1% FX. At $1,000/month cross-border, that is $120/year in FX savings alone, covering the full annual fee. Maximum annual yield: $1,800 in STRK cashback - $120 fee = $1,680 net (at $5,000/month cap).
Competitor comparison
- vs Crypto.com Jade/Indigo: Both 3% cashback, but Crypto.com requires $4,000 CRO stake (custodial) vs Ready's $120/year (self-custodial). Crypto.com has lounge access and Netflix rebate; Ready has Layerswap/Ramp perks. Crypto.com supports BTC/ETH spending; Ready is USDC-only.
- vs ether.fi Luxe: ether.fi requires 10,000 loyalty points. Ready requires $120. Both are self-custody. ether.fi supports multi-chain; Ready is Starknet-only. ether.fi is Visa; Ready is Mastercard.
- vs Wirex Elite: Wirex offers multi-asset spending and up to 8% cashback with staking, but it is custodial. Ready is self-custodial with 3% flat cashback. For custody-conscious users, Ready wins.
Sources
This is a debit card. Some merchants with pre-authorization holds (hotels, car rentals) may temporarily hold funds beyond the transaction amount.
You retain custody of your funds until the moment of spending. Your balance is not exposed to provider insolvency risk.
Fees shown above are the card's disclosed fees. Additional costs may apply: Visa/Mastercard network spread (typically 0.5-0.9%), crypto-to-fiat conversion spread at point of sale, and blockchain gas fees for on-chain top-ups.
Last verified: Feb 13, 2026 · Data sourced from official Ready documentation. · Methodology
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