Pick ether.fi Cash if you want to spend from a wallet or vault you control instead of a balance held for you and you want the higher entry-tier cashback (3% vs 1.5%, paid in ETHFI). Pick KAST if you prefer a simple app balance to managing your own wallet and you want rewards in a dollar-denominated asset (USD) rather than ETHFI.
Key differences
- ether.fi Cash is self-custodial (you spend from your own wallet or vault); KAST is custodial (the provider holds your balance).
- Entry-tier cashback: 3% in ETHFI for ether.fi Cash, 1.5% in USD for KAST.
- Paying in a non-USD currency costs 1–1.5% with ether.fi Cash and 0.5–1.75% with KAST (FX plus any conversion fee).
The two cards
ether.fi Cash vs KAST side by side
Entry-tier terms unless a row says otherwise. Where an issuer does not publish a figure, the cell says so instead of estimating.
| Check | ether.fi Cash | KAST Card |
|---|---|---|
| Card network | Visa credit card Source: ether.fi Cash FAQ · checked 2026-10-10 | Visa (Standard is Visa Platinum; Premium and Private are Visa Infinite) Source: KAST: Fees and Conditions · checked 2026-10-01 |
| Custody | Non-custodial account: you spend from your own vault with Direct Pay (USDC first, then LiquidUSD) or borrow against it in Borrow Mode Source: ether.fi: Direct Pay vs Borrow Mode, ether.fi Cash official page · checked 2026-10-10 | Custodial account: your deposits sit in a KAST account balance shown in US dollars Source: KAST Crypto Cards, KAST: Fees and Conditions · checked 2026-10-01 |
| Issuer | Not published: not named on the ether.fi pages we checked Source: ether.fi Cash FAQ · checked 2026-10-10 | KAST says it is not a bank and that licensed partners provide its cards; the issuer is named in your cardholder agreement Source: KAST Crypto Cards · checked 2026-10-01 |
| Who can apply | Countries listed in ether.fi's help article; physical delivery is not offered everywhere (Belgium and Ireland get Cash without a physical card) Source: ether.fi: countries where the Cash card is available · checked 2026-10-10 | Only countries in the sign-up dropdown; KAST publishes no full country list Source: KAST: is the card available in my country? · checked 2026-10-10 |
| Japan | Japan is listed as a country where the physical Cash card is available; KYC still applies Source: ether.fi: countries where the Cash card is available · checked 2026-10-10 | No public card-country list, but Japan is on KAST's Apple Pay availability list, which is based on the country of residence registered with KAST (help article updated 2026-09-10) Source: KAST: Apple Pay availability by country · checked 2026-10-10 |
| Annual or membership fee | Core free; Luxe $199 a year; Pinnacle $999 a year (or qualify through staking, Liquid balances or membership points) Source: ether.fi: membership levels · checked 2026-10-10 | Standard $0; Premium $1,000 a year; Private $10,000 a year Source: KAST membership tiers · checked 2026-10-06 |
| Card fee | Physical card $50 on Core and $100 on Luxe and Pinnacle beyond the included cards (another help article describes the Core card as free plus shipping); $10 first virtual card for Core in 14 listed countries Source: ether.fi: personal Cash card benefits and card fees, ether.fi: $10 first virtual card fee · checked 2026-10-10 | Standard physical card free with $40 delivery; Premium and Private include a physical card Source: KAST: Fees and Conditions · checked 2026-10-01 |
| FX and conversion | Prevailing base rate (about 1%) plus 0–0.5% on Core, 0–0.25% on Luxe and none on Pinnacle or VIP; the card is USD-based Source: ether.fi Cash: FX rate, ether.fi Cash: personal fees and limits · checked 2026-10-10 | 0% on USD spend; 0.5–1.75% FX fee on other currencies, plus $0.10 on non-USD purchases under $25 Source: KAST: paying in different currencies, KAST: Fees and Conditions · checked 2026-10-01 |
| Funding | Direct Pay spends USDC, then LiquidUSD, from your vault; Borrow Mode spends against vault collateral with interest from day one at a variable rate Source: ether.fi: Direct Pay vs Borrow Mode · checked 2026-10-10 | Supported stablecoins convert 1:1 at 0%; other tokens (BTC, ETH, SOL and others) auto-convert with a token-specific fee shown before you confirm Source: KAST: Fees and Conditions · checked 2026-10-01 |
| Cashback | 3% on the first $2,000 a month on Core ($10,000 Luxe, $50,000 Pinnacle), then 1% and 0.5%; paid in ETHFI, locked 7 days, claimable from $5 Source: ether.fi Cash: how cashback works, ether.fi Cash cashback terms · checked 2026-10-10 | 1.5% USD cashback on the first $2,000 a month (Standard), 2% to $10,000 (Premium), 3% to $40,000 (Private); Premium and Private add KAST Points Source: KAST membership tiers, KAST: Fees and Conditions · checked 2026-10-06 |
| ATM | $1,000 per withdrawal, up to 5 in a rolling 24 hours ($5,000); no cashback on ATM withdrawals Source: ether.fi Cash: personal fees and limits · checked 2026-10-10 | $3 + 2% per withdrawal; up to $250 each and 3 withdrawals or $750 per rolling 24 hours; no cashback Source: KAST: spending and ATM limits, KAST: Fees and Conditions · checked 2026-10-01 |
| Apple Pay / Google Pay | Apple Pay and Google Pay, as promoted on the Cash page Source: ether.fi Cash official page · checked 2026-10-10 | Apple Pay and Google Pay; Apple Pay depends on your registered country of residence Source: KAST: Apple Pay availability by country · checked 2026-10-10 |
Worked example: $1,000 a month in a non-USD currency
Same assumptions for both cards: entry tier, $1,000 of eligible card spending a month at a merchant charging in a currency other than US dollars, paid from a US-dollar stablecoin balance. The figures are our arithmetic from the rows above, not issuer quotes; reward tokens are valued at the moment they are paid.
| Per month | ether.fi Cash | KAST |
|---|---|---|
| Entry tier | Core | Standard |
| Fixed cost, first year | $0 | $0 |
| FX and conversion on $1,000 | $10.00–$15.00 | $5.00–$17.50 |
| Cashback on $1,000 | $30.00 in ETHFI | $15.00 in USD |
| Cashback minus FX | +$15.00 to +$20.00 | -$2.50 to +$10.00 |
Who should pick which
- You want to spend from a wallet or vault you control instead of a balance held for you
- You want the higher entry-tier cashback (3% vs 1.5%, paid in ETHFI)
- Self-custody users who want the highest free-tier headline rate and accept rewards paid in a token Source: ether.fi Cash: how cashback works · checked 2026-10-10
- Readers in Japan, which ether.fi lists for the physical card Source: ether.fi: countries where the Cash card is available · checked 2026-10-10
- Cashback is paid in ETHFI, whose price moves, and ATM withdrawals earn nothing Source: ether.fi Cash: how cashback works, ether.fi Cash cashback terms · checked 2026-10-10
- It is a credit card: Borrow Mode charges interest from the first day, and refunds do not reduce the borrow balance automatically Source: ether.fi: Direct Pay vs Borrow Mode · checked 2026-10-10
- You prefer a simple app balance to managing your own wallet
- You want rewards in a dollar-denominated asset (USD) rather than ETHFI
- Stablecoin holders who want a free entry tier with cashback paid in US dollars Source: KAST membership tiers · checked 2026-10-06
- Readers who spend mostly in USD, where KAST charges no card-spend fee Source: KAST: paying in different currencies · checked 2026-10-01
- Non-USD spending adds a 0.5–1.75% FX fee that depends on your residence and where you pay Source: KAST: paying in different currencies · checked 2026-10-01
- ATM withdrawals are capped at $250 each (fee included) and $750 per 24 hours Source: KAST: spending and ATM limits · checked 2026-10-01
Japan note
- ether.fi Cash: Japan is listed as a country where the physical Cash card is available; KYC still applies Source: ether.fi: countries where the Cash card is available · checked 2026-10-10
- KAST: No public card-country list, but Japan is on KAST's Apple Pay availability list, which is based on the country of residence registered with KAST (help article updated 2026-09-10) Source: KAST: Apple Pay availability by country · checked 2026-10-10
Paying with a card in Japan is not the same as being able to open one as a Japan resident. Select your real country of residence in the app and stop if it is not offered.
Next step
Check the country screen, the fee preview and a small first payment in the app before moving a larger balance.
The KAST button is our referral link; we may earn a commission at no cost to you, and it does not change the facts on this page. The ether.fi Cash link is not an affiliate link.FAQ
ether.fi Cash or KAST: which should I choose?
Pick ether.fi Cash if you want to spend from a wallet or vault you control instead of a balance held for you; or you want the higher entry-tier cashback (3% vs 1.5%, paid in ETHFI). Pick KAST if you prefer a simple app balance to managing your own wallet; or you want rewards in a dollar-denominated asset (USD) rather than ETHFI.
Can I get ether.fi Cash or KAST in Japan?
ether.fi Cash: Japan is listed as a country where the physical Cash card is available; KYC still applies (checked 2026-10-10). KAST: No public card-country list, but Japan is on KAST's Apple Pay availability list, which is based on the country of residence registered with KAST (help article updated 2026-09-10) (checked 2026-10-10). The issuer's app decides in the end, so check the country screen before you fund either card.
Which costs less, ether.fi Cash or KAST?
ether.fi Cash: Core free; Luxe $199 a year; Pinnacle $999 a year (or qualify through staking, Liquid balances or membership points); Physical card $50 on Core and $100 on Luxe and Pinnacle beyond the included cards (another help article describes the Core card as free plus shipping); $10 first virtual card for Core in 14 listed countries; FX: Prevailing base rate (about 1%) plus 0–0.5% on Core, 0–0.25% on Luxe and none on Pinnacle or VIP; the card is USD-based. KAST: Standard $0; Premium $1,000 a year; Private $10,000 a year; Standard physical card free with $40 delivery; Premium and Private include a physical card; FX: 0% on USD spend; 0.5–1.75% FX fee on other currencies, plus $0.10 on non-USD purchases under $25.
How does ether.fi Cash cashback compare with KAST?
ether.fi Cash: 3% on the first $2,000 a month on Core ($10,000 Luxe, $50,000 Pinnacle), then 1% and 0.5%; paid in ETHFI, locked 7 days, claimable from $5 (checked 2026-10-10). KAST: 1.5% USD cashback on the first $2,000 a month (Standard), 2% to $10,000 (Premium), 3% to $40,000 (Private); Premium and Private add KAST Points (checked 2026-10-06).
Is ether.fi Cash or KAST self-custodial?
ether.fi Cash: Non-custodial account: you spend from your own vault with Direct Pay (USDC first, then LiquidUSD) or borrow against it in Borrow Mode (checked 2026-10-10). KAST: Custodial account: your deposits sit in a KAST account balance shown in US dollars (checked 2026-10-01).
Official sources checked
Each table row shows its own source and check date; facts on this page were last checked on 2026-10-10. Terms change, so treat the issuer's app as the final word before applying or funding.