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 Tria if you want rewards in a dollar-denominated asset (USDT) rather than ETHFI.
Key differences
- ether.fi Cash is self-custodial (you spend from your own wallet or vault); Tria is a self-custody wallet with a separate card balance you top up.
- Entry cost in the first year: $0 for ether.fi Cash (Core) and $20 for Tria (Lite), counting the annual fee and any virtual card fee.
- Entry-tier cashback: 3% in ETHFI for ether.fi Cash, 1.5% in USDT for Tria.
- Paying in a non-USD currency costs 1–1.5% with ether.fi Cash and 0–4% with Tria (FX plus any conversion fee).
- ether.fi Cash's entry card can withdraw cash at ATMs; Tria needs a paid physical card or higher tier for ATM cash.
The two cards
ether.fi Cash vs Tria 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 | Tria Card |
|---|---|---|
| Card network | Visa credit card Source: ether.fi Cash FAQ · checked 2026-10-10 | Visa Source: Tria: What are Tria Cards? · 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 | Self-custodial wallet, but card purchases are paid from a separate card balance you top up from the wallet Source: Tria Card top-up guide, Tria: What are Tria Cards? · 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 | Third National under the U.S. Card Terms; Nimbus, LLC under the International Card Terms Source: Tria U.S. Card Terms, Tria International Card Terms · 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 | Card support in 150+ countries per Tria's card article; the full list is the country dropdown in the app, and Tria's Prohibited Use Policy names the excluded places Source: Tria: What are Tria Cards?, Tria: KYC and supported countries, Tria Prohibited Use Policy · checked 2026-10-01 |
| 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 | Japan is not on Tria's Prohibited Use Policy, and Tria's ATM article names Japanese ATM networks (Seven Bank, E-net, Lawson Bank, Japan Post Bank, AEON Bank) for Pro and Max cards; confirm Japan in the app's country dropdown Source: Tria Prohibited Use Policy, Tria: ATM withdrawals · checked 2026-10-01 |
| 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 | Lite $20 a year (the free Virtual offer ended on 2026-09-26); Pro $109 and Max $250 a year in the card terms Source: Tria Memberships: Lite, Pro, Max, Tria International Card Terms · checked 2026-10-01 |
| 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 | Lite is digital only; Pro includes a plastic and Max a metal physical card (card terms list the issue fee equal to the annual fee) Source: Tria Memberships: Lite, Pro, Max, Tria International Card Terms · 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 | Tria's help center says zero Tria FX fees (Visa conversion still applies); the International Card Terms allow up to 3% FX plus up to 1% on international transactions Source: Tria: What are Tria Cards?, Tria International Card Terms · 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 | Top up from 1,000+ tokens; no direct Tria deposit fee, but a provider fee can apply to swaps or bridging; minimum $10 for most tokens Source: Tria Card top-up guide, Tria: provider fees · 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 | Lite 1.5% on the first $1,000 a month, then 0.5%; Pro 4.5% and Max 6% up to their monthly caps; paid in USDT Source: Tria Memberships: Lite, Pro, Max, Tria card cashback terms · checked 2026-10-01 |
| 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 | Not available on Lite; Pro and Max pay $1 + 1% per withdrawal, up to $750 each and 3 withdrawals in 24 hours Source: Tria: ATM withdrawals · 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 where supported Source: Tria: What are Tria Cards? · checked 2026-10-01 |
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 | Tria |
|---|---|---|
| Entry tier | Core | Lite |
| Fixed cost, first year | $0 | $20 |
| FX and conversion on $1,000 | $10.00–$15.00 | $0.00–$40.00 |
| Cashback on $1,000 | $30.00 in ETHFI | $15.00 in USDT |
| Cashback minus FX | +$15.00 to +$20.00 | -$25.00 to +$15.00 |
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)
- You want the lower entry cost ($0 vs $20 in the first year)
- You need ATM cash without buying a physical card or paid tier
- 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 want rewards in a dollar-denominated asset (USDT) rather than ETHFI
- Self-custody users who want to top up from many tokens rather than only stablecoins Source: Tria Card top-up guide · checked 2026-10-01
- Steady monthly spenders who can use the higher Pro or Max rates inside their caps Source: Tria Memberships: Lite, Pro, Max · checked 2026-10-01
- The entry Lite tier now costs $20 a year and cannot withdraw cash Source: Tria Memberships: Lite, Pro, Max, Tria: ATM withdrawals · checked 2026-10-01
- In August 2026 a flaw at card issuer Rain affected 636 users' card balances; Tria refunded them in full plus 10%, so keep only near-term spending on the card Source: Tria on X: card-balance refunds completed plus 10% · 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
- Tria: Japan is not on Tria's Prohibited Use Policy, and Tria's ATM article names Japanese ATM networks (Seven Bank, E-net, Lawson Bank, Japan Post Bank, AEON Bank) for Pro and Max cards; confirm Japan in the app's country dropdown Source: Tria Prohibited Use Policy, Tria: ATM withdrawals · checked 2026-10-01
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 Tria 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 Tria: 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); or you want the lower entry cost ($0 vs $20 in the first year); or you need ATM cash without buying a physical card or paid tier. Pick Tria if you want rewards in a dollar-denominated asset (USDT) rather than ETHFI.
Can I get ether.fi Cash or Tria 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). Tria: Japan is not on Tria's Prohibited Use Policy, and Tria's ATM article names Japanese ATM networks (Seven Bank, E-net, Lawson Bank, Japan Post Bank, AEON Bank) for Pro and Max cards; confirm Japan in the app's country dropdown (checked 2026-10-01). 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 Tria?
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. Tria: Lite $20 a year (the free Virtual offer ended on 2026-09-26); Pro $109 and Max $250 a year in the card terms; Lite is digital only; Pro includes a plastic and Max a metal physical card (card terms list the issue fee equal to the annual fee); FX: Tria's help center says zero Tria FX fees (Visa conversion still applies); the International Card Terms allow up to 3% FX plus up to 1% on international transactions.
How does ether.fi Cash cashback compare with Tria?
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). Tria: Lite 1.5% on the first $1,000 a month, then 0.5%; Pro 4.5% and Max 6% up to their monthly caps; paid in USDT (checked 2026-10-01).
Is ether.fi Cash or Tria 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). Tria: Self-custodial wallet, but card purchases are paid from a separate card balance you top up from the wallet (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.