Both ether.fi and RedotPay are Visa crypto cards, available in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Japan. ether.fi has lower fees on TWD and other non-USD spending and pays rewards on its free Core tier; RedotPay is custodial, and its 3% reward requires a paid Pro subscription. See What to know before applying for fees and risks.
How do ether.fi and RedotPay compare?
| Feature | ether.fi | RedotPay |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Taiwan: yes (Hong Kong and Japan too) | Taiwan: yes (Hong Kong and Japan too; not in the US or mainland China) |
| Card network | Visa | Visa |
| Virtual / physical card | Both | Both |
| Issuance fee | First virtual card free in Taiwan; Core physical card $60 including shipping | Virtual card $10; physical card $100 |
| Annual fee | No annual fee on Core | No monthly or annual fee (Pro costs extra) |
| Non-USD purchase fee (TWD example) | About 1%–1.5% (Core) | 2.2% |
| Base rewards | Core non-euro spending: 3% on the first $2,000 per month, 1% up to $3,000, then 0.5%; euro and non-euro spending share the monthly total | — |
| Top rewards and requirements | VIP: 4% on the first $50,000 of monthly non-euro spending; Pinnacle: 3% on the first $50,000, plus 20% on selected subscriptions (up to $20 per month). Unlock Pinnacle with 25,000 points per month, $100,000 deposited in Liquid, staking 150,000 ETHFI, or a $999 annual fee. Select subscription categories in the app; App Store-billed and bundled subscriptions do not qualify. | Pro: 3% on Apple Pay or Google Pay purchases only; $12.90 monthly or $129 annually |
| Reward cap | Rate drops by monthly spending tier; paid in ETHFI, claimable 7 days after settlement, with a $5 minimum claim | 18 USDs per month; expires after 30 days and can only be used for later card purchases |
| Apple Pay / Google Pay | Both supported | Apple Pay: supported, but some existing cards must be upgraded first; Google Pay: virtual cards supported |
| LINE Pay / JKOPay | LINE Pay: confirmed in Taiwan; JKOPay: not supported there | LINE Pay: — in Taiwan; JKOPay: not supported there |
| Custody | Non-custodial; you hold your funds | Custodial account |
| Sign-up codes | 99bc0818 (automatically applied via referral link) | s1wds (enter in the app during registration); virtual card: PENCHAN, physical card: PENCHANP, for 20% off the issuance fee |
- Fees: On a TWD purchase, RedotPay’s 2.2% is higher than ether.fi Core’s 1%–1.5%.
- Rewards: ether.fi Core earns 3% on the first $2,000 of monthly non-euro spending. RedotPay’s 3% requires Pro and is limited to Apple Pay or Google Pay purchases.
- Custody: ether.fi keeps funds in your own account; RedotPay holds them as a custodian, so you rely on the platform.
- Physical cards: ether.fi Core costs $60; RedotPay costs $100.
- Wallets: LINE Pay binding has been tested with ether.fi in Taiwan.
Who is ether.fi suited to?
- People who want to keep control of their funds while spending stablecoins day to day.
- People who often spend in currencies other than USD and care about fees.
- Taiwan-based users who want to pay with LINE Pay or Alipay.
- Higher spenders looking to upgrade to Luxe or Pinnacle through points, staking or an annual fee.
Who is RedotPay suited to?
- People who want to start with a $10 virtual card and add it to a mobile wallet.
- People who mainly pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay and are willing to subscribe to Pro for rewards.
- People who prefer platform custody and do not want to manage their own account.
What to know before applying
- ether.fi rewards are paid in ETHFI, whose price can fluctuate; there is a 7-day wait. ATM, investment and gambling categories do not earn rewards.
- ether.fi Borrow Mode is a loan with a variable rate, and collateral can be liquidated. It applies only if you enable it.
- RedotPay Pro fees are generally non-refundable. Rewards must be used mainly in the country or region where Pro was activated, or the service may be suspended.
- RedotPay Credit requires staking crypto assets for a credit limit. A risk index of 0.9 triggers liquidation; this risk does not apply if you do not use Credit.
- Some existing RedotPay cards must be upgraded before they can be added to Apple Pay. Some ether.fi accounts require a $10 crypto deposit before identity verification.
Application guides
For step-by-step application instructions, where to enter referral codes, and usage details for Taiwan and Hong Kong, see the ether.fi card application guide and RedotPay discount code and application guide. For each card’s fees and rewards, see the ether.fi review and comparison and RedotPay review and comparison.
