Wirex launched in 2014 and has outlasted most crypto card programmes, offering multi-currency accounts, crypto spending and a free tier that works. Its history also contains the clearest example of why issuer stability matters.
The 2023 disruption
In June 2023 the Bank of Lithuania revoked the electronic money licence of UAB PayrNet, the issuer behind Wirex's EEA cards, for anti-money-laundering failures. Wirex customers in the region found their cards stopped working with little notice, though account balances and IBAN services were unaffected, and the programme was moved to Transact Payments Malta. Nobody lost funds, and people who relied on the card for daily spending discovered how quickly that reliance can be interrupted by a partner's regulator.
What it offers
Multi-currency accounts holding fiat and crypto, spending in a range of currencies, and a cashback programme tied to holding WXT tokens. The free tier is usable; premium tiers carry monthly fees for higher limits and better rates.
Support
Consistently the weakest part of the product according to user reports — slow responses and difficulty escalating problems, which compounds badly when a card fails abroad.
Who should use it
Users specifically wanting multi-currency accounts alongside crypto spending, who keep an alternative card available. For pure crypto spending, better-supported alternatives exist.