Based Card Review (2026)

The Based Card earns 0-4% $BASED cashback on a Visa debit card with a $20/yr (Orange tier) fee, available in Global excluding sanctioned regions.

Reviewed by Card Pilled Editorial ยท Last verified 2026-09-08

Key Facts

Cashback
0-4% $BASED
Annual Fee
$20/yr (Orange tier)
Region
Global excluding sanctioned regions
Type
Debit
Network
Visa
KYC
unknown

Overview

BasedApp is a self-custodial spending app whose card runs on Xfers Pte. Ltd, the Singapore entity behind the StraitsX stablecoin issuer (XSGD, XUSD). Rewards are paid in the app's own $BASED token and the reward tier is set by how much $BASED the cardholder stakes.

The Based Card is a crypto debit card offered by BasedApp (Xfers Pte. Ltd), available in Global excluding sanctioned regions. It offers 0-4% $BASED cashback across 3 reward tiers, giving users the ability to earn higher rates as they increase their commitment. The annual fee starts at $20/yr (Orange tier).

It is a strong fit for privacy-conscious users who want to keep custody of their keys while spending. It runs on the Visa network.

Cashback Tiers

Based Card cashback tiers and requirements
TierRateRequirement
Orange0%Entry tier, no staking required. Costs US$20 per year and carries a 2.5% FX fee; no cashback rate is published for this tier
HYPE2%Stake 10,000 $BASED. Cuts the FX fee to 1.5%
Gold4%Stake 100,000 $BASED. Cuts the FX fee to 0%

Pros

Cons

Fees & Costs

FX Fee
2.5% Orange / 1.5% HYPE / 0% Gold
Top-Up Fee
0% on USDT, USDC and XSGD

Limits & Top-Up

Top-Up Assets
USDT, USDC, XSGD
Top-Up Methods
Stablecoin deposit into the self-custodial wallet
Virtual Card Fee
$0
Physical Card Fee
$0 (replacement $100)

Who's behind this card

Issuing bank
Xfers Pte. Ltd

Cost & Returns

On $500/mo spend, the estimated monthly cost breakdown for Based Card is: gas $0.00, conversion spread $7.50, flat/FX fees $0.00, and amortised card/tier fee $1.67, for a total drag of 1.8% of spend. After $0.00/mo cashback that is still a net cost of about $9.17/mo ($110.04/yr). Based Card tops up from a centralized balance, so there is no on-chain gas cost regardless of how often you reload. Figures are conservative estimates and vary with conditions.

Note: Self-custodial Visa card funded with USDT, USDC or XSGD, with free top-ups and gasless deposits via Gelato Relay. The tier ladder is a staking ladder rather than a spending ladder: staking $BASED both raises the cashback rate and cuts the FX fee, so the Orange entry tier is the expensive one (US$20/yr and 2.5% FX with no published cashback rate) and Gold is free of FX cost. Cashback is paid in $BASED, so its value moves with the token, not with the dollar. GAPS: BasedApp does not publish annual fees for the HYPE and Gold tiers, does not state a KYC level anywhere (it says only that a credit check is not required, which is not the same thing), and does not render its supported-country list as a fetchable page. An exclusion count of 74 countries appears on opencryptocards but not on any BasedApp page, so it is recorded here as a note rather than as data. Network confirmed as Visa from BasedApp's own docs ('Based Visa Card'); the marketing card page never names it.

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FAQ

What is the Based Card?

The Based Card is a crypto debit card offered by BasedApp (Xfers Pte. Ltd). It is available in Global excluding sanctioned regions and allows users to spend cryptocurrency at merchants worldwide.

How much cashback does the Based Card offer?

The Based Card offers 0-4% $BASED cashback. There are 3 tiers: Orange (0%), HYPE (2%), Gold (4%).

What are the fees for the Based Card?

The Based Card has an annual fee of $20/yr (Orange tier). Additional fees: FX fee: 2.5% Orange / 1.5% HYPE / 0% Gold; Top-up: 0% on USDT, USDC and XSGD.

How do you top up the Based Card?

Supported assets include USDT, USDC, XSGD; top-up methods include Stablecoin deposit into the self-custodial wallet.

Which countries is the Based Card available in?

The Based Card is available in Global excluding sanctioned regions.

Is the Based Card a credit or debit card?

The Based Card is a debit card. You need to load cryptocurrency onto the card before making purchases.

Is the Based Card a non-custodial card?

Yes, the Based Card is a non-custodial (self-custody) card. This means you retain control of your private keys and your crypto is not held by a third party. Funds are only converted at the point of sale, reducing counterparty risk compared to custodial alternatives.

Who issues the Based Card?

The Based Card is issued by Xfers Pte. Ltd.

Visit BasedApp (Xfers Pte. Ltd)

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