UPay Platinum Metal Card: Fees, Access and Coverage (2026)
Crypto cardholders spent $759 million in July 2026, roughly two and a half times the $306 million recorded a year earlier, according to Paymentscan data published by a16z crypto. Nearly nine million separate purchases went through those cards in that single month, at an average of $86 each. The UPay Platinum Metal Card is aimed at the part of that market that has outgrown a plastic prepaid card. It is a physical metal payment card funded by crypto and stablecoin balances, built for people who move money across borders as a matter of routine. What Is the UPay Platinum Metal Card? The UPay Platinum Metal Card is a physical metal payment card that draws on a crypto balance and converts to local currency at the point of sale. It runs on existing card network rails, so it works wherever that network is already accepted and asks nothing new of the merchant at checkout. Two things separate it from the standard UPay card. The first is the object itself, since the card body is metal rather than plastic and carries the weight that goes with that construction. The second is the tier, because a metal card sits at the top of a card programme and normally carries different limits and different access rules than the entry product. That second point matters considerably more than the finish, the metal card is a tier badge before it is a payment instrument, and the tier is what determines your limits, your rewards rate and your level of support. Read the tier terms rather than the material description whenever you are comparing premium cards. Across this market, MetaMask charges $199 a year for its Metal tier, which covers a 16 gram card accepted at Mastercard locations, and the company paused new Metal card orders on 2 June 2026. Crypto.com reserves its top Obsidian tier for holders staking EUR 450,000 in CRO. Wirex advertises cashback of up to 8%, though that headline rate requires an Elite plan at EUR 29.99 a month alongside 7.5 million locked WXT tokens, while the base tier pays 0.5%. RedotPay takes the one-off approach instead of the subscription approach. Its virtual card costs $10 and the physical card costs $100 with no monthly charge, and cross-currency spending carries roughly 2.2% once the 1% conversion charge and the 1.2% currency markup are combined. The standard RedotPay card pays no cashback at all. A paid membership launched in June 2026 pays up to 3%, but only on Apple Pay and Google Pay transactions and only up to a monthly cap. Kraken went a third route in March 2026 with the Krak Metal card, a precision-milled stainless steel Mastercard carrying no foreign exchange or ATM withdrawal fees. Two gates repeat across nearly every metal card on the market today. You either pay a recurring subscription, or you lock up a proprietary token and keep it locked to hold the tier. Both structures turn the card into a membership you have to keep funding, which is a very different proposition from a payment tool you top up when you actually need it. Card What unlocks the metal card Ongoing cost MetaMask Metal Metal tier subscription $199 a year. New orders paused since 2 June 2026 Crypto.com Obsidian A stake of EUR 450,000 in CRO The stake stays locked to keep the tier Wirex Elite 7.5 million WXT tokens locked EUR 29.99 a month for the top cashback rate RedotPay physical One-off issuance charge $100 to issue, about 2.2% on cross-currency spend UPay Platinum Metal Simply apply No monthly or annual card fee. Cost applied at top-up UPay takes the opposite position on recurring charges. There is no monthly fee, no annual fee and no dormancy charge across UPay’s crypto card programme, with costs applied at issuance and on top-ups instead. On the existing Platinum card, that guide prices virtual card issuance at $10 and applies a 2% fee on reloads. The running cost of the card therefore sits in the top-up rather than in a subscription you pay whether you spend or not. Where the UPay Platinum Metal Card Works UPay puts its card coverage at more than 168 countries and its funding options at more than 100 supported coins. Both are company-published figures rather than independently audited ones, which is normal across this category but worth stating plainly to the reader. The network underneath the card matters as much as the country count does. Artemis research reported in January 2026 that Visa captures more than 90% of on-chain card volume, largely through early partnerships with crypto-native infrastructure providers. By April 2026, Visa reported its stablecoin settlement programme running at a $7 billion annualised rate across nine blockchains, up 50% in a single quarter. Visa also runs more than 130 stablecoin-linked card programmes spread across more than fifty countries. Coverage is not permanent, and this is the part most comparison charts quietly get wrong. Binance discontinued its Visa debit card across the European Economic Area on 20 December 2023, then withdrew its European licence application and halted EEA crypto services on 1 July 2026. Anyone who chose that card on the strength of a comparison table found the footprint had moved underneath them. Check a provider’s current status in your own country before ordering any physical card, because metal takes weeks to arrive and a licence position can change faster than that. Funding behaviour has settled into a clear pattern as well. Dollar-backed stablecoins now account for roughly 84% of tracked crypto card spending, with USDC at about 58% and USDT at about 26% as of July 2026. Euro-backed EURe held close to 88% of that volume in early 2024 and has since fallen to around 2%. If you hold digital dollars and spend in several currencies, a card is now the most direct route between the two. What the Platinum Metal Card Does Not Do Four limitations are worth reading before you join any waitlist. The balance is custodial Your funds sit with
Introducing the UPay KOL Program: Creator Packages, Commissions and VIP Benefits
The UPay KOL Program is designed for creators who want to build a long-term partnership with UPay rather than participate in one-time promotions. It combines creator commissions with UPay’s existing VIP ecosystem, giving KOLs a clear path to earn, progress through VIP levels, and unlock additional partnership benefits as their performance grows. What You Get as a UPay KOL The program offers two creator packages based on audience reach and partnership potential: UPay Growth Creator and UPay Global Ambassador. UPay Growth Creator is designed for micro and mid-sized creators looking to monetize their audience while building a relationship with UPay. UPay Global Ambassador is designed for major creators and established KOLs, particularly those with 1M+ followers, who can support larger campaigns and reach broader audiences. Both packages include commissions, referral tools, UPay products and creator benefits. Global Ambassadors receive a higher complimentary VIP status and additional premium partnership benefits. Benefit UPay Growth Creator UPay Global Ambassador Target KOL Micro and mid sized KOLs KOLs with 1M+ followers Complimentary VIP Status VIP 2 VIP 5 Monthly Global eSIM Benefit 30 USDT 150 USDT Flexible Financial Yield Up to 1.50% Up to 1.60% Virtual Card Commission 50% / $5 per successful activation 50% / $5 per successful activation Physical Card Commission 30% / $30 per successful activation 30% / $30 per successful activation Signing Bonus Standard Premium customized Lucky Box Cashback Standard audience rewards Enhanced VIP audience rewards Referral Link Included Included Customized Funnel Personalized UPay code Fully customized and co branded funnel X or Discord Badge UPay Growth Creator UPay Global Ambassador Free Virtual Card Included Included Free Physical Card Not included New Edition Metal Card UPay Merchandise Creator merchandise package Exclusive VIP merchandise package Official UPay Reposts Selected content Priority official reposts Event Invitations Selected online and local events Priority VIP and international events In App Promotion Selected campaign exposure Dedicated VIP in app notification Partnership Support UPay marketing team Dedicated partnership manager How the UPay KOL Partnership Works Once accepted into the program, creators are assigned to the appropriate package and starting VIP level based on their audience, influence and partnership profile. Creators receive the tools needed to promote UPay, including a unique referral link and, depending on their package and VIP level, a personalized UPay code or customized campaign funnel. Creators can then introduce UPay to their audiences through relevant content and campaigns. Performance is measured through qualifying card activations and campaign results, with stronger performance providing a path to higher VIP levels and additional benefits. This structure allows the partnership to grow with the creator rather than remain limited to a single campaign. Earn From Successful Card Activations KOLs can earn commissions from successful card activations generated through their referral activity. For virtual cards, creators receive a 50% commission, equivalent to $5 per successful $10 activation. For physical cards, creators receive a 30% commission, equivalent to $30 per successful $100 activation. Card Type Commission Example Earnings Virtual Card 50% $5 per $10 successful activation Physical Card 30% $30 per $100 successful activation For example, 100 qualifying virtual card activations at $10 each would generate $500 in commission at the stated rate. Similarly, 50 qualifying physical card activations at $100 each would generate $1,500. Actual commission eligibility remains subject to UPay’s applicable campaign and qualification terms. Progress Through the UPay VIP Levels The UPay KOL Program connects creator performance with the existing UPay VIP ecosystem. The standard UPay VIP program requires users to meet specific USDT balance or 30 day card spending requirements. Eligible KOL partners receive complimentary VIP status during their active partnership period without needing to meet those standard requirements. The recommended progression is based on monthly card activations: KOL Level Recommended Monthly Card Activations Creator Package Included UPay VIP Level Regular Creator Under 10 Applicant Regular VIP 1 10 Growth Creator VIP 1 VIP 2 25 Growth Creator VIP 2 VIP 3 50 Growth Creator VIP 3 VIP 4 100 Growth Creator VIP 4 VIP 5 200 Global Ambassador VIP 5 VIP 6 350 Global Ambassador VIP 6 VIP 7 500 Global Ambassador VIP 7 VIP 8 750 Global Ambassador VIP 8 VIP 9 1,000 Global Ambassador VIP 9 These figures represent recommended monthly performance benchmarks. A creator generating 10 qualifying monthly activations can target VIP 1, while 25 activations corresponds to VIP 2. The recommended benchmark increases progressively to 1,000 monthly activations at VIP 9. More Performance, More Benefits The core commission structure remains available across the KOL VIP levels, while additional benefits increase according to the creator’s level. Benefit Regular VIP 1 VIP 2 VIP 3 VIP 4 VIP 5 VIP 6 VIP 7 VIP 8 VIP 9 Virtual Card Commission — 50% 50% 50% 50% 50% 50% 50% 50% 50% Earnings per $10 Virtual Card — $5 $5 $5 $5 $5 $5 $5 $5 $5 Physical Card Commission — 30% 30% 30% 30% 30% 30% 30% 30% 30% Earnings per $100 Physical Card — $30 $30 $30 $30 $30 $30 $30 $30 $30 Signing Bonus — Starter Standard Standard Standard Premium Premium VIP VIP Custom Lucky Box Cashback — Basic Basic Standard Enhanced Enhanced Premium Premium VIP Exclusive Unique Referral Link — ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Customized Funnel — Standard Standard Customized Customized Co branded Co branded Premium Premium Exclusive X or Discord Badge — Creator Creator Growth Creator Pro Creator Ambassador Ambassador VIP Ambassador Global Ambassador Strategic Partner Free Virtual Card — ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Free Physical Card — — ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ UPay Merchandise — — Standard Standard Premium VIP VIP Premium Customized Customized Official UPay Repost — Selected Selected Selected Priority Priority Priority Guaranteed Guaranteed Strategic Promotion Event Invitations — Online Online Local Priority VIP VIP Regional International Strategic Events In App Notification — — — Selected Selected Priority Priority VIP Feature Dedicated Campaign Premium Placement Dedicated KOL Manager — — — — — ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ As creators progress,