How much a payment really costs on an ExCards card

A payment on an ExCards card costs its amount plus three fees: the top-up fee of the card (2% on Visa Universe, 3.5% on Visa E-commerce and Mastercard Business), an authorization fee, and an FX markup of up to 2% when the merchant charges in a currency other than USD. Enter your payment below to see the total on each card.

Rates as of October 10, 2026 · Updated 16 Oct 2026 · ExCards Editorial

How the calculator counts

Every number comes from the fees page. The calculator only adds them up for your payment, in cents, the same way for all three cards.

Payment in dollars. The amount times the rate you enter. For USD the rate is 1. For euros, pounds or another currency we do not fill in a rate: take it from your banking app or xe.com.
FX markup. If the merchant charges in a currency other than USD, the card issuer converts at its reference rate, which may include a markup of up to 2% over the interbank rate. The calculator takes the full 2%, so the real figure can only be lower. The exact rate is on each transaction in the app.
Authorization fee. Visa Universe: $0.50 per payment. Mastercard Business: $0.50 per payment, 3D Secure included. Visa E-commerce: $0.10 only for payments under $1, plus $0.03 for each 3D Secure check.
Taken from the balance. Payment plus FX markup plus authorization, times the number of payments.
How much to top up. The top-up fee is taken from the top-up itself: 2% on Visa Universe, 3.5% on Visa E-commerce and 3.5% on Mastercard Business. So the top-up is the amount taken from the balance divided by (1 minus the fee). For example, 100 USDT on Visa E-commerce leaves 96.50 USDT on the card.
First card. The card price is paid once, at issuance, and is a separate operation from topping up: 29 USDT for Visa Universe, 35 USDT for Visa E-commerce, 50 USDT for Mastercard Business. The first top-up is at least 10 USDT; whatever the payment does not use stays on the balance.
Limit per payment. $1,000,000 on Visa Universe, $250,000 on Mastercard Business, $20,000 on Visa E-commerce. Above it the card shows no total.

What is not in the total. On Visa E-commerce a $0.80 surcharge applies if more than 10% of the card's payments are declined, so do not press "pay" again and again. The blockchain network fee for sending crypto goes to the network, not to ExCards. You can top up with any crypto; the card balance is kept in USDT and other coins are converted when the deposit is credited, so the app shows the crediting rate when you top up, and the calculator uses the coin price you enter.

Paying a particular service

The fees above do not depend on the service. What depends on it is whether the payment goes through: that is decided by the service's own checks and card processing, so no calculator can promise it. Each service page explains what its help center says about cards, 3D Secure and declines:

The full list of services is in the guide to paying foreign services. How to issue and top up a card step by step is in the guide to getting a card.

Frequently asked questions

Why do I need to top up more than the payment?

The top-up fee is taken from the top-up amount, and the payment itself may carry an authorization fee and an FX markup. So to cover a $20 charge the card needs a little more than $20 on the balance, and the top-up has to be larger still by the card's top-up fee: 2% on Visa Universe, 3.5% on Visa E-commerce and 3.5% on Mastercard Business.

Which card is cheapest for a subscription?

For payments from $1 Visa E-commerce takes no authorization fee, only $0.03 per 3D Secure check, so small monthly charges usually cost least there. For larger payments the lower top-up fee of Visa Universe, 2%, often outweighs its $0.50 authorization fee. The calculator shows which card is cheapest for your exact payment.

Why doesn't the calculator know the euro rate?

Rates change every day, and the card issuer converts at its own reference rate, which may include a markup of up to 2% over the interbank rate. We do not want to show a rate that is out of date, so you enter it yourself. The exact rate of each payment is shown in the app.

Can I top up with Bitcoin or another coin?

Yes, the card is topped up with any crypto. The balance is kept in USDT, and BTC, ETH, SOL and other coins are converted when the deposit is credited; the app shows the crediting rate when you top up. The blockchain network fee for the transfer goes to the network, ExCards does not receive it.

Is the card price taken from my top-up?

No. The card price is paid once, when the card is issued: 29 USDT, 35 USDT or 50 USDT. Topping up is a separate operation after that. The first top-up is at least 10 USDT and stays on the balance for payments.

Does the calculator mean the service will accept my card?

No. It counts fees only. Whether a payment is approved is decided by the service and card processing. KYC is required for every ExCards card: a light passport check by the card issuer partner.

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