Send money to any card by its number

What it is

In the app you pick a card as the recipient, type in its number, enter the amount and send. At Revolut it is Payments, then New, then Card recipient.⁵You don’t need the other person’s bank account details. Their card number is enough, because every card is linked to an account at its bank.

How the money moves

A normal card payment takes money off a card. This one does the opposite. Visa calls it an Original Credit TransactionOriginal Credit Transaction: Visa’s name for a payment that puts money onto a card instead of taking it off., or OCT: the money is pushed to the account behind the recipient’s card.¹Visa runs it through Visa Direct, which it says reaches more than 18 billion cards, accounts and wallets in more than 195 countries and territories.²Mastercard’s version is Mastercard Send. Its Payment Transaction delivers the money to a receiving card account, “typically within seconds”, every day of the year.³

A transfer between two people is two steps. First the money is taken from the sender, for example with an Account Funding TransactionAccount Funding Transaction: a payment that pulls money from a card to fund something else. on their card. Then it is pushed to the recipient.^1,3When you send from an app balance, the first step happens inside the app, and only the push goes over the card network.

RevolutWirex OneCOCA

VisaMastercard

Amount$$2No published maximum

Revolutyour balanceVisa DirectOriginal Credit TransactionTheir bankchecks and credits•••• 4821Their cardexample card

Press play to follow $100 from Revolut to someone’s card.

You send

$100

Revolut’s fee

Shown in the app before you send

Arrives

Usually instantly, at most 30 minutes

Over

Visa Direct

Fees, limits and timing from Revolut, Wirex and COCA.^5,8,11 Revolut’s minimum is $2 within Europe and $10 elsewhere; Wirex’s $2,500 is the most to someone else’s card at a time. The card number is an example.

Why only some apps offer it

Visa lets only a licensed acquirerThe bank that connects a business to Visa or Mastercard., or a company an acquirer sponsors, start these payments, and it reviews each project.¹Mastercard says the same service is used by banks, acquirers and fintechs, directly or through partners it has approved.³Card networks also look at what the money is for. That is why many crypto apps let you cash out only to your own card: Coinbase sends an instant cash-out only to a debit card in your name.⁶

What it costs and how long it takes

• Revolut shows the fee in the app before you send. The minimum is $2 to a card in Europe and $10 elsewhere. It is usually instant, can take up to 30 minutes and in rare cases 48 hours.⁵
• Wirex calls it Pay-to-Card. You need the card number and the holder’s full name, and the fee covers what Visa and Mastercard charge. To someone else’s card you can send up to $2,500 at a time.⁸
• COCA pushes the money to the card instantly. It hasn’t published a fee or limits.¹¹

Which crypto cards can send to a card

From each company’s own pages. A card that isn’t listed hasn’t said either way. Tap a card for its sources.

COCA CardYesEnter the 16-digit number and the money is pushed to the card instantly. Fee and limits not published

Revolut crypto cardYesTo a 16-digit card number, usually instant and at most 30 minutes. From $2 within Europe and $10 elsewhere; the fee is shown in the app

Wirex OneYesPay-to-Card by card number and full name; the fee is shown in the app. From $10; to someone else's card up to $2,500 a time and $10,000 a month. Figures from Wirex's main help centre

Binance CardNoInstant card withdrawal by Visa Direct goes only to a verified card linked to your account: 1% fee, from €10, in the UK and the EU

Bybit CardNoYou can sell crypto to your own linked card in EUR or USD, not to someone else's

Coinbase CardNoUS: an instant cash-out goes only to your own linked debit card

KAST CardNoMoney goes out to crypto wallets, other KAST users and bank accounts, not to card numbers

Solflare CardNoThis card is closed or closingThe card number is for checkout only

Which can receive a card transfer

Kolo CardYesEUR cards only, with a 1% conversion fee. USD cards can't receive

Solflare CardNoThis card is closed or closingThere is no card account to send money to

The other direction, adding money by pulling it from another card, is in Top up from another card.