Our verdict
Best for: Coinbase-native users with meaningful assets on the platform who pay their balance in full
The flat bitcoin-back structure is the cleanest in US crypto cards: no categories, no rotating anything, 0% FX, real Amex protections, and a metal card. The honesty check is the tier maths. The 4% headline needs $200,000 held on Coinbase (30-day average), boosted rates only apply to your first $10,000 of monthly spend, and at the entry 2% tier you need roughly $210 of card spend a month just to earn back the $49.99 membership. Two traps to know before applying: buying crypto with the card is treated as a cash advance, earning nothing and accruing at 32.24% APR immediately, and carrying any balance at 19.49% to 29.49% wipes out the rewards many times over. If you already live in the Coinbase ecosystem and clear the statement monthly, this is now the strongest US crypto credit card alongside Gemini's. If you would be moving assets to Coinbase just to chase the tier, the membership plus custody concentration is a real cost for a capped reward.
Specifications
| Card network | American Express |
|---|---|
| Provider | First Electronic Bank (via Cardless) |
| Funding model | Credit line (spend, then settle; rewards in BTC) |
| Settlement currency | USD |
| Available in | United States only |
| Rewards | 2% BTC back under $10k assets on Coinbase; 2.5% at $10k-50k; 3% at $50k-200k; 4% at $200k+ (30-day average) |
| Rewards cap | Boosted rates (above 2%) apply to first $10,000 of purchases per calendar month, then 2% |
| Card fee | $0, but Coinbase One membership required ($4.99/month or $49.99/year) |
| FX markup | 0% |
| Purchase APR | 19.49% to 29.49% variable |
| Cash advance APR | 32.24% variable; crypto purchases on the card are classified as cash advances |
| Penalty APR | None |
| Last verified | 2026-09-29 |
What to watch out for
- full American Express protections: purchase protection, extended warranty, trip cancellation, car rental cover
- 0% foreign transaction fees
- 17g stainless steel card
- no penalty APR
- Coinbase One membership bundles $0 trading fees on the first $500/month, boosted USDC yield and staking rates
- rewards land as BTC in your Coinbase account, spendable or holdable immediately
Editorial notes
- buying crypto with the card is a cash advance per the cardholder agreement: no rewards, 32.24% APR from day one
- the 4% tier requires $200,000 held on Coinbase as a 30-day average, and boosted rates stop after $10,000 of monthly spend
- the Coinbase One subscription is the real annual fee; at the 2% tier you break even around $210 of monthly spend
- rewards are BTC, so their value moves with the bitcoin price after you earn them
- tier qualification concentrates custody: assets must sit on Coinbase, not in your own wallet
- US only; the credit relationship, issuer, and membership requirement are all US-specific
- see our Coinbase vs Gemini comparison for how it stacks against the other major US crypto credit card, and our issuer guide for what a First Electronic Bank card means for protections
Last verified 2026-04-30. Rates and availability change frequently. Always confirm with the issuer before signing up. See our methodology for how we collect and verify this data.