How it works
A virtual card is a payment card that exists only digitally: a card number, expiry date and CVV that you use online or add to a phone wallet. With Satqo the card is a Mastercard that you load from your USDT or USDC balance. The card holds US dollars; when you load it, the stablecoins leave your balance and the dollar amount appears on the card.
- Online: use the card details at checkout like any other card.
- In shops: add the card to Apple Pay right after issuing it and pay with your phone at contactless terminals.
- Prepaid, not credit: you spend what you load, nothing more. There is no credit line and no interest.
Every fee, as of October 2026
| What | Fee |
|---|---|
| Issuing the card | USD 10, once. Free if your first load is USD 300 or more |
| Loading the card | 5.5% of the amount loaded, minimum USD 1.50 |
| Each purchase in USD | No fee |
| Purchases in another currency | 2.5% of the purchase |
| Monthly fee | None |
The dashboard shows the total that will leave your balance before you confirm a load, so there are no surprises.
Worked examples
A first load of USD 300
Issuing is free because the first load is USD 300. The loading fee is 5.5% of 300 = USD 16.50. Your balance is debited USD 316.50 in USDT or USDC and the card shows USD 300.
A USD 9.99 subscription
The card is charged USD 9.99 and nothing else: there is no per-purchase fee.
Dinner abroad for EUR 50
The purchase is converted to dollars by the card network, and 2.5% is added for the currency conversion. If EUR 50 converts to about USD 54, the fee is about USD 1.35.
Tip: since the load fee is a percentage with a USD 1.50 minimum, loading in fewer, larger amounts is cheaper than many small loads below about USD 27.
How to get one
- Open a Satqo account.
- Confirm your identity. The card is issued by a card partner, which requires a short identity check; it takes a few minutes.
- Have USDT or USDC on your balance: from a client's invoice payment or by depositing from your own wallet.
- Issue the card in the dashboard, choose the first load and add it to Apple Pay.
Good to know
- Availability depends on your country. The card is offered only where the card partner can serve you, and crypto services are restricted in some jurisdictions.
- You can freeze the card from the dashboard at any time and unfreeze it when you are ready.
- Money can go back from the card to your balance; any fee for that is shown before you confirm.
- Spending is not a tax event everywhere, but it can be. In some countries, converting stablecoins to spend them has tax consequences. Ask a local adviser.
Getting paid in the first place is covered in how to accept USDT payments as a freelancer.