COCA vs Genome
Both COCA and Genome clear the checkouts our readers ask about most. Here is where the two part ways on fees and verification.
Both issue on Visa; both ask for ID + proof; only COCA takes crypto top-ups.
COCA is the more cost-effective option for everyday spending and travel thanks to its free virtual cards, no monthly fee, 0% foreign transaction fees, no top-up fee. Genome is the better fit for power users who need bank-transfer funding and ad spend.
Two cards, one decision
| Field | COCA | Genome |
|---|---|---|
| Card network | Visa | Visa |
| Card type | Crypto Card | Digital Bank / Neobank |
| KYC | ID + proof | ID + proof |
| Card issuance fee | Free | Virtual card 1 EUR (first 10); 10 EUR from 11th |
| Monthly fee | Free | Free EUR (card monthly fee); non-EEA personal account 20 EUR/mo or 200 EUR/yr |
| Top-up fee | — | Non-Genome card top-up 3% (externally initiated 1%) |
| FX fee | 0% | Non-card currency transactions 2%; EUR/USD/GBP conversion 1% |
| Crypto funding | Yes | No |
| AI tool support | ChatGPT / Claude / Midjourney | ChatGPT |
| Risk level | Medium | Medium |
| Our rating | 8.9 | 9.3 |
| User reviews | 341 | 159 |
| Best for | All-rounder · AI subscriptions | Ad spend · AI subscriptions |
A green left edge marks the side that holds the advantage on that row, where the data gives one.
What sets them apart
- Tight on fees? COCA is the cheaper card to hold day to day.
- If you wear several hats, COCA is the more flexible of the pair.
- COCA can sit on a crypto balance; Genome cannot, so the call depends on how you fund it.
- Genome edged COCA on our composite rating across fees, risk and merchant tests.
The two, compared
Both cards clear the same checkouts in our tests, so the call comes down to cost. COCA is cheaper on issuance (free) and top-ups (no top-up fee), while Genome is worth the premium only for bank-transfer funding and ad-platform billing.
Questions people ask
That depends on what you spend on. COCA scores 8.9/10 against Genome's 9.3/10 in our tests, but the two split on fees, KYC and crypto funding. Read the table above, then match it to the checkouts you actually run.
COCA works out cheaper: no virtual card issuance fee, free account maintenance, 0% foreign transaction fee, no top-up fee. Genome adds about $1.09 per virtual card, a 2% FX fee, a 3% top-up fee.
COCA asks for ID + proof at signup; Genome asks for ID + proof. If a light sign-up is the priority, the one with the lower KYC label is the faster route.
Both show up in 23 of the same test scenarios, including Perplexity AI, Leonardo.ai, Gamma App. They overlap on a good share of checkouts, so the choice between them matters most on those pages. Where one is accepted and the other is not usually comes down to the billing country and 3-D Secure handling.
Where both show up
COCA and Genome both landed in our top picks for 23 checkouts. Grouped by category so you can jump straight to the one you actually pay for:
📺 Streaming & Entertainment 8
🤖 AI Tools & Developer Tools 4
🛍️ Cross-border Shopping 4
🎮 Gaming 3
🧳 Travel & Productivity 3
🌐 Cloud & VPS 1
Their BIN ranges
Cards issued in 🇳🇱 Netherlands · 🇦🇺 Australia — the country guides group every range we track from there.
What our charge log shows
Every count here is a real charge attempt we placed on that range, renewals included, with the gateway response recorded. Weeks tracked is how long the range has been in the programme: