Genome vs Halocard
Two virtual cards people weigh up side by side. We put Genome and Halocard on the same rows so the difference is easy to see.
Both issue on Visa; both ask for ID + proof; only Halocard takes crypto top-ups.
Genome is the more cost-effective option for everyday spending and travel thanks to its no monthly fee. Halocard is the better fit for power users who need crypto funding.
The two, compared
| Field | Genome | Halocard |
|---|---|---|
| Card network | Visa | Visa |
| Card type | Digital Bank / Neobank | Crypto Card |
| KYC | ID + proof | ID + proof |
| Card issuance fee | Virtual card 1 EUR (first 10); 10 EUR from 11th | Essential 3 cards $12/mo; Pro 12 cards $15/mo; Elite 60 cards $75/mo |
| Monthly fee | Free EUR (card monthly fee); non-EEA personal account 20 EUR/mo or 200 EUR/yr | Essential $12; Pro $15; Elite $75 (annual gives 2 months free) |
| Top-up fee | Non-Genome card top-up 3% (externally initiated 1%) | 1% (stablecoin/credit card/bank transfer); some sources say credit card 5% |
| FX fee | Non-card currency transactions 2%; EUR/USD/GBP conversion 1% | Non-USD 1.5%+$0.30; USD spend $0 |
| Crypto funding | No | Yes (stablecoin top-up) |
| AI tool support | ChatGPT | ChatGPT / Claude / Midjourney |
| Risk level | Medium | Medium |
| Our rating | 9.3 | 8.4 |
| User reviews | 159 | 319 |
| Best for | Ad spend · AI subscriptions | All-rounder · Ad spend |
A green left edge marks the side that holds the advantage on that row, where the data gives one.
Side by side
- Budget-led users will lean to Genome: the running cost is the lower of the two.
- Multi-task users get more from Halocard — it clears more of the checkouts we run through our test suite.
- Only Halocard takes crypto top-ups in our data — worth knowing before you decide.
- Genome edged Halocard on our composite rating across fees, risk and merchant tests.
Where they split
Both cards clear the same checkouts in our tests, so the call comes down to cost. Genome is cheaper on issuance (about $1.09) and top-ups (a 3% top-up), while Halocard is worth the premium only for crypto funding.
Questions people ask
That depends on what you spend on. Genome scores 9.3/10 against Halocard's 8.4/10 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.
Genome works out cheaper: free account maintenance. Halocard adds about $3 per virtual card, $12 a month, a 1.5% FX fee, a 1% top-up fee.
Genome asks for ID + proof at signup; Halocard 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 9 of the same test scenarios, including ChatGPT Plus, DeepL Pro, 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
Genome and Halocard both landed in our top picks for 9 checkouts. Grouped by category so you can jump straight to the one you actually pay for:
📈 Ad Platforms 5
🤖 AI Tools & Developer Tools 3
🛍️ Cross-border Shopping 1
Their BIN ranges
Cards issued in 🇦🇺 Australia · 🇸🇬 Singapore — 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: