Genome vs imToken Card
Both Genome and imToken Card clear the checkouts our readers ask about most. Here is where the two part ways on fees and verification.
Genome issues on Visa and imToken Card on Mastercard; both ask for ID + proof; only imToken Card takes crypto top-ups.
imToken Card is the more cost-effective option for everyday spending and travel thanks to its no monthly fee, 0% foreign transaction fees. Genome is the better fit for power users who need bank-transfer funding and ad spend.
Where they split
| Field | Genome | imToken Card |
|---|---|---|
| Card network | Visa | Mastercard |
| 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 | NFT mint ~0.001 ETH |
| Monthly fee | Free EUR (card monthly fee); non-EEA personal account 20 EUR/mo or 200 EUR/yr | Free (no annual fee) |
| Top-up fee | Non-Genome card top-up 3% (externally initiated 1%) | 1% (token top-up) |
| FX fee | Non-card currency transactions 2%; EUR/USD/GBP conversion 1% | Free (multi-currency; Mastercard rate; no FX/conversion fee) |
| Crypto funding | No | Yes |
| AI tool support | ChatGPT | ChatGPT |
| Risk level | Medium | Medium |
| Our rating | 9.3 | 8.8 |
| User reviews | 159 | 764 |
| Best for | Ad spend · AI subscriptions | AI subscriptions · Streaming |
A green left edge marks the side that holds the advantage on that row, where the data gives one.
The head to head
- Tight on fees? imToken Card is the cheaper card to hold day to day.
- If you wear several hats, Genome is the more flexible of the pair.
- imToken Card can sit on a crypto balance; Genome cannot, so the call depends on how you fund it.
- Genome edged imToken Card on our composite rating across fees, risk and merchant tests.
The short version of the matchup
Both cards clear the same checkouts in our tests, so the call comes down to cost. imToken Card is cheaper on issuance (about $0.001) and top-ups (a 1% top-up), 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. Genome scores 9.3/10 against imToken Card's 8.8/10 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.
imToken Card works out cheaper: free account maintenance, 0% foreign transaction fee. Genome adds about $1.09 per virtual card, a 2% FX fee, a 3% top-up fee.
Genome asks for ID + proof at signup; imToken Card 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 14 of the same test scenarios, including Paramount+, Tidal, Discord Nitro. 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 imToken Card both landed in our top picks for 14 checkouts. Grouped by category so you can jump straight to the one you actually pay for:
📺 Streaming & Entertainment 4
🛍️ Cross-border Shopping 3
🎮 Gaming 2
🧳 Travel & Productivity 1
Their BIN ranges
Cards issued in 🇦🇺 Australia · 🇬🇧 UK — 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: