Genome vs Paga
Both Genome and Paga 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.
Genome is the more cost-effective option for everyday spending and travel thanks to its no monthly fee. Paga still clears the same checkouts in our tests, so match the table to the services you actually pay for.
Two cards, one decision
| Field | Genome | Paga |
|---|---|---|
| Card network | Visa | Visa |
| Card type | Digital Bank / Neobank | Fintech Wallet |
| KYC | ID + proof | ID + proof |
| Card issuance fee | Virtual card 1 EUR (first 10); 10 EUR from 11th | $3.76 + VAT (USD card) |
| Monthly fee | Free EUR (card monthly fee); non-EEA personal account 20 EUR/mo or 200 EUR/yr | $1.08 (USD card, incl. tax) |
| Top-up fee | Non-Genome card top-up 3% (externally initiated 1%) | 1.2% |
| FX fee | Non-card currency transactions 2%; EUR/USD/GBP conversion 1% | — |
| Crypto funding | No | — |
| AI tool support | ChatGPT | — |
| Risk level | Medium | Medium |
| Our rating | 9.3 | 8.0 |
| User reviews | 159 | 317 |
| Best for | Ad spend · AI subscriptions | Streaming · App Store / Play |
A green left edge marks the side that holds the advantage on that row, where the data gives one.
Side by side
- If the monthly outgoings matter, Genome leaves more in your pocket than Paga.
- If you wear several hats, Genome is the more flexible of the pair.
- In our scoring, Genome finished ahead of Paga — not by a mile, but enough to tilt a tiebreak.
The short version of the matchup
Genome is the cheaper card to hold: about $1.09 to create and a 3% top-up, against about $3.76 and a 1.2% top-up at Paga. Paga earns its keep only if you need the rows where it leads in the table.
Questions people ask
That depends on what you spend on. Genome scores 9.3/10 against Paga's 8.0/10 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. Paga adds about $3.76 per virtual card, $1.08 a month, a 1.2% top-up fee.
Genome asks for ID + proof at signup; Paga 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 1 of the same test scenarios, including Apple Music. 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 Paga both landed in our top picks for 1 checkouts. Grouped by category so you can jump straight to the one you actually pay for:
📺 Streaming & Entertainment 1
Their BIN ranges
Cards issued in 🇦🇺 Australia · 🇳🇬 Nigeria — 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: