Genome vs Paycek
Both Genome and Paycek clear the checkouts our readers ask about most. Here is where the two part ways on fees and verification.
Genome issues on Visa and Paycek on Visa + Mastercard; verification is ID + proof at Genome versus No KYC at Paycek; only Paycek takes crypto top-ups.
Paycek is the more cost-effective option for everyday spending and travel thanks to its free virtual cards, no monthly fee. Genome is the better fit for power users who need bank-transfer funding and ad spend and AI subscriptions.
Side by side
| Field | Genome | Paycek |
|---|---|---|
| Card network | Visa | Visa + Mastercard |
| Card type | Digital Bank / Neobank | Crypto Card |
| KYC | ID + proof | No KYC |
| Card issuance fee | Virtual card 1 EUR (first 10); 10 EUR from 11th | Free |
| Monthly fee | Free EUR (card monthly fee); non-EEA personal account 20 EUR/mo or 200 EUR/yr | Free |
| Top-up fee | Non-Genome card top-up 3% (externally initiated 1%) | 1.5% |
| FX fee | Non-card currency transactions 2%; EUR/USD/GBP conversion 1% | 1.5% |
| Crypto funding | No | Yes (20+ currencies) |
| AI tool support | ChatGPT | — |
| Risk level | Medium | High |
| Our rating | 9.3 | 8.8 |
| User reviews | 159 | 138 |
| Best for | Ad spend · AI subscriptions | App Store / Play · No KYC |
A green left edge marks the side that holds the advantage on that row, where the data gives one.
The short version of the matchup
- If the monthly outgoings matter, Paycek leaves more in your pocket than Genome.
- If you wear several hats, Genome is the more flexible of the pair.
- Prefer a short sign-up? Paycek is the lower-friction option here.
- Paycek can sit on a crypto balance; Genome cannot, so the call depends on how you fund it.
- Genome edged Paycek on our composite rating across fees, risk and merchant tests.
- If risk rating weights your choice, Genome is the calmer of the two.
What sets them apart
Paycek is the cheaper card to hold: free to create and a 1.5% top-up, against about $1.09 and a 3% top-up at Genome. Genome earns its keep only if you need bank-transfer funding and ad-platform billing.
Questions people ask
That depends on what you spend on. Genome scores 9.3/10 against Paycek'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.
Paycek works out cheaper: no virtual card issuance fee, free account maintenance. Genome adds about $1.09 per virtual card, a 2% FX fee, a 3% top-up fee.
Genome asks for ID + proof at signup; Paycek asks for No KYC. If a light sign-up is the priority, the one with the lower KYC label is the faster route.
Both show up in 11 of the same test scenarios, including Best Buy, iHerb, Taobao & Xianyu. 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 Paycek both landed in our top picks for 11 checkouts. Grouped by category so you can jump straight to the one you actually pay for:
🛍️ Cross-border Shopping 3
🧳 Travel & Productivity 3
🎮 Gaming 2
Their BIN ranges
Cards issued in 🇦🇺 Australia · 🇪🇺 Europe (EEA) — 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: