Genome vs X1 Card
Both Genome and X1 Card 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.
X1 Card 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 ad spend and AI subscriptions.
What sets them apart
| Field | Genome | X1 Card |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Free (metal card) |
| Monthly fee | Free EUR (card monthly fee); non-EEA personal account 20 EUR/mo or 200 EUR/yr | No annual fee |
| Top-up fee | Non-Genome card top-up 3% (externally initiated 1%) | — |
| FX fee | Non-card currency transactions 2%; EUR/USD/GBP conversion 1% | 0% |
| Crypto funding | No | No |
| AI tool support | ChatGPT | — |
| Risk level | Medium | Low |
| Our rating | 9.3 | 8.5 |
| User reviews | 159 | 77 |
| Best for | Ad spend · AI subscriptions | App Store / Play · Free issuance |
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? X1 Card is the cheaper card to hold day to day.
- Genome covers a wider spread of use cases; X1 Card is more of a single-purpose tool.
- Genome edged X1 Card on our composite rating across fees, risk and merchant tests.
- If risk rating weights your choice, X1 Card is the calmer of the two.
The two, compared
Both cards clear the same checkouts in our tests, so the call comes down to cost. X1 Card is cheaper on issuance (free) and top-ups (no top-up fee), while Genome is worth the premium only for ad-platform billing and AI subscriptions.
Questions people ask
That depends on what you spend on. Genome scores 9.3/10 against X1 Card's 8.5/10 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.
X1 Card 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.
Genome asks for ID + proof at signup; X1 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 7 of the same test scenarios, including Etsy, Best Buy, Sephora US. 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 X1 Card both landed in our top picks for 7 checkouts. Grouped by category so you can jump straight to the one you actually pay for:
🛍️ Cross-border Shopping 4
🧳 Travel & Productivity 3
Their BIN ranges
Cards issued in 🇦🇺 Australia · 🇺🇸 US — 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: