Nexo vs YEX
Both Nexo and YEX clear the checkouts our readers ask about most. Here is where the two part ways on fees and verification.
Nexo issues on Visa · Mastercard and YEX on Visa; both ask for ID + proof; only Nexo funds by bank transfer.
Nexo is the more cost-effective option for everyday spending and travel thanks to its free virtual cards, no monthly fee. YEX still clears the same checkouts in our tests, so match the table to the services you actually pay for.
What sets them apart
| Field | Nexo | YEX |
|---|---|---|
| Card network | Visa, Mastercard | Visa |
| Card type | Crypto Card | Crypto Card |
| KYC | ID + proof | ID + proof |
| Card issuance fee | Free (virtual card instant activation) | Free |
| Monthly fee | Free (no monthly/annual/inactivity fee) | Free |
| Top-up fee | 0% | — |
| FX fee | 0.2% (EEA weekday) / 2% elsewhere (2.5% weekend) | 0% |
| Crypto funding | Yes (20+ blockchain funding; USDT/USDC/ETH/SOL etc.) | Yes |
| AI tool support | ChatGPT / Claude / Midjourney | ChatGPT / Claude / Midjourney |
| Risk level | Low-Medium | Medium |
| Our rating | 8.3 | 8.4 |
| User reviews | 783 | 274 |
| Best for | All-rounder · AI subscriptions | All-rounder · AI subscriptions |
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 risk rating weights your choice, Nexo is the calmer of the two.
- Neither card dominates every row; the right one depends on which column you care about most.
The two, compared
Nexo is the cheaper card to hold: free to create and no top-up fee, against free and no top-up fee at YEX. YEX 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. Nexo scores 8.3/10 against YEX'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.
Nexo is the cheaper card to run. Both Nexo and YEX issue virtual cards for free; Nexo reloads at 0%, while YEX publishes no top-up percentage.
Nexo asks for ID + proof at signup; YEX 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 Suno AI. 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
Nexo and YEX both landed in our top picks for 1 checkouts. Grouped by category so you can jump straight to the one you actually pay for:
🤖 AI Tools & Developer Tools 1
Their BIN ranges
Cards issued in 🇪🇺 Europe (EEA) · 🇨🇦 Canada — 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: