Novo vs YEX
Two virtual cards people weigh up side by side. We put Novo and YEX on the same rows so the difference is easy to see.
Novo issues on Mastercard and YEX on Visa; verification is Business KYC at Novo versus ID + proof at YEX; only YEX takes crypto top-ups.
Novo is the more cost-effective option for everyday spending and travel thanks to its free virtual cards, no monthly fee. YEX is the better fit for power users who need crypto funding and AI subscriptions.
The two, compared
| Field | Novo | YEX |
|---|---|---|
| Card network | Mastercard | Visa |
| Card type | Digital Bank / Neobank | Crypto Card |
| KYC | Business KYC | ID + proof |
| Card issuance fee | Free | Free |
| Monthly fee | Free ($0 monthly, no minimum balance) | Free |
| Top-up fee | — | — |
| FX fee | — | 0% |
| Crypto funding | No | Yes |
| AI tool support | — | ChatGPT / Claude / Midjourney |
| Risk level | Low | Medium |
| Our rating | 8.3 | 8.4 |
| User reviews | 926 | 274 |
| Best for | App Store / Play · Free issuance | 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
- YEX covers a wider spread of use cases; Novo is more of a single-purpose tool.
- YEX can sit on a crypto balance; Novo cannot, so the call depends on how you fund it.
- Novo carries the lower risk flag in our file, which some users prefer for a primary card.
What sets them apart
Novo 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 crypto funding and AI subscriptions.
Questions people ask
That depends on what you spend on. Novo 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.
Novo is the cheaper card to run. Both Novo and YEX issue virtual cards for free.
Novo asks for Business KYC 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 3 of the same test scenarios, including PlayStation Network, Minecraft Store, Airbnb. 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
Novo and YEX both landed in our top picks for 3 checkouts. Grouped by category so you can jump straight to the one you actually pay for:
🎮 Gaming 2
🧳 Travel & Productivity 1
Their BIN ranges
Cards issued in 🇺🇸 US · 🇨🇦 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: