Paga vs Revolut
Both Paga and Revolut clear the checkouts our readers ask about most. Here is where the two part ways on fees and verification.
Paga issues on Visa and Revolut on Visa · Mastercard; verification is ID + proof at Paga versus ID only at Revolut; only Revolut takes crypto top-ups.
Revolut is the more cost-effective option for everyday spending and travel thanks to its free virtual cards, no monthly fee, no top-up fee. Paga still clears the same checkouts in our tests, so match the table to the services you actually pay for.
The head to head
| Field | Paga | Revolut |
|---|---|---|
| Card network | Visa | Visa, Mastercard |
| Card type | Fintech Wallet | Digital Bank / Neobank |
| KYC | ID + proof | ID only |
| Card issuance fee | $3.76 + VAT (USD card) | Free |
| Monthly fee | $1.08 (USD card, incl. tax) | Free (Standard); Plus £3.99; Premium £7.99; Metal £14.99; Ultra £55 per mo |
| Top-up fee | 1.2% | — |
| FX fee | — | 0.5% |
| Crypto funding | — | Yes |
| AI tool support | — | ChatGPT / Claude / Midjourney |
| Risk level | Medium | Low-Medium |
| Our rating | 8.0 | 9.0 |
| User reviews | 317 | 80 |
| Best for | Streaming · App Store / Play | All-rounder · Ad spend |
A green left edge marks the side that holds the advantage on that row, where the data gives one.
Two cards, one decision
- Revolut costs less to keep open, so it is the one to reach for if you are watching your budget.
- Multi-task users get more from Revolut — it clears more of the checkouts we run through our test suite.
- Prefer a short sign-up? Revolut is the lower-friction option here.
- Only Revolut takes crypto top-ups in our data — worth knowing before you decide.
- In our scoring, Revolut finished ahead of Paga — not by a mile, but enough to tilt a tiebreak.
- If risk rating weights your choice, Revolut is the calmer of the two.
Side by side
Both cards clear the same checkouts in our tests, so the call comes down to cost. Revolut is cheaper on issuance (free) and top-ups (no top-up fee), while Paga is worth the premium only for the rows where it leads in the table.
Questions people ask
That depends on what you spend on. Paga scores 8.0/10 against Revolut's 9.0/10 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.
Revolut works out cheaper: no virtual card issuance fee, free account maintenance, no top-up fee. Paga adds about $3.76 per virtual card, $1.08 a month, a 1.2% top-up fee.
Paga asks for ID + proof at signup; Revolut asks for ID only. 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
Paga and Revolut 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 🇳🇬 Nigeria · 🇬🇧 UK — 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: