Starling Bank vs YEX
Two virtual cards people weigh up side by side. We put Starling Bank and YEX on the same rows so the difference is easy to see.
Starling Bank issues on Mastercard and YEX on Visa; both ask for ID + proof; only YEX takes crypto top-ups.
Starling Bank 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.
The two, compared
| Field | Starling Bank | YEX |
|---|---|---|
| Card network | Mastercard | Visa |
| Card type | Digital Bank / Neobank | Crypto Card |
| KYC | ID + proof | ID + proof |
| Card issuance fee | Free | Free |
| Monthly fee | Free | Free |
| Top-up fee | — | — |
| FX fee | 0% (no foreign transaction fee) | 0% |
| Crypto funding | No | Yes |
| AI tool support | ChatGPT / Claude / Midjourney | ChatGPT / Claude / Midjourney |
| Risk level | Low-Medium | Medium |
| Our rating | 9.1 | 8.4 |
| User reviews | 437 | 274 |
| Best for | All-rounder · Ad spend | 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
- Starling Bank shows up in more of our test scenarios, so it is the safer pick when you juggle several subscriptions.
- YEX can sit on a crypto balance; Starling Bank cannot, so the call depends on how you fund it.
- In our scoring, Starling Bank finished ahead of YEX — not by a mile, but enough to tilt a tiebreak.
- Starling Bank carries the lower risk flag in our file, which some users prefer for a primary card.
Where they split
Both cards clear the same checkouts in our tests, so the call comes down to cost. Starling Bank is cheaper on issuance (free) and top-ups (no top-up fee), while YEX is worth the premium only for crypto funding.
Questions people ask
That depends on what you spend on. Starling Bank scores 9.1/10 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.
Starling Bank is the cheaper card to run. Both Starling Bank and YEX issue virtual cards for free.
Starling Bank 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 10 of the same test scenarios, including OpenAI API, Anthropic API, Udio 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
Starling Bank and YEX both landed in our top picks for 10 checkouts. Grouped by category so you can jump straight to the one you actually pay for:
🤖 AI Tools & Developer Tools 4
📺 Streaming & Entertainment 3
🛍️ Cross-border Shopping 1
🌐 Cloud & VPS 1
🧳 Travel & Productivity 1
Their BIN ranges
Cards issued in 🇬🇧 UK · 🇨🇦 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: