EUR Bitcoin Debit Card Providers (Plastic and Virtual)
Bitcoin debit cards are available for those who wish to spend their bitcoins in a easy and efficient way. The cards are working like any prepaid debit card, once the balance is loaded to the card, it can be used at any shops or online stores. User can even withdraw cash from ATMs with plastic bitcoin debit cards.
The most widespread currency in the world is USD. However for those who wish to use euros to top up the card or spend euros in shops, it is a good news, that several bitcoin debit card provider allow users to use EUR as the base currency of the card.
Ordering the card
In order to receive an EUR bitcoin debit card, be it plastic or virtual, user must register at the specific platform by providing certain personal details. To verify the account, users much provide a valid photo identification card and a proof of residence in the form of a recent bill issued to their residential address. In case someone does not want to share these personal information with the debit card providers, they can sign up for anonymous cards.
The one time issuance cost of the plastic bitcoin debit cards ranges between 5-25 EUR. Virtual bitcoin debit cards, which work just like any debit card without the option to withdraw cash can be obtained from as low as 1 EUR.
The bitcoin debit cards where EUR is an acceptable currency to top up are available for anyone who is a European Union resident. Citizens of other countries are advised to check the providers website for availability as certain restriction may apply for US, Chinese and Indian residents.
After ordering the card, it arrives within 2-3 weeks to the given address. For an extra fee express shipping can be requested at any card provider, however the fee depens on a case by cases.
Using the card
Upon receiving the bitcoin debit card, users can load the card in several ways. Beside bitcoin, users can top up the balances usually with wire transfers or through alternative payment providers like Skrill or Neteller too.
The providers usually charges a monthly account maintenance fee of 1 EUR, some may even charge inactivity fee is the card has not been used for a while.
Bitcoin debit cards are accepted at shop, online stores and ATM which allow VISA or Mastercard payments. This means thousand ATMs and millions of places wordwide to spend either bitcoins or other currencies available on the card. Just make sure you are paying attention that the currency of the paid amount is the same as the base currency of the card, as otherwise the card providers charge an additional 3% of currency translation fee.
The domestic ATM withdrawals cost around 1-2 EUR per transaction, the international cash withdrawals just costs a little more. If the users does not verify the account, the applicable limits to spend money with the card is lowered compared to the ones available for verified users. After verification the cards can be used to withdraw in some cases up to 2000 EUR, and the total limits to load the card is around 20000 EUR. Even such cards are available on the market where there is no limit at all to spend money from the card.
Pros and Cons
EUR Bitcoin debit cards are a great solution for those who uses bitcoin payments or travel frequently. Almost all cards can have EUR as the base currency, so users can spend euros or convert to bitcoins and spend cryptocurrency directly without high transactional cost. The EUR denominated bitcoin debit cards however might be restricted to certain countries only, so it worth checking the terms and condisions applied before signing up for a service.