Wirex Review | Easily Spend And Transfer Money With Crypto

Cryptocurrency is on the rise. But spending your cryptocurrency can be more challenging than you may have expected. This is especially if you want to use your cryptocurrency for in-person purchases.

The same can be said for transferring crypto to a friend or family members. While many cryptocurrency platforms allows transfers, the process can be cumbersome and often involves fees. 

Wirex wants to solve both of these problems. The company offers an easy way to pay with either crypto or fiat currency through a single card and transfer crypto assets to other users. Let’s take a closer look at what Wirex has to offer. 

What Is Wirex?

Wirex is a digital payment platform that allows you to use either traditional or cryptocurrencies anywhere. The company was initially called "E-Coin" but it's gone by the Wirex name since 2016.

Wirex is based out of London, UK but its team members hail from all over the globe. Currently, the company has over 3.5 million members and is available in more than 150 countries. Wirex launched in the U.S. in February 2022.

What Does It Offer?

Wirex provides an extremely useful tool for cryptocurrency users that want to spend their funds in real life. Here are the features that stand out.

Spend 37+ Traditional And Cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrency has become more and more popular in recent years. As the popularity of this type of currency grows, more users are seeking out a convenient way to spend their funds. Wirex promises to provide a seamless way to spend both fiat and cryptocurrencies from a single card.

With the Wirex Mastercard, you can spend in more than 37 cryptocurrencies. The company's website also says allows fee-free ATM withdrawals of up to €400 per month. But it's unclear if ATM withdrawals are supported in the U.S.

In addition to Wirex's own card, the company also allows users to link up to five external debit or credit cards to your account. So if you already have a rewards card that you love, you can directly load your Wirex cryptocurrency funds onto it.

Free Transfers Between Wirex Users

Many of use peer-to-peer payments like Venmo or Cash App to send money to our friends and family members quickly and for free. But it can be more difficult to share crypto. Typically, you'll need to manually enter the receiver's public wallet key. Also, several cryptocurrency platforms charge withdrawal fees on transfers.

But with Wirex, internal transfers are completely free. Also, your address book can be customized to make it easy to complete transfers to your contacts in just a few clicks. The goal is to provide a borderless and hassle-free payment experience.

It should be noted that transfers are only free when they're between Wirex users. If you transfer your crypto to an external address, fees will apply.

Cryptoback™ Rewards

Want to be rewarded for your spending? The Wirex Mastercard provides the Cryptoback™ rewards program. You can earn up to 8% cash back on purchases made with this card in person or online.
You'll receive the rewards in cryptocurrency.

Intuitive Mobile App

You’ll have an intuitive mobile app to manage all of your spending needs through Wirex. The app is designed to promote a borderless banking experience. With that, you’ll find an app designed to make your payment options as simple as possible.

Based on user feedback, both the Android and iOS apps seem to provide an adequate to pleasant experience. Wirex has earned 4.3 out of 5 stars in the Apple Store and 3.5 out of 4 stars in the Google Play Store.

Wirex Wallet

The Wirex Wallet is a keyless, non-custodial crypto wallet. It allows users to not only store crypto and NFT assets, but also to earn up to 25% APY in staking rewards. The wallet makes it easy to swap DeFi tokens across several of the most popular blockchains. And it provides access to a large number of dApps.

X-Accounts

In June 2021, Wirex announced that it would be launching interest accounts that it's calling X-Accounts. X-Accounts offer up to 16% interest on select fiat and cryptocurrencies. Wirex also says that withdrawals will be free and instant on X-Accounts.

Here are the currencies that are currently supported and their interest rates:

• British Pound: 10%
• Euro: 16%
• Bitcoin: 10%
• Ethereum: 10%
• Stellar: 10%
• Litecoin: 10%
• Aave: 10%
• Maker: 10%
• Chainlink: 10%

X-Accounts aren't available in the U.S. yet, but should launch there soon.

Related: Top Crypto Interest Accounts Of 2021

Are There Any Fees?

You can open a Wirex account and receive a card free of charge. However, you may have to pay between $5-25 if you want expedited card delivery. The card does not come with any annual fees. ATM cash withdrawals are also free up to $250 per month but are charged 2% after that.

If you choose to link an external debit or credit card, you can add fiat funds from your Wirex account onto the card for free. But you’ll pay a 1% fee to transfer crypto from Wirex onto the external card.

While we were happy to see that there are many fees Wirex doesn't charge, we were disappointed to find that the company can be vague about the fees it does charge. For example, it says that it charges "OTC rates + commission" for its crypto exchange services. And for external crypto transfers, it merely says that "Blockchain fees apply."

How Does Wirex Compare?

Wirex offers a useful tool for customers that want to make real-life purchases with crypto and transfer their crypto assets to others for free. But Wirex isn't the only company that offers these services.

Coinbase also offers free transfers between Coinbase accounts and makes it easy to send the funds by supporting email address and QR code transfers. It also offers a rewards card that earns up to 4% back with no annual fees.

Celsius is another top option if you're looking to transfer money for free. The company never charges withdrawal fees. And, yes, that includes external withdrawals. Celsius has also announced that it will soon be launching its own crypto rewards card. Here's a closer look at how Wirex compares:

How Do I Contact Wirex?

If you need assistance regarding your Wirex account, you won’t be able to contact the company over the phone. Rather you'll need to submit a request.

If you do reach out with a problem, you may run into issues getting it resolved through Wirex’s support team. Although the company has earned 3.4 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot, more than 25% of the users reported having a bad experience.

How Do I Open An Account?

 If you live in an eligible state, you can select “Open an account” on Wirex’s home page. Alternatively, you can start the process by downloading the Wirex app to your phone. From there, you will need to provide some basic information, such as your country of residence and your email address. 

Next, Wirex will expect you to confirm your email address via a link. Once your email is verified, you will add more information about yourself, including your address and phone number. You will need to provide supporting documents to verify your identity.

A quick in-app questionnaire will complete the sign up process. All in all, it should take less than 15 minutes to set up your account. 

Is It Safe And Secure?

Wirex works hard to provide a secure experience for its users. The company is PCI DSS Level 1 certified and its servers are encrypted with 256-bit SSL.

Wirex has partnered with Fireblocks to store the crypto funds that are kept in its X-Accounts. Fireblocks is considered one of the most secure cryptocurrency custody firms available today. Its insurance policy not only covers assets in storage, but also in transfer and E&O.

Beyond certifications and licenses, Wirex provides multi-signature, cold-storage cryptocurrency accounts to provide extensive protection. Plus, two-factor authentication will help to keep your accounts secure.

Is It Worth It?

Wirex could be a great fit for a specific need. If you'd like to have the option to spend and transfer your cryptocurrency funds just like you do you fiat money, then Wirex offers a streamlined solution.

However, you may not be impressed with the customer service experience provided by Wirex. It also supports fewer cryptocurrencies than other platforms and is less transparent about its fees for crypto trades and external transfers.

If you're not sure that Wirex is the right fit for you, there are plenty of other cryptocurrency platforms to choose from. Compare the best cryptocurrency websites here >>>

Wirex Features