What the Meru Card is
Meru is a dollar account for Latin American users, and the card is the spending layer. Accounts open with a national ID in minutes, and you get US account and routing numbers plus a European IBAN in your own name, so you can receive ACH, Wire, SEPA, SPEI, PSE and PIX payments from platforms and employers.
How the card is priced
This is where Meru differentiates itself. Virtual cards are free, physical cards cost US$5 plus shipping, and Meru charges no maintenance fee. Purchases settled in the United States in dollars carry a 0% fee, purchases outside the US in dollars cost 1%, and purchases outside the US in other currencies cost 1.2%. ATM withdrawals carry no Meru fee at all — only whatever the ATM operator charges and any card-network conversion.
Funding and yield
The account funds by bank transfer, local rails such as PIX and QR codes in Bolivia, MoneyGram, or crypto. Crypto deposits cost 1% plus US$1 on most chains, though Tron and Ethereum carry higher flat components. Balances can earn through DeFi strategies, and the app also lets you invest in US stocks and themed baskets.
What to weigh
Meru is a regional product with a strong fee sheet rather than a global one. Users in Bolivia, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Peru and Spain get the most from it, and crypto holdings are self-custodial while the dollar account side is custodial. Google Play shows 17,833 ratings at 4.3 and the App Store shows 4.8 from 1,600 ratings.
Meru bundles a US bank account, a European IBAN and a dollar-backed Visa for Latin American users, a combination that Takenos mirrors with its US-issued and local peso cards. Kontigo builds the same proposition directly on USDC. The crypto cards listing sets out which accounts each opens.
