Swipe Card Review 2026 — B2B Crypto Card Issuing by Binance

Overview

What is Swipe?

Swipe is a card-issuing infrastructure platform for cryptocurrencies. Rather than issuing a single consumer card itself, Swipe provides the APIs, licences, banking rails and program-management tooling that let cryptocurrency exchanges, wallets and fintechs launch their own Visa-branded crypto debit cards in a matter of weeks. Its most visible deployment is the Binance Visa Card, which runs on top of Swipe issuing stack.

Originally founded in 2018 as a consumer crypto-debit-card product available across 31 countries, Swipe pivoted to a B2B issuing-as-a-service model after Binance acquired the majority of the company in July 2020 for an undisclosed sum. Today the swipe.io website positions the product exclusively at businesses — there is no direct consumer card offer; cards are issued by Swipe clients under their own brands.

The platform connects Visa and Mastercard rails with Swipe Ramps — a fiat on/off channel that lets card programs settle cryptocurrency balances into local-currency payment authorisations in real time. SXP, the native ERC-20 token of the Swipe network, was historically used for staking, fee discounts and governance; after the Binance acquisition it was listed on Binance and a large portion of the supply was locked over a multi-year vesting schedule.

How it works (business side)

A partner signs up via the Swipe Issuing invite flow, picks the Standard or Premium package, and receives API credentials to issue cards. Swipe handles KYC and identity verification per region with a single API call — partners can rely on Swipe existing licences and banking partners rather than obtaining their own. Programmatic controls cover foreign transactions, card lock/unlock, re-issue of lost cards, MCC (merchant category code) restrictions, PIN controls, per-card spend limits and more.

Network & digital wallet support

Cards are issued on Visa (with Mastercard available for some deployments) and ship with push-provisioning to Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, so cardholders can add their virtual or physical card to a digital wallet for contactless NFC spending immediately. Physical cards are custom-branded with the partner logo and chip + PIN.

Who is the Swipe Card for?

Swipe customers are crypto businesses — exchanges, neobanks, wallet providers — that want to offer spend-anywhere crypto debit cards to their users without building issuing, compliance and settlement infrastructure from scratch. End users never buy a Swipe Card directly; they receive a card branded by the partner (e.g. Binance, formerly FTX, etc.) that runs on swipe.io rails.

Swipe is card-issuing infrastructure rather than a consumer product: it powers the Binance Visa Card and lets other companies launch their own programmes. Gnosis Pay does the equivalent on Safe smart accounts, and NAKA offers the same service from Switzerland. For a card you can hold yourself, start from the crypto cards directory.

Features & Benefits

Platform features

Visa & Mastercard issuing rails with single-API integration, covering on-demand virtual cards and custom-branded physical cards.
Digital-wallet push provisioning for Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay — instant contactless NFC spending via a touchless tokenised card experience.
Swipe Ramps — a fiat on/off channel that lets card programs settle any asset class into local-currency card authorisations.
Programmable card controls: foreign-transaction toggles, card lock/unlock, lost-card re-issue, MCC restrictions, PIN controls and per-card spend caps — all via API.
Compliance-as-a-service: Swipe handles KYC and identity verification per region with a single API call; partners can leverage Swipe own licences and banking partners rather than obtaining their own.
Tokenised card experience: tokenize your card for a touchless spend flow across mobile wallets.
Cashback-and-rewards add-on (Premium tier only): cardholder-benefits and cashback programs can be enabled for end users by the partner.
Developer-first APIs: card issuance, funding, transaction listing and program-management endpoints with documented request/response schemas.

Native token (SXP)

SXP is an ERC-20 utility token on the Swipe network. Historically used for staking, fee discounts and governance within Swipe consumer products; since the Binance acquisition the majority of the supply has been locked over a multi-year vesting schedule and SXP has been listed on Binance against BTC, BNB and BUSD pairs.

Supported Cryptocurrencies

Swipe coin support is programmatic — the platform itself does not define a fixed list. Issuing partners configure which assets cardholders may fund with based on the partner exchange/wallet inventory and settlement model. Coins that have appeared across Swipe-powered programs include:

SXP — native Swipe network token, used for staking and rewards in legacy consumer products.
BNB — central to the Binance Visa Card powered by Swipe, including boosted cashback tiers.
BTC, ETH, BUSD — listed alongside SXP on Binance following the acquisition.
USDT, USDC — common stablecoin funding rails via Swipe Ramps.
Custom partner assets — any token supported by the issuing partner treasury can be configured as a funding source through the Swipe Ramps fiat-conversion channel.

Fiat settlement rails include USD, EUR, GBP, SGD and local currencies for 31+ launch markets, settled via Swipe banking partners.

Fees & Limits

Swipe Issuing pricing (for businesses)

Swipe quotes transparent, upfront pricing on its website across two packages. The fee schedule below is paid by the issuing business, not by cardholders — cardholder fees (FX, ATM, monthly) are set by each partner program.

Standard package

Set-up fee: $25,000 one-time
Processing fee: 2.5% per transaction
Virtual card: $6 per card issued
Physical card: $12 per card issued
Included: on-demand issuing, push-provisioning for Apple/Google/Samsung Pay, temporary virtual card until physical arrives, full KYC included

Premium package

Set-up fee: $25,000 one-time
Processing fee: 1% per transaction
Virtual card: $4 per card issued
Physical card: $8 per card issued
Included: everything in Standard plus marketing support, a cardholder-benefits program and a cashback rewards program

Cardholder fees (set by the issuing partner)

Because partners control the consumer economics, there is no universal Swipe ATM, FX or monthly fee — partners like Binance have historically offered 0% FX, no monthly fee and up to 8% cashback on BNB, while other deployments carry small FX spreads. Always check the specific partner card terms.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Powers the Binance Visa Card — battle-tested issuing stack used by one of the largest crypto exchanges globally
Full B2B stack in one API: KYC, issuing, settlement, digital-wallet provisioning and programmatic controls
Visa + Mastercard rails with Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay push-provisioning out of the box
Programmable controls (lock/unlock, MCC, foreign-transaction toggles, PIN, spend caps) via API
Compliance-as-a-service — partners can use Swipe licences and banking partners instead of obtaining their own
Swipe Ramps enable instant crypto-to-fiat settlement across 31+ markets
Transparent, upfront pricing on the website (Standard $25K + 2.5% vs Premium $25K + 1%)
Custom-branded physical cards with chip + PIN for premium partner deployments
SXP token historically delivered staking, fee discounts and governance utility

Cons

B2B only — individual consumers cannot buy or apply for a Swipe Card directly; only partner-branded cards are available
$25,000 set-up fee and per-card fees put entry out of reach of small or hobbyist projects
Acquired by Binance (July 2020) — the platform independence and pricing could shift with Binance strategy
No direct cashback on the platform itself; cardholder rewards are set each partner program (Binance-style rewards are not guaranteed on every deployment)
Limited public API documentation — doc access is gated behind the sales invite flow
SXP tokenomics post-acquisition are largely lock-up based, with very little active consumer utility today
Pricing transparency stops at the platform fee — true cost depends on each partner program cardholder FX, ATM and monthly fees
ATM withdrawal terms are not published centrally — they vary by partner
KYC, while included, is enforced by Swipe own licences, which may not suit every regulated partner that wants full control

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I buy a Swipe Card as an individual consumer?

No. Swipe is a B2B card-issuing infrastructure platform. The cards you can apply for are branded by Swipe partners — most notably the Binance Visa Card. You would apply through the partner, not through swipe.io directly. The swipe.io website is intended for businesses that want to issue their own crypto cards.

How much does Swipe cost to deploy?

There are two packages published on swipe.io. The Standard package charges a $25,000 set-up fee, a 2.5% processing fee per transaction, $6 per virtual card and $12 per physical card. The Premium package charges the same $25,000 set-up fee but drops processing to 1%, $4 per virtual and $8 per physical card, and adds marketing support, a cardholder-benefits program and a cashback rewards program.

Which payment networks and digital wallets does Swipe support?

Swipe issues on Visa (with Mastercard available for some deployments) and supports push-provisioning to Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay — cardholders can immediately tokenize a virtual or physical card for contactless NFC payments.

Is KYC included?

Yes. Swipe handles all KYC and identity-verification requirements per region with a single API call. Partners can either use their own licences or leverage Swipe licences and banking partners to launch quickly in 31+ supported markets.

What is SXP and is it still used?

SXP is the native ERC-20 token of the Swipe network, originally used for staking, fee discounts and governance in Swipe consumer products. After Binance acquisition of Swipe in July 2020, SXP was listed on Binance and the majority of its supply was locked over a multi-year vesting period. Active consumer utility of SXP today is limited compared to its pre-acquisition role.

What cardholder fees (FX, ATM, monthly) does Swipe charge?

Swipe does not set cardholder fees — the partner program does. Partners using Swipe rails (e.g. historically Binance) have offered 0% FX, no monthly fee and tiered cashback, while other deployments may carry small FX spreads or ATM fees. Always check the specific partner-branded card terms.

Does Swipe provide developer APIs?

Yes — Swipe platform is built API-first, with endpoints for card issuance, funding, transaction history, digital-wallet tokenization and program management. However, full API documentation access is gated behind the sales request flow; there is no fully public doc site.

Which markets does Swipe support?

Swipe has supported card issuance across 31+ launch markets, including the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Singapore and other Asia-Pacific regions, with regional KYC handled by Swipe or its banking partners. Availability for any specific end-user depends on the partner program licensed footprint.

Swipe Card