EU CRYPTO CARDS · WIREX · LAST VERIFIED
Who issues the Wirex card in the EU, and what protects your money?
The Wirex card is a crypto-funded Mastercard card. The brand on the front is Wirex; the entity that actually issues it and safeguards your balance is Transact Payments Malta Limited. Here is the full mapping.
The Wirex card is issued by Transact Payments Malta Limited, regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA).
| Card product | Wirex Card |
|---|---|
| Card status (EEA) | Live - available to EEA residents |
| Issuing entity | Transact Payments Malta Limited |
| Issuer jurisdiction | Malta |
| Issuer regulator | Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) |
| Card network | Mastercard |
| BIN sponsor / principal | Transact Payments Malta Limited (Mastercard) |
| EEA availability | Available to Wirex users across most EEA member states; the EEA Mastercard variant has some country exclusions stated in the card terms. |
Source: Wirex card terms and conditions (issuer-published). Verified 30 June 2026.
Verification note: Wirex operates multiple issuing arrangements across regions (a Visa principal arrangement historically, plus a Mastercard EEA variant issued by Transact Payments Malta Limited). The exact issuer for each current EEA card variant must be confirmed against the live EEA cardholder terms before this entry moves to verified. This entry is published with the issuer mapping we have, flagged pending the second primary-source confirmation, in line with our two-source methodology.
Who issues the Wirex card and who regulates them?
The Wirex Card is issued by Transact Payments Malta Limited, incorporated in Malta and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA). For the EEA Mastercard variant, the card is issued by Transact Payments Malta Limited, authorised by the MFSA. Wirex UAB (Lithuania) acts as the EEA programme manager.
The card runs on the Mastercard network, with Transact Payments Malta Limited (Mastercard) as the issuing principal. Wirex itself acts as the programme manager and distribution channel: it builds the app, runs the crypto-to-euro conversion and sets the rewards, while the regulated issuing of electronic money sits with the EMI named above. You can confirm the issuer independently in the EBA EUCLID register.
Is the Wirex card available to EEA residents right now?
Available to Wirex users across most EEA member states; the EEA Mastercard variant has some country exclusions stated in the card terms.
What we are still confirming: Wirex operates multiple issuing arrangements across regions (a Visa principal arrangement historically, plus a Mastercard EEA variant issued by Transact Payments Malta Limited). The exact issuer for each current EEA card variant must be confirmed against the live EEA cardholder terms before this entry moves to verified.
What protects your money on the Wirex card?
The fiat balance behind the Wirex card is held by Transact Payments Malta Limited, the issuing Electronic Money Institution, not by the crypto brand. Under Article 7 of Directive 2009/110/EC the issuer must safeguard that balance, either by segregating it in a separate account at a credit institution, or by holding an equivalent insurance policy or guarantee.
EMI safeguarding is not the same as bank deposit insurance. The EUR 100,000 Deposit Guarantee Scheme that covers bank deposits does not apply to an e-money balance. If you want to confirm the issuer is authorised, search its name in the EBA EUCLID register. We explain the difference in full on EMI vs bank protection.
Does spending crypto on the Wirex card trigger tax?
Spending crypto on the Wirex card is, in most EU member states, a disposal of the crypto-asset at the moment of the transaction. That can trigger a capital-gains calculation against your cost basis, even for small everyday payments, because the card converts crypto to euro at the point of sale.
From 1 January 2026 the DAC8 directive (Directive (EU) 2023/2226) obliges crypto-asset service providers to report transactions to tax authorities, so your card spending becomes visible to your tax office automatically. The practical takeaway is record-keeping, covered on crypto card vs regular debit card.
Fees and rewards for the Wirex card
These are the Wirex card's published commercial terms. Every figure below shows where it came from: hover or tap the question mark to read the issuer's exact wording and open the source document. A "two-source verified" figure was confirmed in two independent issuer documents; "stated by issuer" means we found it in one. Anything we could not confirm, or where the issuer's own documents disagreed, reads "Not confirmed".
Fee data last checked 2026-06-29. Figures are the issuer's own published terms; confirm current terms before relying on them.
Frequently asked questions about the Wirex card
Who issues the Wirex card?
The card is issued by Transact Payments Malta Limited, an entity regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) in Malta. Wirex is the programme manager, not the issuer of record.
Is the Wirex card balance protected like a bank account?
Not in the same way. A bank deposit is covered by the EUR 100,000 Deposit Guarantee Scheme; an e-money balance is safeguarded under Article 7 of the E-Money Directive instead. The two regimes differ in coverage, speed and limits. See our EMI vs bank protection explainer.
Does the Wirex card mean Wirex is regulated for everything it does?
No. A card issuer authorisation is specific to issuing electronic money. It says nothing about whether the brand is authorised for spot crypto trading (MiCA) or crypto derivatives (MiFID II). Those are separate authorisations, often held by separate legal entities. Check each role separately.
How does The Crypto Register verify a card's issuer?
We map each card to its issuing Electronic Money Institution using the card's own published terms, then cross-check the issuer in the EBA EUCLID register and the relevant national register. Our methodology describes the process. Corrections welcome at our contact page.
Sources cited on this page
The issuer and authorisation facts on this page are verified against primary sources per our methodology. The fees and rewards above are the issuer's own published figures, each shown with the document and exact wording it came from; they change frequently, so confirm the current card terms before relying on them. Corrections welcome at our contact page.