Personal Finance

Venmo card unavailable in Canada? Here are some easy alternatives

Piyush Singh

21.02.25

Read time 4 minutes

If you're trying to get a Venmo card in Canada, you’re out of luck. Venmo is only available in the US, meaning you can’t use the card outside the country, make international transfers, or link to a Canadian bank account. To access Venmo, you need a US bank account as well as a physical US address.

So what are your options? In this guide, we’ll explore alternatives to the Venmo card, including the Wise card, which lets you spend like a local in Canada and abroad at the mid-market exchange rate.

We'll be looking at:
Alternatives to the Venmo card in Canada KOHO Prepaid Mastercard KOHO card features: Wise card: Spend like a local Wise card features: Wealthsimple Cash Card Wealthsimple Cash card features: CIBC Advantage debit card Finding the right alternative to Venmo in Canada

Alternatives to the Venmo card in Canada

Since Venmo isn't available in Canada, you'll need a different payment option to spend and manage your money. Fortunately, you don’t need to feel any FOMO thanks to these great alternatives.

KOHO Prepaid Mastercard

The KOHO Extra Prepaid Mastercard offers interest between 2.5%-4%¹.

With a choice of three plans, you have the option to pick the one that best suits your preferences and needs. You can get the Essential plan with no ongoing charges, though this comes with a 1.5% foreign transaction fee². You can also upgrade to the Extra or Everything plan, which have no foreign transaction fees, but charge you monthly fees.

KOHO also offers one free international ATM withdrawal per month on the Extra and Everything plans, after which a $2–$3 out-of-network fee applies.

KOHO card features:

Earn up to 1.5% cashback on purchases and 4% interest on your balance.
No foreign transaction fees on Extra and Everything plans.
One free international ATM withdrawal per month, then a $2–$3 out-of-network fee³.
9 CAD/month fee for the Extra plan or 19 CAD/month fee for the Everything plan

KOHO card pros	KOHO card cons
✅Three different account options available ✅ No foreign transaction fees on Extra and Everything plans ✅ One free monthly international ATM withdrawal on premium plans ✅ Earn cashback on spending and interest on savings	❌ Monthly fees of $9–$19 for Extra and Everything plans ❌ 1.5% foreign transaction fee on the Essential plan

KOHO card pros

KOHO card cons

✅Three different account options available

✅ No foreign transaction fees on Extra and Everything plans

✅ One free monthly international ATM withdrawal on premium plans

✅ Earn cashback on spending and interest on savings

❌ Monthly fees of $9–$19 for Extra and Everything plans

❌ 1.5% foreign transaction fee on the Essential plan

Wise card: Spend like a local

The Wise card is an international debit card that allows you to hold 40+ currencies and spend in over 150 countries with no foreign transaction fee. You can open a Wise account online or in the Wise app, and your first card is completely free⁴ to order, plus no annual, monthly or ongoing charges.

Wise uses the mid-market rate and low fees starting at 0.48%⁵. If you don’t have the currency you need in your account balance, no worries - the card can automatically convert for you with the mid-market rate and the lowest possible fee.

Wise card features:

No ongoing fees or minimum balance.
Spend in 150+ countries and hold 40+ currencies.
Uses the mid-market exchange rate with transparent, low fees.
Two free ATM withdrawals per month (up to 350 CAD)⁴.
Small 1.75% fee + 1.50 CAD per withdrawal after the limit.

Wise card pros	Wise card cons
✅ No foreign transaction fees ✅ Hold 40+ currencies and spend in over 150 countries ✅ No ongoing fees or minimum balance ✅ Two free ATM withdrawals per month	❌ No in-person customer support ❌ Some ATM fees apply once you’ve exhausted your free monthly withdrawals ❌ While you can withdraw cash abroad, you cannot do so in Canada

Wise card pros

Wise card cons

✅ No foreign transaction fees

✅ Hold 40+ currencies and spend in over 150 countries

✅ No ongoing fees or minimum balance

✅ Two free ATM withdrawals per month

❌ No in-person customer support

❌ Some ATM fees apply once you’ve exhausted your free monthly withdrawals

❌ While you can withdraw cash abroad, you cannot do so in Canada

Wealthsimple Cash Card

The Wealthsimple Cash Card is a prepaid Mastercard that allows you to spend directly from your Wealthsimple Cash account, making it a great option for everyday purchases and international spending. Unlike traditional credit cards, there’s no need to worry about interest charges or minimum payments, and since it’s a prepaid card, you load funds onto it before spending—helping you stay within your budget.

With no foreign transaction fees, you can use your Wealthsimple Cash Card to make purchases abroad without worrying about extra charges. It also has no monthly or annual fees and a 30,000 CAD monthly spending limit⁶.

Wealthsimple Cash card features:

No foreign transaction fees when spending abroad.
Uses Mastercard’s exchange rate for international payments.
No annual or monthly fees.
ATM withdrawals are available, but ATM providers may charge fees.
Offers up to $30,000 in monthly spending limits⁶.

Wealthsimple Cash card pros	Wealthsimple Cash card cons
✅ No monthly or annual fees ✅ No foreign transaction fees ✅ Supports international payments ✅ High 30,000 CAD monthly spending limit	❌ ATM withdrawal fees may apply ❌ Not accepted in all countries ❌ Have to load funds before using

Wealthsimple Cash card pros

Wealthsimple Cash card cons

✅ No monthly or annual fees

✅ No foreign transaction fees

✅ Supports international payments

✅ High 30,000 CAD monthly spending limit

❌ ATM withdrawal fees may apply

❌ Not accepted in all countries

❌ Have to load funds before using

CIBC Advantage debit card

The CIBC Advantage Debit Card is a Visa Debit card that gives you the convenience of directly spending from your CIBC chequing account while also offering exclusive rewards and discounts. Accepted in over 200 countries, CIBC customers can also take advantage of rewards program⁷, including SPC for student discounts, Journie Rewards for fuel savings, and Paymi for cashback on everyday purchases.

No annual fee and works directly with your CIBC bank account^8.
Works in over 200 countries where Visa is accepted
Users can earn exclusive rewards through CIBC’s partnerships with SPC and Paymi

CIBC Advantage debit card pros	CIBC Advantage debit card cons
✅ No annual fees⁸ ✅ Earn rewards and cashback on purchases ✅ Works internationally with Visa Debit ✅ Accepted in over 200 countries	❌ Must have a CIBC account ❌ 5 CAD ATM withdrawal fee + a 2.5% administration fee when withdrawing money outside of Canada and the US⁸ ❌2.5% conversion fees for purchases made with this card⁸

CIBC Advantage debit card pros

CIBC Advantage debit card cons

✅ No annual fees⁸

✅ Earn rewards and cashback on purchases

✅ Works internationally with Visa Debit

✅ Accepted in over 200 countries

❌ Must have a CIBC account

❌ 5 CAD ATM withdrawal fee + a 2.5% administration fee when withdrawing money outside of Canada and the US⁸

❌2.5% conversion fees for purchases made with this card⁸

Finding the right alternative to Venmo in Canada

Since Venmo isn’t available in Canada, finding the right card depends on what you need most—low fees, travel perks, cashback, multi-currency support, or maybe a combination. Whether you choose the Wealthsimple Cash Card for its no-fee spending, the Wise Card for its exchange rate and multi-currency flexibility, KOHO for cashback and interest, or CIBC for direct banking access, there’s a solid option out there for every type of spender. Before deciding, consider where and how you’ll use your card, and choose the one that best fits your lifestyle best.

Sources:

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.