MCO card: Fees, rewards and more

The MCO Visa card is a prepaid debit card issued by Crypto.com. The MCO card comes in a variety of levels, with varied rewards, fees and limits. As with other Visa prepaid cards, you can use your card to spend and make withdrawals wherever Visa is accepted - subject to a few limits. The key difference of this card is that users for higher tier cards must stake a fixed amount of value in CRO - the cryptocoin of the Crypto.com chain - to unlock benefits.

Want to learn more? Read on for all you need about how the MCO card works, how to apply, what risks to consider and what benefits you may receive.

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📝Table of contents:
What is the MCO card? Understanding MCO staking MCO Visa card Singapore - delays in card issue expected How do I get an MCO card? How does the card work? MCO card fees Types of MCO Visa Cards available Security Rewards and perks

What is the MCO card?

The MCO card is a prepaid Visa which incorporates fiat currency payments, as well as crypto currency requirements and rewards. You can reload and hold fiat currencies and cryptocurrencies, and switch between them with the Crypto.com app. Then use your card for spending at home and abroad in much the same way as you would a regular Visa.¹

MCO cards are stylish metal cards, which come with CRO rewards, free subscriptions to popular services like Netflix and Spotify, merchandise and other perks depending on your tier level.

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Understanding MCO staking

The first thing to understand about the MCO card is that the mechanism behind it works differently to that for regular Visa cards. MCO Visa cards come in a variety of levels - we’ll cover this later in more details - and many of the tiers require users to stake a fixed value in cryptocurrency CRO to get benefits.²

Staking is basically making a term deposit for a fixed period - in this case at least 180 days. You buy into CRO at the beginning of the term, and can then unlock your CRO at the end. By unlocking you’ll lose many of the benefits you had received under the card tier - and of course, the value of CRO may have changed in the interim period. This may mean your investment has gone up - but it may also mean you get back less than you originally staked.

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MCO Visa card Singapore - delays in card issue expected

On 14 July 2020, Crypto.com announced the temporary halt to issuing MCO Visa cards in Singapore while the team switched to a new vendor³. This did not impact existing card holders, as top ups continued to be available.

At the time of writing - July 2021 - MCO Visa cards are again being issued. However, there is a backlog of applications, which may cause delays in your card being issued if you’re a new applicant. For now you’ll need to download the app, apply, turn on push notifications and await notification that your card is on the way.

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How do I get an MCO card?

To get your MCO card you’ll need to download the Crypto.com app - you can’t access this service from a computer, so check out the app on your mobile device. Then take the following steps:⁴

• Complete the KYC - Know Your Customer - steps to register your personal information
• Click on the card option to order your preferred tier of card
• Confirm you understand the terms and conditions of the card
• Confirm your shipping details
• When your card is ready to ship you will need to update the app and stake the amount of CRO required by your tier
• Your card will be mailed to you at your chosen delivery address

As we said above, for all but the lowest tier, you’ll need to hold a re-determined amount of CRO in order to receive your MCO card. This exposes you to some risk. For the premium tiers, the staking requirements are high, so you’ll need to make sure you’re experienced in crypto and understand the potential pros and cons of the process.

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How does the card work?

Once you have your MCO card you can manage it within the Crypro.com app, to upload and reload both fiat currencies and crypto, and switch between them.

The card acts as a prepaid debit card, so you can use it to spend - bearing in mind the staking requirements - and make some ATM withdrawals. The card works both at home and abroad, and you can hold a range of foreign currencies as well as crypto and Singapore dollars. It’s worth noting though, that because of Singapore MAS rules, local withdrawals in Singapore are not allowed.

MCO card fees

There are different fees and limits for each card tier. You’ll be able to check out the full details by logging into your account and heading to the Settings tab. A couple of fees you’ll want to know about include:⁵

• ATM withdrawal fee after exceeding free withdrawal amount: 2% of total withdrawal
• Currency exchange free after exceeding free exchange limit: 0.5% value of transaction
• Account close fee: 50 SGD⁶

There are limits which apply to your MCO Visa card that vary according to the card type you choose. Here are some highlights:

Card type/ Limit	Obsidian	Frosted Rose Gold and Icy White	Royal Indigo and Jade Green	Ruby Steel	Midnight Blue
Free ATM monthly withdrawal limit (SGD)	1,000	1,000	800	400	200
Total ATM monthly withdrawal limit (SGD)	10,000	10,000	10,000	10,000	5,000
Interbank exchange rate limit (SGD)	Unlimited	15,000	10,000	4,000	2,000
Aggregate monthly top up limit (SGD)	25,000	25,000	25,000	15,000	10,000

It’s also good to know that there are some limits applied by law to Singapore based MCO Visa card holders. These rules may override the terms of your MCO Visa card if you are a Singapore citizen or resident. These include:⁷

• You can not make local ATM withdrawals
• The maximum balance you can hold on your card is 5,000 SGD
• The maximum annual spend allowed on your MCO Visa card is 30,000 SGD

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Types of MCO Visa Cards available

There are several different tiers of MCO Visa available. Here are your options:

• Midnight Blue - No CRO stake required
• Ruby Steel - 500 SGD stake required
• Royal Indigo and Jade Green - 5,000 SGD stake required
• Frosted Rose Gold and Icy White - 50,000 SGD stake required
• Obsidian - 500,000 SGD stake required

Each different level comes with its own rewards and perks as long as you hold the required amount of CRO - we’ll cover them in just a moment.

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Security

For your personal security it’s good to know you can manage your MCO card in the app and block it if you have any concerns about fraudulent use. Crypto.com will also have anti-fraud technology running in the background to limit or block cards if there are unusual transactions.

In broader terms, as a crypto specialist, Crypto.com takes a security first approach across all products.

That includes holding 100% of user currencies in cold storage - the secure offline approach to crypto storage, not the supermarket - and investing in a dedicated team to monitor transactions and improve user security. Read more about Crypto.com’s approach to security here.⁸

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Rewards and perks

Let’s look at the perks you get with the different tiers of MCO card. It’s important to note that various exclusions apply here - so for example there are spend categories which do not qualify for rewards which you’ll need to check.

Many of these benefits are also only available while your CRO stake is locked away. Once you come to the end of your 180 day term, if you choose to unlock your stake you’ll lose access to many of these benefits. As with any financial product, read the small print before you sign up.

Here are the key benefits and perks on offer by tier:

Card tier/benefits	Obsidian	Frosted Rose Gold and Icy White	Royal Indigo and Jade Green	Ruby Steel -	Midnight Blue
CRO stake (SGD)	500,000	50,000	5,000	500	No stake
CRO rewards on card spend	8%	5%	3%	2%	1%
Spotify membership	Free	Free	Free	Free
Netflix membership	Free	Free	Free
Amazon Prime membership	Free	Free
Expedia rewards	10%	10%
AirBnB Rewards	10%
Earn bonus interest	Available	Available
Airport lounge access	Available, + guest	Available, + guest	Available
Private program	Available	Available
Private jet partnership	Available

The MCO visa is an interesting new card proposition for people who are experienced crypto enthusiasts.

If you’re investigating in CRO anyway, this may be a good way to earn some extras from your stake. However, if you’re new to cryptocurrency investing you’ll need to consider the risks and benefits carefully before you sign up for this card. Use this guide as a starting point for your research to help you decide if the MCO Visa is right for you.

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Sources:

1. Crypto.com Visa Card
2. Crypto.com - How do I stake CRO on the Crypto.com App?
3. Crypto.com Blog - Temporary Suspension of MCO Visa Card Issuing in Singapore
4. Crypto.com Help - How to Apply for a Crypto.com Visa card?
5. Crypto.com Help - What are the Charges, Fees, and Limits Associated with the Crypto.com Visa Card?
6. Crypto.com Help - What Additional Details Should I Know About My Crypto.com Visa Card?
7. Crypto.com Help - Limits to SG Crypto.com Visa Card under MAS Payment Services Act
8. Crypto.com - Security

Sources checked on 15 July 2021