Ripio Card

The Ripio Card is an international Visa prepaid card linked to a Ripio account in Argentina. It lets users pay with pesos or supported cryptocurrencies, with Ripio automatically selling the selected crypto when a card purchase is made.

Ripio offers both virtual and physical cards with no current maintenance fee. The card can be used for online and in-store Visa payments, and Ripio currently advertises Apple Pay, Google Wallet and cash-withdrawal functionality where enabled.

It is not a credit card and does not provide instalment purchases. You need enough pesos or crypto in your Ripio account before the transaction.

The Ripio Card is legally a prepaid card. Ripio's current terms explicitly state that it is not a credit, debit or purchase card and that it does not support instalments.

When you pay, the amount is deducted from the funds available after Ripio sells the crypto asset you previously selected, or from your available peso balance. There is no revolving credit line and no interest-bearing card debt.

For users, the practical experience resembles a funded debit card, but the prepaid legal classification is the more accurate description.

Ripio says the card can use any cryptocurrency currently available in the Ripio app, provided you hold enough of that asset and select it as the payment currency in the Ripio Card section.

That includes major assets such as BTC, ETH and stablecoins such as USDT, alongside other supported Ripio assets. The exact catalogue can change as Ripio lists or removes tokens.

The merchant never receives crypto. Ripio sells the selected asset during the card transaction and settles the Visa payment in fiat.

Before paying, you choose the cryptocurrency you want the card to use inside the Ripio Card section. When the Visa transaction is authorised, Ripio automatically sells enough of that selected asset to cover the purchase.

This means you do not need to manually convert Bitcoin, Ether or a stablecoin into pesos before every payment. You do, however, need enough available balance in the selected asset or the payment can be rejected.

Because selling crypto is part of the payment flow, the transaction can also have tax consequences depending on your circumstances and local rules.

Ripio currently pays 2% cashback when eligible purchases are funded with crypto and 0.5% when they are funded with Argentine pesos. Cardholders can choose to receive eligible crypto cashback in USDT, BTC or ETH.

New card users currently receive doubled rates for their first 30 days: 4% on crypto-funded purchases and 1% on ARS-funded purchases.

Promotional conditions and excluded transactions can change, so the live Ripio Card page and campaign terms should be checked before assuming every transaction qualifies.

Ripio currently advertises both the virtual and physical Visa card with no maintenance fee. Its card terms also state that Ripio does not charge a fee for obtaining the prepaid card for the first time or for ordinary use under the current schedule.

Ripio can change card fees with notice, and third parties can still charge for services such as ATM withdrawals where that functionality is enabled.

Because card pricing can change independently of crypto trading costs, check the live fee information in the Ripio app before relying on the card for frequent cash withdrawals or foreign-currency spending.

Ripio's current legal terms state that, when international or foreign-currency card transactions are enabled, the conversion into Argentine pesos uses Banco Nación's retail selling exchange rate multiplied by 1.03.

In practical terms, that represents a 3% uplift over the referenced BNA rate for those transactions. The public card page markets international use, but the legal terms make clear that availability of foreign transactions can depend on the card programme.

For travel, check the live rate and card settings before paying, and avoid merchant dynamic currency conversion when it offers an unfavourable rate.

Ripio's current product page advertises cash withdrawals at ATMs, supermarkets and service stations. Its Argentina card terms are more cautious and state that withdrawals are unavailable unless Ripio expressly enables them.

That means cash access should be treated as an account-dependent feature rather than assumed from the Visa logo alone. If the withdrawal option is active in your app, the ATM or cash-out provider can also charge its own fee.

Before relying on Ripio for cash, check the card controls and current limits shown in the app.

Yes. Ripio currently advertises support for both Apple Pay and Google Wallet, allowing eligible users to add the card and make contactless payments from a compatible phone or smartwatch.

This is particularly useful with the virtual Ripio Card because you can begin making mobile-wallet payments without waiting for the physical card to arrive.

Wallet availability still depends on the device, region and current Visa programme. If provisioning fails, check the card section in the Ripio app and use Ripio's official support channel rather than assuming every device is eligible.

The current Ripio Card terms apply to Ripio users in Argentina who have completed identity verification and whose accounts are not suspended. Applicants must provide accurate personal and address information when requesting the card.

Ripio's wider crypto platform operates in several countries, but that does not mean this specific prepaid Visa programme is available everywhere. The Argentina card terms are issued through local partners and should be treated separately from Ripio services in Brazil, Mexico or other markets.

Check the Card section in your verified Ripio app to confirm current eligibility.

Ripio's current Argentina terms say the prepaid card is offered by Moonbird S.R.L., which operates Ripio locally, and co-issued with Digipayments S.A.U. and Pomelo Fintech Services S.A.S. The card runs on the Visa network.

This distinction matters because Ripio provides the crypto account and card experience while regulated payment partners handle parts of the prepaid-card infrastructure.

Moonbird is also registered in Argentina as a virtual asset service provider with the Comisión Nacional de Valores, but that registration should not be confused with the separate legal structure of the prepaid card.

No. The Ripio Card spends from assets held in a Ripio account and relies on Ripio to sell the selected crypto when you pay. It is therefore not a self-custodial card where the user alone controls the private keys to the spending balance.

This makes the experience simpler for users already keeping assets on Ripio, but it is different from cards connected directly to a self-custodial wallet.

If private-key control is important to you, compare the custody model separately from cashback and card fees.

Yes. Ripio offers both a virtual and physical Visa prepaid card. The virtual version can be activated while you wait for the physical card and is useful for online purchases and supported mobile-wallet payments.

The physical card adds normal in-store Visa acceptance and access to any cash-withdrawal features that Ripio has enabled for your account.

Ripio currently advertises both formats without a maintenance fee. The physical card is requested from the Ripio app and sent to the registered address.

Open the Ripio app, complete account registration and identity verification, then enter the Ripio Card section. Eligible users can request the physical card and activate the virtual card while waiting for delivery.

Before your first payment, choose the peso or crypto balance you want the card to use and make sure enough funds are available. If paying with crypto, Ripio automatically sells the selected asset during the purchase.

Card availability is tied to the local programme, so users outside Argentina should not assume that seeing other Ripio services means the same Visa card is available.

For card, payment or account problems, Ripio directs users to the Support section inside the Ripio app or desktop platform. Its public Card page also points users to the Ripio Help Centre for product guidance.

For transaction issues, keep the merchant name, amount, date and any error message available so support can identify the payment. If the card is lost or compromised, use the in-app controls and contact support promptly.

Never share passwords, one-time codes or wallet credentials with someone contacting you unexpectedly.