Fyatu vs Wirex
Wirex is a principal member of both networks, built on non-custodial smart-contract accounts. Fyatu issues instantly on both networks, with no blockchain in the integration.
Instant Card Issuing
Stablecoin Platform
01 — DETAILED COMPARISON
Fyatu vs Wirex: Feature Comparison
A direct comparison of what each platform publishes about its card issuing and funding model.
Headquarters
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
London, United Kingdom
Founded
2020
2014
Regulatory framework
Not a bank; issues through licensed partner institutions
Principal member of Visa and Mastercard; approved by Zeyro Ltd (FRN 1001386)
Time to launch
Cards instantly; live programme in 1–3 weeks
Not published
Blockchain dependency
None — REST API and HTTPS webhooks only
Smart-contract accounts on Base; chain ID sent with every call
Card networks
Visa & Mastercard
Visa & Mastercard — principal member of both
Geographic coverage
180+ countries including LATAM, MENA, Eastern Europe
130+ countries
Spend controls
MCC rules, per-transaction limits, velocity and geo caps
Programmable controls on non-custodial accounts
Card types
Virtual, physical, prepaid, one-time and credit
Co-branded stablecoin-linked cards
Custody model
Balances stay in your ledger; nothing held at card level
Non-custodial wallets with Fireblocks custody and multi-sig
Beyond card issuing
Card issuing and program management
Cards plus payouts, collections, yield and Visa Direct push-to-card
Track record
Newer platform, no public volume figures
Founded 2014; 7M+ customers, $20B+ processed
Pricing transparency
Published — $4,300 setup, from $2,500/month
Not published; custom by volume and use case
Integration path
REST API + one webhook endpoint
REST API plus wallet deployment and on-chain registration
Leads 6 of 14
Leads 2 of 14
A tick marks the side the published evidence favours. Rows where neither leads are left unmarked. Read from each company’s own site and developer documentation.
02 — AT A GLANCE
Two approaches. One fundamental architectural difference.
Visa and Mastercard through one REST API. 180+ countries.
- No blockchain, wallets or chain IDs anywhere in the integration
- Global coverage: LATAM, MENA, Eastern Europe, Asia
- Visa & Mastercard virtual and physical cards
- Five card types including credit, with billing cycles and statements
- Spend controls: MCC rules, velocity, per-transaction and geo limits
- Pricing published in full: $4,300 setup, from $2,500/month
Stablecoin Platform Unified stablecoin API for accounts, payments, cards and yield.
- Principal member of both Visa and Mastercard
- 7 million+ customers and $20B+ processed since 2014
- One API covering accounts, payouts, cards and yield
- Fiat rails included: ACH, SEPA, PIX, FPS and SWIFT
- Fireblocks custody and multi-sig key management
- Public API documentation and a sandbox environment
03 — WHERE FYATU IS STRONGER
Fyatu and Wirex: different architectures
What distinguishes Fyatu's infrastructure for modern card programs.
No chain in the card path
Wirex's business API is built on non-custodial smart-contract accounts — its own getting-started guide walks through deploying a wallet, registering it on-chain, and sending a chain ID header with every request. That is the right foundation if on-chain settlement is the point of your product. Fyatu is a REST API and a webhook: no wallets to deploy, no keys to manage, no chain to depend on.
Five card types, including credit
Wirex’s business platform issues co-branded cards linked to stablecoin accounts. Fyatu issues virtual, physical, prepaid and one-time cards, and credit cards with revolving lines, configurable billing cycles, statement generation and 3D Secure 2.0. If your programme needs to extend credit rather than spend a balance, that is a different product rather than a setting, and only one of the two publishes it.
Wider country footprint
Wirex publishes coverage in 130+ countries. Fyatu states 180+, including LATAM, MENA, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia. Neither figure is independently audited and the two may count different things, so if one specific market decides your programme, confirm it with both vendors — but on published numbers Fyatu is the broader footprint.
Pricing you can read before you talk to sales
Wirex quotes custom pricing based on volume and use case, which means a call before you can model the economics at all. Fyatu publishes the actual numbers — $4,300 one-time setup and from $2,500 per month — so a team can decide whether a card programme clears its own bar before anyone picks up a phone. The figures are not cheap and they are not meant to look cheap; the point is that you can check them against your volumes today rather than after two calls.
04 — WHERE WIREX IS STRONGER
Where Wirex is the better answer
There are programmes we would not win, and pretending otherwise would not help you choose. These are the cases where Wirex is the stronger option.
Principal member of both networks
Wirex holds principal membership of Visa and Mastercard in its own right. Fyatu issues as a programme manager through licensed partner institutions, which is the ordinary structure but it is one relationship further from the network. If your commercial or regulatory case turns on who your provider answers to, that difference is real and Wirex wins it outright.
One vendor for far more than cards
Alongside co-branded cards, Wirex covers stablecoin accounts, global payouts over ACH, SEPA, PIX, FPS and SWIFT, collections, yield products, and Visa Direct push-to-card. Fyatu does card issuing. If you would otherwise contract three vendors to assemble that, consolidating it is worth real money and real integration time.
Scale, and the years behind it
Issuing since 2014, 7 million-plus customers and more than $20 billion processed, with Fireblocks custody and multi-sig key management underneath. Fyatu started in 2020 and publishes no volume figures. Operating history is not a feature, but it is what a risk committee reads first.
05 — HONEST VERDICT
Who should choose what?
An honest breakdown to help you make the right decision for your card program.
Choose Fyatu if…
Where the published evidence favours Fyatu
- You want card issuing with no blockchain, wallet deployment or key management in your integration
- You need credit issuing with revolving lines, billing cycles and statements
- You need coverage in LATAM, MENA, Eastern Europe or Asia beyond the 130+ countries Wirex publishes
- You want the cost of the programme in writing before a sales call, not after one
- Card issuing is the product you need, not a broader payments suite
Choose Wirex if…
LEADS 2/14Where it favours Wirex
- On-chain settlement and non-custodial wallets are the point of your product, not an obstacle
- You need payouts, collections, yield and Visa Direct push-to-card from the same vendor as your cards
- Enterprise procurement weighs scale — Wirex has been issuing since 2014 with 7M+ customers and $20B+ processed
- Principal membership of both networks in your provider matters to your commercial or regulatory case
Fyatu vs Wirex: FAQ
Common questions about comparing Fyatu and Wirex for card issuing.