COMPETITIVE COMPARISON
JIT Funding
Stablecoin Platform
Fyatu vs Wirex
Wirex is a London stablecoin platform with 7 million+ customers and principal membership of both Visa and Mastercard. Its business API is built on non-custodial smart-contract accounts. Fyatu's JIT model funds each authorization in real time from your own backend, with no blockchain in the card path. Here's how they compare.
<100ms
Authorization latency
$0
Prefunding required
180+
Countries covered
DETAILED COMPARISON
Fyatu vs Wirex: Feature Comparison
A direct comparison of what each platform publishes about its card issuing and funding model.
Prefunding model
Zero — real-time JIT webhook at every authorization
No prefunding required for co-branded cards
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
Authorization control
Full real-time per-transaction webhook with approve/decline/modify
Real-time webhooks for transaction and settlement events
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 — free tier, $99/month, custom
Not published; custom by volume and use case
Integration path
REST API + one webhook endpoint
REST API plus wallet deployment and on-chain registration
| RECOMMENDED | | |
|---|---|---|
| Prefunding model | Zero — real-time JIT webhook at every authorization | No prefunding required for co-branded cards |
| 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 |
| Authorization control | Full real-time per-transaction webhook with approve/decline/modify | Real-time webhooks for transaction and settlement events |
| 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 — free tier, $99/month, custom | Not published; custom by volume and use case |
| Integration path | REST API + one webhook endpoint | REST API plus wallet deployment and on-chain registration |
Feature availability based on published documentation. Contact each provider's sales team for an exact quote.
AT A GLANCE
Two approaches. One fundamental architectural difference.
Real-time authorization webhooks. Zero prefunding. 180+ countries.
- Zero prefunding — $0 balance until authorization fires
- No blockchain, wallets or chain IDs anywhere in the integration
- Global coverage: LATAM, MENA, Eastern Europe, Asia
- Visa & Mastercard virtual and physical cards
- Full real-time authorization control via webhook
- Pricing published: free tier, $99/month, custom
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
WHAT MAKES FYATU DIFFERENT
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.
Your ledger decides every authorization
Both platforms send webhooks, but they answer different questions. Wirex notifies you of transactions and settlement events after the fact. Fyatu calls your backend before the transaction settles and waits for your answer — check live balances, KYC flags, limits and merchant categories, then approve, decline or modify within 100ms. If your authorization logic lives in your own system, that difference decides the integration.
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. Fyatu publishes its tiers: a free tier to build against, $99/month, and custom above that. For a team still deciding whether a card programme is worth building, being able to price it the same afternoon is the practical difference.
HONEST VERDICT
Who should choose what?
An honest breakdown to help you make the right decision for your card program.
Choose Fyatu if…
Best fit for most card programs
- You want card issuing with no blockchain, wallet deployment or key management in your integration
- Your authorization logic is complex and has to run against your own live ledger, per transaction
- You need coverage in LATAM, MENA, Eastern Europe or Asia beyond the 130+ countries Wirex publishes
- You want to model the cost of the programme from published pricing rather than a sales call
- Card issuing is the product you need, not a broader payments suite
Choose Wirex if…
A strong fit for specific use cases
- 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.