Improved Checkout: Lower Margins, USD Values and Visible Exchange Rates

What changed

Lower margins on around 4,000 gift cards

USD value shown on the card page, before you go to checkout

Exchange rate shown on the checkout page, next to the exact crypto amount

Lower margins on around 4,000 gift cards

We have reduced the CardsRelay margin on around 4,000 cards. Our goal is not to be the cheapest on the market, but we always want to be competitive, and these reductions bring us very close to the top competitors across many cards.

Here is a real example. A Lazada Philippines gift card with a face value of ₱5,000 had a CardsRelay admin fee of 5.1%. It is now 4.6%, and the total has moved from ₱5,347.76 to ₱5,322.32, which is ₱25.44 less for the same card.

Before: Lazada Philippines, 5.1% admin fee, total ₱5,347.76.

After: 4.6% admin fee, total ₱5,322.32, with the USD value shown underneath.

The USD value of the card, before you check out

Most gift cards are priced in USD, and most coins are valued in USD, but we used to show only the card face value in local currency. That left you to work out the USD price yourself.

The card page now shows the total in USD as well. For a Mexican Amazon card with a face value of MX$500, the total is MX$517.50, and the page shows $28.68 USD underneath. You can compare that figure to your own wallet balance before you pick a coin.

New View: the MX$ total with the USD value underneath.

The exchange rate we apply, shown at checkout

The checkout page now shows the coin exchange rate we used to work out the amount you send. We do not believe in artificial price increases based on inaccurate exchange rates, so we show the rate and let you check it.

In the Amazon Mexico example, paying with Dash means sending 0.500873 DASH. The checkout shows $28.68 USD and 1 DASH = $57.26, and the sum works out: 0.500873 × 57.26 is 28.68. A Lazada Philippines card paid in Dash shows the same detail, with 1.502629 DASH at a rate of $57.06 for $85.74 USD.

New View: the amount, the USD value and the exchange rate applied.

Compare the rate against any price tracker you trust. If you ever see a gap you cannot explain, tell us.

Why we made these changes

Pricing in crypto has a lot of moving parts: the card currency, the coin price and the fee. People in the Zano, Dash and Monero communities told us the full picture was hard to see, and they were right.

Showing the card value in USD, the fee as a line item and the rate used at checkout means you can follow every step from face value to the amount you send.

Frequently asked questions

Is the USD value the final price?

The USD value is a guide so you can see the cost before you choose a coin. The exact crypto amount is confirmed at checkout, where you also see the exchange rate applied.

Which coins can I pay with?

Around 20, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Monero, Zano, Zcash and Dash. Stablecoins such as USDC and USDT are supported too.

Does CardsRelay ask for KYC?

No. CardsRelay does not ask for KYC, although some prepaid card providers may.

See the new checkout

Pick any gift card on CardsRelay and you will see the USD value on the card page and the exchange rate at checkout.

If you want to start with a coin guide, read our guide to buying gift cards with Bitcoin (link to /buy-gift-cards-with-bitcoin) or our FAQ on whether crypto gift cards are safe (link to /are-crypto-gift-cards-safe-gift-cards-faq).

Feedback is how this update happened, so keep it coming. We're active in multiple coin Telegram groups and forums.