Gemini Credit Card Review: Earn Crypto on Your Spending
The Bottom Line
4.3
It offers useful rewards categories for those interested in accruing crypto, but be aware that the value of your rewards can go up or down.
Rates, fees and offers
Annual fee
$0
Rewards rate
1%-4%
Bonus offer
$200 in crypto if you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days. Promotional Terms Apply. See the Gemini website for more details.
Intro APR
N/A
Ongoing APR
APR: 17.24%-29.24% Variable
Cash Advance APR: 30.24% Variable
Foreign transaction fee
0%
More details from Gemini
- No annual fee, no foreign transaction fees
- Earn rewards in bitcoin, ethereum or 50+ other cryptos currently available on Gemini.
- Choose from black, silver, or rose gold metal cards. The beautiful, clean design isn’t just for looks — we designed this with a security-first approach and removed the card number from the card to protect your account details.
Pros and Cons
Pros
No annual fee
Welcome bonus
High rewards rates
Cons
Redemption limited to crypto
Fluctuating reward values
Detailed Review
The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.
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Gemini — a company offering products that allow you to buy, sell and store cryptocurrency — also offers the Gemini Credit Card®. Issued by WebBank, it features a $0 annual fee (rates and fees) and the chance to snag up to 4% back in cryptocurrency through everyday spending.
For a brief time, the Gemini Credit Card® was one of multiple crypto-earning credit card options on the market. But in the wake of the "crypto winter" that took hold in late 2022, crypto credit cards largely fizzled out, and the Gemini Credit Card® more or less became the last man standing.
Yes, there are still ways to earn crypto through daily spending, mostly via debit cards and workarounds with other products. But in terms of a credit card that purely earns crypto by default, the Gemini Credit Card® essentially owns the space now.
Gemini Credit Card®: The basics
Annual fee: $0.
Sign-up bonus: $200 in crypto if you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days. Promotional Terms Apply. See the Gemini website for more details.
Ongoing rewards:
4% back (in crypto) on gas at the pump and on electric vehicle charging, on up to $200 in spending per month (then 1% back).
3% back on dining.
2% back on groceries.
1% back on all other purchases.
Interest rate: The ongoing APR is 17.24%-29.24% Variable.
Foreign transaction fees: None.
Other benefits:
Prequalify with no impact to your credit score.
Earned rewards are automatically deposited to your Gemini account when the purchase occurs.
The card runs on the Mastercard payment network and offers various benefits from that network.
Compare to Other Cards
Benefits and Perks
Useful rewards categories
The Gemini Credit Card® earns bonus rewards in useful everyday spending categories:
4% back on gas at the pump and on electric vehicle charging, on up to $200 in spending per month (then 1% back).
3% back on dining.
2% back on groceries.
1% back on all other purchases.
Plus, there’s a welcome offer for new cardholders: $200 in crypto if you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days. Promotional Terms Apply. See the Gemini website for more details.
Choose from more than 50 cryptocurrencies
You can choose from more than 50 cryptocurrencies for your earned rewards, including Bitcoin and Ether. You can earn only one cryptocurrency at a time, but you can switch your choice at any time between transactions.
Instant gratification
Rewards are earned in real time as you make purchases. (Some exclusions apply to instant rewards in which rewards are deposited when the transaction posts.) This structure is different from most rewards credit cards, which tend to pay out rewards at the end of each billing cycle. It also means you can benefit from any appreciation in the price of your rewards from the moment of the card transaction.
Not only are rewards earned in real time, but you can also use the Gemini Credit Card® instantly upon approval by adding it to your mobile wallet.
Stylish and secure design
No self-respecting crypto credit card will skimp on style, and the Gemini Credit Card® delivers with a metal card design in silver, black or rose gold. The card lacks a visible credit card number for both sleekness and security, but you can access your number if needed from the Gemini app or website.
Drawbacks and Considerations
Gemini exchange account required
Because your rewards are in the form of cryptocurrency, there has to be a place for them to go. As you earn, your rewards get deposited into a Gemini Exchange account, which is an account through which you can buy and sell cryptocurrency.
You don't need to be an existing Gemini customer to get the card, but when you apply for it, a Gemini Exchange account will be created for you if you don't have one. If you close your Gemini Exchange account, your Gemini Credit Card® account will also be closed.
Limited rewards redemptions
You can sell crypto rewards you've amassed in your Gemini Exchange account and then move that cash to a bank account, but it's not possible to use earned crypto rewards as a statement credit toward your monthly Gemini Credit Card® bill.
If you like the idea of redeeming rewards for crypto but also want more flexibility, consider the Venmo Credit Card. Redemption options include cryptocurrency, but also a statement credit or a transfer to a bank account, debit card, or another Venmo account.
Reward values can fluctuate
Because the rewards are in the form of cryptocurrency, their value can increase or decrease over time. This includes a risk of losing all your rewards.
How To Decide If It's Right For You
If you’d prefer cryptocurrency over more typical credit card rewards like cash back or travel points, the Gemini Credit Card® is, at this point, basically one of a kind. But it only offers one way to redeem: right into your Gemini account.
If you’d prefer a few other redemption options, consider a cash-back card — you can still dedicate some of your earnings toward your investment goals, but you wouldn’t be required to. You can also select a credit card that lets you invest rewards in other ways.
This card earns a flat and straightforward 2% cash back on all eligible purchases, which you can use however you'd like — including on investments such as crypto and beyond.
Looking For Something Else?
Methodology
NerdWallet reviews credit cards with an eye toward both the quantitative and qualitative features of a card. Quantitative features are those that boil down to dollars and cents, such as fees, interest rates, rewards (including earning rates and redemption values) and the cash value of benefits and perks. Qualitative factors are those that affect how easy or difficult it is for a typical cardholder to get good value from the card. They include such things as the ease of application, simplicity of the rewards structure, the likelihood of using certain features, and whether a card is well-suited to everyday use or is best reserved for specific purchases. Our star ratings serve as a general gauge of how each card compares with others in its class, but star ratings are intended to be just one consideration when a consumer is choosing a credit card. Learn how NerdWallet rates credit cards.
About the author
Sara Rathner
Senior Writer/Spokesperson
