If you have never sent stablecoins before, loading a crypto card can look intimidating. It is a short process once you know which details matter. This guide walks through it from the start.
Step 1: Choose your card
Agora offers three cards, all funded with USDT or USDC:
- Virtual Card Basic: $90 including $10 credit, instant activation, lowest top-up fee (2%).
- Virtual Card Plus: $100 including $10 credit, higher limits, four-year validity.
- Physical Card Plus: $550, ATM withdrawals and card-present payments.
Not sure? Read virtual vs physical crypto cards. Check availability for your country first: the Plus cards are not offered in Morocco, the United States, Bangladesh, India or Turkey, and no card works in the unsupported regions.
Step 2: Have USDT or USDC in a wallet
You need the stablecoins in a wallet or exchange account that can send them. USDT and USDC both aim to track the US dollar but are issued by different companies; our USDT vs USDC guide explains the differences. Note that the card itself cannot be used to buy cryptocurrency: cryptocurrency purchases are a prohibited category.
Step 3: Find the deposit address and network
Open the card application and choose to top up. It shows a deposit address and the supported network for each token. The network matters: the same token exists on several blockchains, and the sending side must use the network the app shows.
Step 4: Send the stablecoins
- In your wallet or exchange, choose send or withdraw for the token.
- Paste the deposit address copied from the app, then check its first and last characters.
- Select the same network the app shows.
- Enter the amount. For your first top-up, consider a small test amount.
- Review everything and confirm.
The sending wallet or exchange usually charges a network fee. That fee is separate from the card’s pricing.
Step 5: Wait for the balance to update
Reloads are usually spendable within minutes, once the transfer is confirmed on the blockchain and credited. The top-up fee (2% on Basic, 2.5% on the Plus cards) is deducted from the amount loaded.
Step 6: Start spending
Use the card details for online payments, or add the card to Apple Pay or Google Pay to pay in shops; see our phone wallet guide. Each purchase costs $0.35 + 1.5% on the virtual cards or $0.10 + 1.5% on Physical Card Plus, plus 1.5% FX for non-USD payments.
Common beginner mistakes
- Wrong network. The most costly mistake; always match the app.
- Typing the address by hand. Always copy and paste, then verify.
- Loading too much. Funds on the card are held by Agora’s licensed and regulated custodian partners. Keep long-term holdings in your own wallet.
- Forgetting fees. Leave a small buffer so purchases are not declined. Our fee guide shows the math.
If anything is unclear, Agora’s 24/7 private human support can help before you send.