Image credit: Shutterstock
- Tangem introduced its first physical Visa card, capping the initial release at 5,000 users and showcasing them at Token2049 in Singapore.
- Tangem Pay users fund the service with USDC on Polygon while eligible Plus users also have access to ACH funding.
- Physical cards cannot currently be delivered to roughly 20 markets or jurisdictions due to sanctions and compliance requirements.
Tangem says demand for crypto-linked cards is outpacing access in some markets, with more than 40% of Tangem Pay payments coming from Latin America and more than 30% from the United States.
The wallet provider made the assessment as it introduced its first physical Visa card, adding in-store purchases and ATM withdrawals to a payment service that already lets eligible users spend stablecoins through a virtual card.
First Physical Card Release is Limited to 5,000 Users
Tangem’s initial physical card release is capped at 5,000 cards. The company plans to showcase the cards at Token2049 in Singapore before expanding availability. Tangem Pay is offered inside the Tangem Wallet app, with Rain issuing the Visa card.
Users can fund Tangem Pay with USDC on Polygon, while eligible Plus users also have access to ACH funding. The card can then be used at supported Visa-accepting merchants.
First Physical Card Release is Limited to 5,000 Users
Physical cards cannot currently be delivered to roughly 20 markets or jurisdictions, including China, Russia, North Korea and Palestine.
Tangem says availability depends on sanctions, identity checks, local banking infrastructure and issuer compliance requirements rather than crypto demand alone.
Tangem Pay itself is available only in eligible jurisdictions and requires identity verification for the Visa payment account.
Tangem Adds Up to 2% USDC Cashback
Tangem is also offering USDC cashback on eligible purchases, with Basic users receiving 1% and Plus users receiving 2%.
The payment service uses USDC on Polygon and connects crypto balances with Visa’s merchant network. Tangem says the card can be used at more than 150 million Visa-accepting merchants in over 150 countries, subject to eligibility requirements.
The next constraint is distribution. Tangem plans to add more countries, but physical card access will continue to depend on local compliance and issuing requirements even where demand is already established.
