From downloading the app to making a first payment is realistically an afternoon — most of it spent waiting for a blockchain transfer to confirm, not filling in forms. Here is the whole path, including the two steps where people get stuck.
Before you start
Three requirements, worth checking now rather than three screens in:
- You are between 18 and 70 years old.
- You have a valid identity document — passport, IC or driving licence depending on your country.
- Your country of residence is served. Availability depends on where you live.
You also need crypto to fund the card. If you have none yet, that is a separate errand — buy it somewhere first, then come back to step 3.
Step 1 — Download the app
Get it from the official App Store and Google Play links, or search for Wave Digital in the store itself.
One habit worth keeping for the rest of your life in this industry: never install a financial app from a link someone sent you. Fake apps with real-looking icons are among the cheapest attacks there is, and the store is the only place worth trusting.
Step 2 — Verify your identity
Usually under five minutes. You enter your details, photograph your identity document, and complete a short liveness check confirming that the person holding the document is the person in it.
This is the step that fails most often, and almost always for photographic reasons rather than suspicion:
- Flat surface, no glare — overhead light bouncing off the laminate is the usual culprit
- All four corners inside the frame
- The document must be current, not expired
- The name and date of birth you typed must match the document exactly, including the order of names
- The original document photographed directly — no screenshots, no photocopies
If you want to know why this is required at all and how to spot the fake versions of it, read KYC explained.
Step 3 — Top up
Move crypto into your Wave Digital wallet. This is where the 2.5% top-up fee applies — the only fee we charge on funds, and the only one that recurs. There is no monthly or annual fee.
Two things decide whether this step is smooth or expensive:
Check the network. The network you send on must match the network the deposit address expects. Sending over the wrong one usually means the funds are gone permanently, and nobody can reverse it. If the sum matters to you, send a small test amount first — the network fee on that test is the cheapest insurance in crypto. The full checklist.
Consider what you fund with. A stablecoin such as USDT or USDC holds its value between topping up and spending. Funding from a volatile asset works too, but the amount you can spend moves with the market. Why this matters. All 37 supported assets can fund a card.
Then wait for confirmation. That wait is the blockchain’s, not ours, and it is why this is an afternoon rather than ten minutes.
Step 4 — Issue the card
Two choices, and the fee is charged once when the card is issued — not annually.
| Virtual | Physical | |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | $10 one-time | $100 one-time |
| Ready | Instantly, in the app | Posted — typically 5–7 days |
| Online payments | Yes | Yes |
| Shops and ATMs | No | Yes |
Start with the virtual card. At $10 it is the cheapest way to find out whether this suits how you live, and if your spending is mostly online it may be the only card you ever need. Order the physical one when you have actually reached for a card you did not have in your hand — for petrol, a counter, or cash. The full comparison.
Step 5 — Spend it
The card is a Mastercard. It works anywhere Mastercard is accepted, which in Malaysia is close to everywhere, and across 170+ countries when you travel.
Make the first purchase a small one somewhere ordinary. There is no substitute for watching it work once. After that, the physical card also withdraws cash from ATMs, up to the equivalent of USD 10,000 a day.
What it costs, all together
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Top-up | 2.5% of the amount |
| Virtual card | $10 once |
| Physical card | $100 once |
| Monthly / annual fee | None |
| Blockchain network fees | Paid to the network, varies by chain |
Authoritative figures on the card fees page; the reasoning behind each in what you actually pay.
Two things to know before you commit
Multi-currency accounts are not open yet. USD and EUR accounts with SEPA and SWIFT rails are being rolled out through a regulated payment partner. If accounts are what you need, join the waitlist rather than signing up expecting them today.
Wave Digital is not a bank. We do not provide banking services, no interest is paid on your balance, and funds held are not bank deposits covered by any deposit guarantee scheme, including PIDM. Keep on the card what you intend to spend — that single habit is the most effective risk control there is. What can and cannot go wrong.
Cryptocurrency carries a real risk of loss and transactions cannot be reversed. Read the Risk Warning before you transact.
Ready
Download the app, verify, and top up with a test amount first. If anything is unclear at any point, support will answer.
