Payments Firm Wirex Becomes Visa Principal Member Ahead of Crypto Card Launch

The crypto and fiat payments firm can now issue Visa cards.

By Tanzeel Akhtar

Dec 22, 2020 at 1:13 p.m. UTC

Updated Sep 14, 2021 at 10:46 a.m. UTC

Join the most important conversation in crypto and Web3 taking place in Austin, Texas, April 26-28.

Secure Your Seat

Tanzeel Akhtar

Join the most important conversation in crypto and Web3 taking place in Austin, Texas, April 26-28.

Secure Your Seat

Payments platform Wirex announced Tuesday it has become a principal member of Visa in Europe.

Coming after the U.K.-licensed firm completed the Visa FinTech Fast Track Programme, Wirex now has permission to issue Visa cards, sell related products and apply for additional licenses.
"We're excited to work with innovative fintechs like Wirex and enable their customers to use digital currencies at more than 61 million merchants on the Visa network," said Cuy Sheffield, senior director and head of cryptocurrency at Visa.
Wirex was granted principal member status of Mastercard back in July.
The company said it offers fiat and cryptocurrency payment services to over three million people across the European Economic Area and Asia-Pacific region. It's soon to launch its own debit card allowing payments in both fiat and digital currencies.
Wirex has had a crypto partnership with with Japanese financial firm SBI Holdings since 2017. Last year, it also launched 26 stablecoins on the Stellar blockchain network.

DISCLOSURE

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.

Tanzeel Akhtar

Learn more about Consensus 2023, CoinDesk’s longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.

Tanzeel Akhtar