What is Tangem Pay?
Tangem Pay is a regulated payment account built directly into the Tangem Wallet app. It gives you a virtual Visa card you can use for everyday purchases — online, in-store, and via Apple Pay or Google Pay — powered by the USDC balance held in your Tangem Pay smart contract account.
How Tangem Pay works
When you make a purchase, the equivalent amount of USDC is deducted from your Tangem Pay smart contract account — which is separate from your Tangem Wallet — to fund the transaction. The payment is then processed through Visa and settled with the merchant in fiat. Merchants receive standard fiat payment, they do not receive cryptocurrency.
For international purchases, Visa converts the USD amount into the merchant’s local currency before settlement. Standard Visa foreign exchange rates apply.
How Tangem Pay differs from the Tangem Wallet
Tangem Wallet and Tangem Pay are two separate products within the same app and serve different purposes.
Tangem Wallet is a self-custodial hardware wallet. It gives you full control of your private keys and allows you to store, send, and receive crypto assets. No personal information is required to use the wallet.
Tangem Pay is an optional regulated payment feature. It requires identity verification (KYC), creates a separate payment account, and issues a virtual Visa card for spending. KYC applies only to your Tangem Pay account — it has no effect on your Tangem Wallet, its assets, or its activity.
The two products share the same app interface but operate independently. Your wallet keys and balances remain entirely separate from your Tangem Pay account.
What kind of card is it?
Tangem Pay is a Visa card that uses your USDC as collateral to fund purchases. You can only spend up to the balance you have loaded into your account — you cannot spend beyond your available balance. Payments are processed through the Visa network and settled with merchants in fiat.
Who operates Tangem Pay?
Tangem Pay is provided by Paera LLC, a U.S.-based company responsible for delivering the service to eligible users. The card is issued by Rain, a Visa Principal Member, supported by Sumsub (identity verification) and Elliptic (transaction monitoring).
Tangem AG — the company behind the Tangem Wallet hardware — does not operate the Tangem Pay program. Neither Tangem AG nor Paera LLC holds custody of your funds at any time, your assets remain in your own self-custodial smart contract throughout.
Full legal agreements, program terms, and regulatory notices: paera.com/tangempay
Where can I use Tangem Pay?
Tangem Pay is accepted anywhere Visa is accepted — at over 150 million merchants worldwide, online and in-store. It works with Apple Pay and Google Pay for contactless payments.
Some merchant categories are restricted by the card program and will result in declined transactions. These include gambling, online casinos, liquor stores, and others.
Is Tangem Pay available in my country?
Tangem Pay is available in the U.S. and in select countries across LATAM, APAC, MEA, and Africa. Not all countries within each region are supported, and in the US, not all states are supported. To confirm whether it is available where you live, apply through the app or scan this QR code and enter your country of residence during onboarding:
For questions about availability, contact pay@tangem.com.