Crypto card topped up with rubles and USDT
The Aura card is a virtual Visa in US dollars that you can top up with rubles via SBP (Russia's Faster Payments System) or with USDT on the TRON network (TRC-20). The issue costs 20 USDT once, there is no monthly or subscription fee, and a card top-up from your balance is 2%, minimum 10 USDT. Rubles are first turned into USDT on your balance: the fee is included in the rate, and you see the final amount in rubles before paying. The card is issued without an identity check, and buying USDT with rubles needs a confirmed email and a check with a Russian passport, once.
All fees
| Operation | Cost |
|---|---|
| Issuing a virtual card | 20 USDT, once, charged right away when you order |
| Card maintenance | free: no monthly or subscription fee |
| Topping up the card from your balance | 2% of the amount, minimum 10 USDT |
| Buying USDT with rubles via SBP | no separate fee: it is included in the rate, you see the final amount before paying |
| Depositing USDT TRC-20 to your wallet | 2 USDT, deducted from the amount, minimum 4 USDT |
| Card purchases | we do not charge a fee |
The bank and the payment system may charge their own fee for currency conversion or a cross-border transaction if the purchase is not in dollars.
Two ways to top up
With rubles via SBP. Tap Deposit → Via SBP, enter the amount and pay the QR code in your bank's app. The USDT arrive in your balance by themselves. The price is locked for 2 minutes. One purchase is from 3,500 to 50,000 ₽, up to 100,000 ₽ per 24 hours and 600,000 ₽ per 31 days. Before your first purchase, confirm your email and pass the identity check with a Russian internal passport, once.
USDT from an exchange or wallet. Tap Deposit → By wallet address and transfer USDT on the TRON network (TRC-20). The minimum is 4 USDT; a 2 USDT fee is deducted from the amount. No identity check is needed.
Then move the money from your balance to the card: Cards → Add Balance. The window shows how much We'll debit from the wallet, how much the Card gets and what the fee is. The money usually arrives in a few seconds.
An example of the total
For a $20 subscription you will need about 43 USDT the first time: 20 USDT for the issue and about 22.5 USDT to top up the card with a margin and the fee. In the following months, only the top-up, with no maintenance fee.
How to compare cards: count the total cost, not the "0% fee" label
A "0% fee" label usually refers to just one operation. The fee may then sit somewhere else:
- in the exchange rate — rubles or crypto are exchanged at a rate worse than the market one;
- in the issue price or a monthly maintenance fee;
- in the minimum top-up amount or a fee for withdrawing the remaining balance.
To compare fairly, count how many rubles or USDT you will hand over in total, for example for a $20 subscription: in the first month (with the card issue) and over a year. Include every step: buying the crypto, topping up the card and maintenance.
In Aura, all fees are listed in the table above and in Fees and limits, and before every operation the app shows the final amount: the ruble rate before you pay the QR code, the wallet debit and the amount to the card before a top-up.
What you can pay for
Aura users already pay with the card for ChatGPT and Claude subscriptions, the App Store and iCloud, Booking.com, Airbnb and Trip.com, flights, Uber and Bolt, Google Cloud, Hetzner and Cloudflare, and they pay by phone via Apple Pay and Google Pay in restaurants and shops abroad. The card does not go through with merchants from Russia and a number of other countries: in Russia, pay by SBP QR code from your USDT balance.
Frequently asked questions
Can I top up a crypto card with rubles? Yes. Buy USDT with rubles via SBP — the fee is included in the rate and you see the final amount before paying — then top up the card from your balance for 2%. Before your first purchase with rubles you need a confirmed email and a one-time identity check with a Russian passport.
Is there a monthly fee? No. There is no monthly or subscription fee: you pay 20 USDT once for the issue, and after that only 2% when you top up the card.
Do I need KYC to get the card? No, the card is issued without an identity check. A check with a Russian passport is only needed to buy USDT with rubles via SBP.
What is the minimum top-up? The card can be topped up from 10 USDT. The wallet with USDT TRC-20 from 4 USDT, a purchase with rubles from 3,500 ₽.
What currency is the card in? US dollars. If a service charges in another currency, the bank converts the amount to dollars at its own rate, so keep a small margin on the card.
Can I get the remaining balance back from the card? Yes, when you close the card through support, the remaining balance returns to your wallet balance. The issue cost and the top-up fees are not refunded, see Closing a card and refunding the balance.