Tangem Pay is a non-custodial payment account that lives inside the Tangem Wallet app. You top it up with USDC on the Polygon network and spend from a virtual Visa card, online or in store through Apple Pay and Google Pay. The funds stay on-chain and under your control until the moment you pay.
This post was written for the November 2025 launch. The rollout started that month, with New Zealand users able to join the early-access waitlist in the app. We’ve added a short update at the end covering what has changed since.
How Tangem Pay works
Stablecoins have become the practical side of crypto, with a total market value above US$300 billion. Tangem Pay is for people who want to spend those dollars without first cashing out to a bank account.
It brings together four things: self-custody of the balance, on-chain settlement in USDC on Polygon, Visa acceptance in the real world, and regulatory compliance handled by partners rather than by Tangem.
Funds stay on-chain
Tangem Pay uses a dual-key model. One key is held by you. The other is held by Rain, the independent issuing partner. Rain can only approve payments you have authorised. If the card is frozen, nobody gains access to your balance; it stays yours.
USDC to USD at 1:1
When you pay, the USDC is deducted from your payment account, Visa settles the merchant in US dollars, and whatever is left stays on-chain. There is no manual conversion step.
Kept separate from your cold storage
Your Tangem Wallet cards hold your long-term funds on an EAL6+ certified chip. Tangem Pay is a separate spending balance. You move only what you intend to spend, so a card compromise can’t reach your main holdings.
Identity checks apply to Pay, not to the wallet
KYC is required to open a Tangem Pay account, because it is a Visa product. It is not required to use the Tangem Wallet itself. Identity data is handled by the regulated partners; Tangem doesn’t store or access it.
Fees at launch
At launch there was no monthly fee and no transaction fee. The costs were Polygon gas on top-ups and Visa’s foreign exchange charge on purchases that aren’t in US dollars, which for New Zealand shoppers means most of them. See the update below for how the fee structure looks now.
Availability
The rollout began in late November 2025 across the United States, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. Not every country in each region is covered, and eligibility is confirmed inside the app when you enter your country of residence. New Zealand users could join the APAC waitlist from day one. The EU and UK launch was planned for early 2026, in line with MiCA.
Common questions
What is Tangem Pay?
A self-custodial, on-chain spending account inside the Tangem Wallet app. Fund it with USDC on Polygon and pay anywhere Visa is accepted.
How is it different from the Tangem Wallet?
The wallet is a hardware device with no account and no identity check. Tangem Pay is an optional, regulated spending product that sits alongside it and does require KYC.
The card
At launch the card was virtual only. It works anywhere Visa is accepted, including through Apple Pay and Google Pay. Purchases settle in USD, so NZD purchases carry Visa’s FX margin. Only USDC on Polygon was accepted as a top-up at launch.
Signing up
Install the app, open Tangem Pay, complete the identity check, and the virtual card is issued. You need a Tangem Wallet, an iOS or Android phone, a valid government ID, residency in a supported country and some USDC on Polygon.
Funding, spending and withdrawals
Tap Add Funds and send USDC from your Tangem Wallet or any external wallet. Unused USDC can be sent back to your wallet at any time. At launch there were no ATM withdrawals and no other tokens or chains were accepted. Declined or reversed payments follow Visa’s normal timelines.
Who is behind it
Paera LLC provides the US-based payment infrastructure, Third National is the licensed Visa issuer, and Rain manages the card programme. Sumsub handles ID verification and Elliptic handles transaction monitoring.
What has changed since launch (updated October 2026)
Several of the “coming later” items above have since shipped in the Tangem app:
- Plans. Basic is free. Plus costs US$29.99 a month and waives card transaction fees; a Prestige tier is on the way.
- Cashback in USDC: 1% on Basic and 2% on Plus, on purchases of US$30 or more, with monthly caps.
- ATM withdrawals at contactless ATMs, with a 4% fee on Basic and 2% on Plus.
- Top-ups with other stablecoins from your Tangem Wallet, and USDT or USDC from external wallets on Base, Arbitrum, BNB Smart Chain and Polygon.
- Physical plastic Visa cards, delivered to the country verified during KYC.
Country eligibility is still decided in the app at sign-up. If Tangem Pay isn’t offered for your residence yet, the rest of the wallet works exactly as before. For New Zealand tax purposes, cashback and any yield are likely to count as income; see our NZ crypto tax guide and talk to your accountant.
You need a Tangem Wallet to use Tangem Pay. Tangem NZ is an authorised New Zealand seller with stock in Auckland and prices in NZ$ including GST.
