Kyash review

A Kyash card carries a monthly fee of ¥0, so holding it costs nothing month to month. The cost that matters is what you load and spend, not a subscription, and top-ups from a bank add no charge on top.

Top-ups from a bank add no charge to a Kyash card, so funding it costs you nothing in fees. Because the card is prepaid, the balance you load is the balance you can spend, so plan the top-up around the spending you expect.

Kyash pays cashback of 0.5% on what you spend with the card. It is a modest reward, and it applies to a prepaid card you load first, so the money you get back sits on top of a balance you chose to put in.

The Kyash card is prepaid rather than a debit card linked to a bank balance, so you top up first and spend what is loaded. That makes it a different shape of account from a Monzo Flex card, where the balance moves on its own.

Kyash includes a virtual card in its card line, which is handy for online spending and subscriptions because it gives you card details without waiting for a card to arrive. Use it for a single purchase rather than as your everyday card, since a virtual card is built for online use.

The Kyash card runs on the visa network, so it is accepted wherever Visa cards are taken, including abroad. The network decides where the card works in shops and at cash machines, so it is the part of the card that matters outside JP.

Kyash answers questions through a help centre. A written help centre suits routine queries, so if the card is your main way to pay, check what other cards in this group offer before you commit.

Kyash has a monthly fee of ¥0, and so do the others here: Monzo Flex is £0, Wise is £0 and Bitpanda is €0. Cost will not separate them, so choose on what the balance is and how the card gets funded.