SBI Visa Crypto Card Launches in Japan With XRP Rewards

The card is a joint effort between SBI VC Trade, Aplus (under SBI Shinsei Bank), and Visa Worldwide Japan. As a result, it combines a traditional credit card structure with crypto reward delivery. Cardholders choose one cryptocurrency at signup: BTC, ETH, or XRP.

That choice stays locked for the life of the card. Because of this restriction, users who want to accumulate a different asset need a separate card. Points earned on purchases then convert automatically into the chosen asset once per month, according to the joint press release reported by Nikkei.

How the SBI Visa Crypto Card Works

Every purchase earns Aplus reward points. At month-end, those points auto-convert to the crypto asset selected during application. Specifically, the conversion uses SBI VC Trade’s sales price captured at 6:59:59 a.m. on the prior day.

Precision differs by asset. For example, BTC and ETH amounts floor to nine decimal places, while XRP floors to seven. The resulting crypto then lands in the cardholder’s VCTRADE custodial account, which must match the cardholder’s name.

Notably, there is no on-chain distribution. Instead, all rewards stay within SBI VC Trade’s custodial system.

Reward Rates and Launch Campaign

The standard card offers a 0.5% base reward rate. With revolving credit, that rises to 0.8%. Meanwhile, the Gold card starts at 1.0% and reaches 1.3% with revolving.

On top of that, a May 2026 launch campaign temporarily boosts rates. The standard card can earn up to 2.5%, while the Gold card reaches up to 10%, according to the campaign page. Both promotional tiers carry caps, though.

One Asset, One Card

The SBI Visa Crypto Card locks users into one cryptocurrency at signup. In other words, cardholders cannot switch between BTC, ETH, and XRP later. To accumulate a different asset, they need a separate card instead.

SBI VC Trade President Tomohiko Kondo framed this design as intentional. “Precisely because these are volatile assets, we believe accumulating a little each month will help everyone’s asset formation,” he said in an interview reported by Yahoo! Japan.

Kondo also noted that BTC’s market cap exceeds many listed Japanese stocks. In addition, he pointed out that all three supported assets have risen more than 250 times over the past decade.

SBI VISA Crypto Card vs. Coinbase Card vs. Crypto.com Visa Card vs. Binance Card

SBI’s Crypto History With Ripple and XRP

This card is not SBI’s first crypto integration. The group formed SBI Ripple Asia with Ripple back in 2016 as a 60/40 joint venture. SBI VC Trade then launched the following year and has offered XRP trading since day one.

In July 2025, SBI Shinsei Bank’s Aplus division introduced a points-to-crypto redemption feature for existing cardholders. After that, in February 2026, SBI issued an on-chain bond with XRP rewards.

As a result, the SBI Visa Crypto Card represents the most consumer-facing product in this progression. It brings crypto accumulation into daily card spending rather than exchange-based trading.

SBI’s XRP journey

Japan-Only Launch With Strict Requirements

The card launches exclusively in Japan. Because of regulatory requirements, applicants must hold an existing VCTRADE account or open one during application. Issuance then takes approximately two weeks after credit review.

SBI VC Trade operates under Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA) regulations for crypto exchanges. Similarly, the card itself follows standard credit card rules through Aplus and Visa.

Market Reaction and Social Sentiment

XRP traded in the $1.35 to $1.38 range on May 1, 2026. Still, no significant volume spike appeared in the first 12 hours after the announcement. The broader crypto market rose 1.26% on the day.

Social media reaction on X, however, proved overwhelmingly positive. XRP community accounts celebrated it as a milestone for mainstream adoption. For instance, “JUST IN: SBI and Visa launch a credit card that lets users earn $XRP,” posted @RippleXity, with the post gaining rapid traction.

So far, coverage remains limited to Japanese outlets including Nikkei, Yahoo! Japan, and Impress Watch. No English-language outlets like CoinDesk or Bloomberg have published coverage yet.

What Remains Unknown About the SBI Visa Crypto Card

Several details remain unclear. For example, SBI has not disclosed the minimum points threshold for conversion or the full fee schedule beyond zero conversion fees. Whether non-Japan residents can apply also remains unanswered.

In addition, the company has not mentioned plans to add more tokens beyond BTC, ETH, and XRP. External wallet withdrawals from VCTRADE and long-term point expiration rules are also still open questions.

This article covers a financial product launch. Crypto assets are volatile, and past performance does not guarantee future results. This is not financial advice.