Open outside Canada
Halocard is a US-issued Visa credit card for customers in the US and 120+ countries. KOHO serves only Canadian residents.
What is KOHO?
Halocard is the better KOHO alternative for virtual cards, and for anyone outside Canada or paying US platforms. KOHO is a Canadian money app with cash back, interest on your balance and optional credit building, open only to Canadian residents. KOHO's virtual card is a prepaid Mastercard drawn from one Canadian-dollar account, open only to Canadian residents, plus a card for a joint account. It has a free Essential plan and is rated 4.5/5 on Trustpilot. Halocard is a US-issued Visa credit card for customers in the US and 120+ countries. Halocard has no free plan, but Essential is free with 3 referrals, and every friend you refer earns you $5 or more a month.
Pros
- Pros: A free Essential plan
- Pros: Cash back up to 2%
- Pros: Interest up to 3.5%
- Pros: Optional credit building
- Pros: Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay
- Pros: Rated 4.5/5 on Trustpilot
Cons
- Cons: Canadian residents only
- Cons: A Canadian-issued card in CAD
- Cons: One personal card
- Cons: No per-card limits or billing address
- Cons: No stablecoin or crypto funding
How much does KOHO cost?
- Essential
- Free
- Extra
- CA$12/mo
- Everything
- CA$14.75/mo
- Free trial
- 30 days
What fees does KOHO charge?
- Virtual card
- Included in every plan
- Purchases in other currencies
- 1.5% on Essential
- Credit building
- CA$10 a month
How does Halocard compare to KOHO?
Halocard is the best KOHO alternative for virtual cards. It is a US-issued Visa credit card for customers in the US and 120+ countries, with a separate card for each merchant.
Better choice | KOHO | |
|---|---|---|
| What you sign up for | Advantage: Virtual cards, with a US bank account built in | A Canadian spending account with rewards |
| Eligibility | Advantage: US residents and residents of 120+ countries | Canadian residents only |
| Card type | Advantage: US-issued Visa credit card | Canadian prepaid Mastercard |
| Funding | Advantage: Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Bank Transfer, Stablecoins & Crypto | Direct deposit, Interac e-Transfer, cash, debit card |
| USD bank account | Advantage: Your own US account and routing number | None |
| Cards | Advantage: 3 to 60 at once, by plan | 1 personal, plus 1 joint-account card |
| Pricing | Advantage: From $12 a month, or free with 3 referrals | Free Essential plan; paid plans from CA$12 a month, billed annually |
| Support | Advantage: Chat, email, and phone on every plan | Chat and email; phone on paid plans |
| Trust and transparency | Advantage: A regulated US company and card issuer | A large Canadian fintech, not a bank |
Why Halocard is the better KOHO alternative
A US-issued credit card
US platforms that reject Canadian cards see a Visa credit card issued in the US.
Up to 60 cards
KOHO gives you one personal card. Give every subscription, tool and ad account its own Halocard.
A billing address on every card
Choose the billing address and cardholder name on each card, for platforms that check them.
KOHO FAQ
Does KOHO offer virtual cards?
Yes. Every KOHO account comes with a virtual prepaid Mastercard, available instantly in the app with its own number, expiry and CVV, and usable through Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay. You can also get a separate virtual card for a KOHO joint account. The card draws on your loaded balance rather than a credit line.
How much does a KOHO virtual card cost?
The card is included in every KOHO plan. Essential is free on annual billing or with direct deposit, and Extra is CA$12 a month and Everything CA$14.75, billed annually, with higher tiers adding more cash back, more interest, no foreign transaction fees and bigger credit-building discounts.
Is KOHO a bank?
No. KOHO is a fintech company rather than a bank. KOHO Financial issues the card itself, under licence from Mastercard. If you opt in to earn interest, your balance is held in trust at CDIC member institutions, protected up to CA$100,000 if one of them fails; balances not earning interest aren't CDIC-eligible. KOHO is pursuing a federal banking licence. Halocard is not a bank either; it is a card provider.
What should I do if a US merchant declines my KOHO card?
Pay with a Halocard instead. US services that screen by card country, or expect a US billing address, often reject Canadian cards. Halocard is a US-issued Visa credit card for customers in the US and 120+ countries, with a separate card for each merchant and a billing address you choose.
What are the best alternatives to KOHO for virtual cards?
If you would rather have virtual cards without opening a Canadian spending account, or you live somewhere KOHO does not reach, Halocard is a strong KOHO alternative: Halocard is a US-issued Visa credit card for customers in the US and 120+ countries, with 3 to 60 cards per plan and a billing address you choose on each one.See all comparisons
Disclaimer
Based on public information as of October 2026 (see Sources on our Halocard vs KOHO comparison); KOHO's products, fees and terms may change, so check before you decide. Halocard publishes this page and makes one of the products compared, so verdicts and ticks are our opinion. KOHO and its product names are trademarks of their owner, used only to identify its products; Halocard is not affiliated with or endorsed by KOHO. Not financial, legal or tax advice.