The comparison
Same target: €50 of cryptocurrency arriving in the recipient's wallet. Six different ways to get there.
| Route | Service fee | Flat fee | Rail cost | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azteco, online | 2% | — | — | ~2% |
| Bitnovo, at a till | Retailer-set | Varies | Cash | ~4–7% |
| Azteco, in person | 7% | $0–1 | Cash | ~9% |
| CryptoVoucher, direct | ~4% | €2.50–3 | — | ~10% |
| CryptoVoucher, via card reseller | ~4% | €2.50–3 | 3.5–5% | ~14% |
| Via a PayPal reseller | ~4% | €2.50–3 | 6–12% | ~19% |
Why the spread is so wide
Four separate things stack up, and only the first is usually advertised.
- The issuer's service fee. 2% to 4%, honestly stated. The smallest component in most cases.
- A flat network fee. €2.50–3 on some issuers. Trivial on a €500 voucher, brutal on a €10 one. This is the single biggest driver of variance at small sizes.
- Reseller margin. Most issuers sell through third parties, each adding its own markup. The same voucher genuinely costs different amounts in different shops.
- Payment rail cost. Cash and bank transfer are free. Cards add 3.5–5%. PayPal adds 6–12%, because chargeback exposure makes sellers price defensively.
And then there is a fifth that appears in none of them: the exchange rate you were given, which is where a "0% fee" claim can hide several percent.
The 60-second price check
One calculation cuts through all of the above. It works on every issuer, every reseller, every rail.
Do this before you pay, every time
- Note exactly what leaves your account. The full charge in your own currency, including any card or PayPal fee.
- Note exactly how much crypto the voucher delivers. Not the face value — the amount of coin.
- Convert the crypto amount to your currency at a live spot price from a source you trust.
- Divide. Money out, divided by value received. 1.02 means you paid 2%. 1.19 means you paid 19%.
- Compare against 2%, which is the market floor. Anything above about 6% deserves a look at an alternative before you commit.
Buy bigger, pay less
Wherever a flat fee exists, voucher size drives the effective rate more than the issuer's percentage does.
| Voucher | Total cost | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|
| €10 | €3.40 | 34% |
| €25 | €4.00 | 16% |
| €50 | €5.00 | 10% |
| €100 | €7.00 | 7% |
| €250 | €13.00 | 5.2% |
| €500 | €23.00 | 4.6% |
Practical implication: if you are gifting several people small amounts through a flat-fee issuer, you are paying the flat fee several times. Either switch to an issuer without one — Azteco — or buy one larger voucher and split the value another way.
When to skip vouchers entirely
Worth saying on a page about cheap vouchers: the cheapest voucher is often no voucher.
| Situation | Cheaper option | Roughly |
|---|---|---|
| You have an exchange account, they have a wallet | Buy and send directly | Under 1% |
| Both of you use the same exchange | Binance Gift Card or an internal transfer | 0% |
| They want a thing, not an asset | A brand gift card bought with crypto | 0–2% |
| They have no wallet and no account | A voucher — this is the use case | 2%+ |
| You only have cash | A retail voucher | 4–7% |
Vouchers exist to solve one problem: the recipient has no account and no wallet. If that is not your problem, you are paying a premium for a convenience you do not need. See how to gift crypto for all six methods ranked by recipient type.
Related: Bitcoin vouchers, buying with PayPal, best vouchers ranked, and how to redeem.
Cheapest crypto vouchers: FAQ
What is the cheapest crypto voucher?
Azteco at 2% bought online, with no flat fee component. It is the cheapest we have measured and the gap widens as the voucher gets smaller, because every competitor charges either a flat network fee or a retailer-set markup that swamps small amounts.
Why do the same vouchers cost different amounts in different places?
Because most issuers sell through resellers, and each reseller sets its own margin on top. A Bitnovo voucher at a supermarket till and the same voucher on an online reseller can differ by several percentage points. The issuer's stated fee is a floor, not a price.
Is a "0% fee" voucher actually free?
Rarely. Check what exchange rate you are being given. A voucher advertising no fee that delivers 6% less crypto than the fiat you paid has charged you 6%. The only comparison that means anything is: how much crypto arrived, divided by how much money left your account.
Are vouchers cheaper than buying on an exchange?
No, and they were never meant to be. A licensed exchange will sell you the same bitcoin for a fraction of a percent. You pay the voucher premium for something else entirely: the recipient does not need an account. If you already have an exchange account and the recipient has a wallet, skip vouchers and send the coins directly.
Do bigger vouchers work out cheaper?
Substantially, wherever a flat fee is involved. A €3 network fee is 30% of a €10 voucher and 0.6% of a €500 one. If you are gifting several people, one larger voucher split by another means is frequently cheaper than several small ones — though it is also less giftable.
Sources and further reading
Figures on this page were checked in August 2026. Fees, country lists and promotions change without notice — always confirm on the operator's own site before you pay.
- Azteco — 2% online and 7% in-person pricing
- CryptoVoucher.io — stated service fee and network fee
- Bitnovo — coupons complete guide — retailer-set commissions
- Trustpilot — Crypto Voucher — user reports on effective total cost