Paxum review
Updated September 28, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Paxum is a prepaid card account for people who want a simple way to hold and spend money without paying a subscription, since the monthly fee is $0. You add money to the balance before you spend it, and the card runs on the mastercard network.
Key facts
- Best for
- A prepaid card with no monthly charge for anyone happy to load money as they need it.
- Monthly fee
- $0↗
- Card type
- Prepaid↗
- Top-up fee
- $0.25 per load↗
- Card network
- Mastercard↗
- Legal entity
- Segregated Payments Ireland Limited↗
- Headquarters
- Ireland↗
- Official website
- paxum.com
Facts checked September 26, 2026, 3 sources
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- App Store
Pros and cons
Pros
- It is a prepaid card on the mastercard network, so it is accepted wherever that network is taken.
- The provider is Segregated Payments Ireland Limited, based in Ireland and listed under licence PSD_PI IE_CBI!C193896.
- On the monthly fee it ranks 1 of 422 brands compared, with $0 to pay each month.
Cons
- Each top-up costs $0.25 per load, so regular loads add to the bill over the year.
- bunq and Wise also list a monthly fee of €0 and £0, so the $0.25 per load per load is where the difference sits.
- As a prepaid card it holds only loaded money, so there is no credit line to fall back on.
Who it suits
- People who want a card with no monthly charge and are happy to add money before spending it.
- Anyone who wants the account held by a provider licensed in Ireland rather than a high street bank.
- People who want one place to load money and spend it, with no borrowing decision to make.
Who should look elsewhere
- People who want a card linked to a bank balance rather than loaded money: Varo Believe Secured Credit Card issues a debit card.
- Anyone who wants a euro account: bunq lists a monthly fee of €0 on its personal plans.
- People who want to hold several currencies with a free monthly fee: Wise lists £0.
Fees and currency costs
The monthly fee on the personal account is $0, so there is no subscription to pay. The one charge that applies is $0.25 per load, taken each time money is added to the account. Because that fee is charged per load rather than per month, the amount you pay depends on how often you top up, so fewer, larger loads cost less overall.
Who runs it
The account is provided by Segregated Payments Ireland Limited, which is based in Ireland. It is listed with the Central Bank of Ireland under licence PSD_PI IE_CBI!C193896, so the card is issued under Irish authorisation rather than by a high street bank. Anyone weighing the money side of the account should read the licence entry and the provider terms alongside the fees.
How Paxum compares
Where Paxum is available
- Licence in Ireland
- IE_CBI (PSD_PI IE_CBI!C193896), checked September 26, 2026, also valid in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia
Frequently asked questions
Is there a monthly fee to keep a Paxum account?+
No charge applies to holding the account open: the monthly fee is $0. That makes the running cost of the account predictable. The only fee listed for personal use is what you pay when you add money, which is set out separately as $0.25 per load.
What does it cost to add money?+
Adding money to the balance costs $0.25 per load, charged on each load rather than on a monthly cycle. People who top up often pay it more often, so larger, less frequent loads make it a smaller share of what you move. The account fee itself stays at $0.
Who runs the account, and is it regulated?+
The account is operated by Segregated Payments Ireland Limited, based in Ireland and listed with the Central Bank of Ireland under licence PSD_PI IE_CBI!C193896. That authorisation covers the payment side of the business, and the register entry is the place to read what it covers in full.
What kind of card will I get?+
It is a prepaid card, so the money available to spend is what you have added to the balance. There is no borrowing element, which suits people who would rather cap their own spending than manage a limit or pay interest on one.
Which network does the card run on?+
The card runs on the mastercard network, so it is accepted wherever that network is taken rather than being tied to one bank. Combined with the prepaid structure, it is a straightforward way to pay with money you have already added.
How does the cost compare with bunq and Wise?+
bunq lists a monthly fee of €0 on its personal plans and Wise lists £0, so Paxum shares the free-to-hold ground with both. The measure that separates them is the $0.25 per load charged on every load of money.
Sources
- euclid.eba.europa.eu/register/downloads/PSDMD/20260926/do... checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Headquarters, Legal entity, Licences
“EntityCode=IE_CBI!C193896; EntityType=PSD_PI; ENT_NAM=Segregated Payments Ireland Limited”
- paxum.com/faq/paxum-prepaid-mastercard checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Top-up fee, Card network
“There is a $0.25 USD transfer fee applied and transfers to the card are usually available instantly - Personal Account to Paxum Prepaid Mastercard”
- paxum.com/fees/personal checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Card type, Monthly fee
“Paxum Prepaid Mastercard - Personal Account Fees”
Compiled from 3 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Currency conversion fee, Free ATM withdrawals, Protection.
Paxum
A prepaid card with no monthly charge for anyone happy to load money as they need it.