Tangem is introducing Tangem Pay, a new way to spend on-chain Polygon-based USD Coin
What is Tangem Pay & How to Use It?
Tangem Pay is a non-custodial payment account built into the Tangem Wallet app. You need to have a hardware Tangem Wallet to use it. Once Tangem Pay reaches your region, here’s what you’ll need to do if you want to use it:
Tangem Wallet remains a self-custodial hardware wallet where you control your keys anonymously. Tangem Pay sits next to it as an optional, regulated feature for those who want to use stablecoins in day-to-day life.
Unused USDC can be withdrawn back to your Tangem Wallet at any time, since the funds are held in a non-custodial smart contract account.
How Tangem Pay Works In-Depth
Tangem Pay combines a self-custody setup with a standard card payment flow. Your USDC is held in a smart contract account on Polygon, but the control over this account is split between two keys: one held by you and one by Rain, Tangem’s independent issuing partner.
That said, Rain can only move funds that you have already authorised through a card transaction.
When you pay with your Tangem Pay card, the required USDC amount is deducted from your smart contract account. The transaction is settled on-chain and processed through Visa in USD at a 1:1 rate. The merchant receives payment in the usual way via the Visa network.
If a transaction is declined, your funds remain untouched. And if the card is frozen, it is simply disconnected from the Visa network. So, no one has access to the rest of your balance.
To keep things clean, your Tangem Pay spending balance is separate from your main Tangem Wallet holdings. Therefore, your Tangem hardware wallet stays a secure place for long-term storage, while Tangem Pay focuses on day-to-day spending.
Tangem Pay Fees, Currencies, and Limits
There will be no transaction fees, no monthly fees, and no fees to get the virtual Tangem Pay card. You will only pay the following:
- Polygon gas fees when topping up your Tangem Pay account (paid to the network, not to Tangem).
- Visa’s standard FX and cross-border fees if you spend in a currency other than USD.
At launch, Tangem Pay will support native USDC on Polygon. Other stablecoins and networks are planned for future updates. ATM withdrawals and direct spending from other tokens or chains will not be available yet.
Compliance and Privacy
Tangem Pay is powered by Paera LLC, a US-based payment infrastructure company. The card is issued by Third National and supported by partners including Visa, Rain, Sumsub (for identity verification), Elliptic (for transaction monitoring), and others.
Tangem does not see or store users’ identity data. Wallet assets, transaction history, and anonymous self-custody remain separate. Users can choose whether to enable Tangem Pay without changing how their main wallet works.
Residents in supported regions who join the waitlist will be invited in waves as the service goes live. Users in other regions will see a waitlist screen inside the Tangem app and will be notified as coverage expands.
Tangem plans to bring Tangem Pay to the UK and European Union in early 2026, prioritising regulatory alignment under MiCA and broader access to stablecoin payments for EU residents.
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