The cedi has lost purchasing power in recent years, so many people look for a steadier store of value and a practical way to spend it. This guide covers the steps from swapping coins to paying at a till or ATM.
Published September 30, 2026 · 3 min read
Ghana's currency, the cedi (GHS), has seen high inflation and depreciation in recent years, which is widely reported. When a local currency loses purchasing power, savings held in it buy less over time. A stablecoin that tracks the dollar holds its value in dollar terms, so it can act as a steadier store of value. This is general information, not investment advice, and a stablecoin still carries its own risks.
You first deposit crypto into the wallet, then swap inside it. In Nexus Pay, swaps between the supported coins (USDT, USDC, BTC and ETH) cost 0% and use the exchange rate with no markup. The amount you receive is shown before you confirm. Each deposit address belongs to one network, and USDT and USDC can arrive via TRC-20, ERC-20, BEP-20 or TON. A coin sent through the wrong network will not arrive and cannot be reversed, and deposits below the network minimum shown in the app are not credited.
A card funded from a crypto wallet converts at the point of payment or ATM withdrawal, at the network's rate. You do not have to sell crypto for cedis in advance. The card spends only the available balance, with no credit and no overdraft. Moving money from the wallet balance to the card costs 0.1%, purchases cost 0%, and the card has no monthly fee. In the fee-page example, 1000 USDT moved to the card becomes $999.00.
Card acceptance is stronger in Accra and at larger merchants, so that is where a card works most smoothly. Mobile money is widely used in Ghana, and smaller vendors may prefer it or cash. For online shopping, a virtual card is issued right away and works online and contactless via Apple Pay and Google Pay. A physical card arrives by mail and works at tills and ATMs. Outside big cities, plan to carry some cash withdrawn from an ATM.
| Route | What you need | Works best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual card online | Verified virtual card, funded balance | Online purchases and contactless with Apple Pay or Google Pay | Only where the merchant accepts cards |
| Physical card at tills | Physical card delivered by mail | Shops and larger merchants, especially in Accra | Smaller vendors may not take cards |
| Physical card at ATMs | Physical card and PIN-protected access | Getting cash for places that do not take cards | Per-withdrawal fee plus a possible ATM-owner fee |
| Holding a stablecoin | USDT or USDC in the wallet | Keeping value in dollar terms until you need to spend | Deposit only via the right network |
With Nexus Pay, an ATM withdrawal costs 0.25% per withdrawal. In the fee-page example, 1000 USDT withdrawn at an ATM leaves $996.50 before any ATM-owner fee. The ATM owner may add its own fee, which appears on the ATM screen before you confirm. Because the fee is charged per withdrawal, one larger withdrawal costs less than several small ones for the same total. Withdrawing a bigger amount also means carrying more cash, so weigh cost against safety.
Issuing a card requires identity verification (a document and a photo) under anti-money-laundering law, and the card is issued by a licensed partner organisation. Rules on holding crypto and how it is taxed differ by country and change over time. This is general information, not legal or tax advice, so confirm the current position for Ghana with a qualified professional. On the practical side, a card can be frozen and unfrozen in one tap, and an optional four-digit access code protects the app. Blockchain transfers are irreversible, so verify every address.
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