Blue review
Updated September 28, 2026 · DebitCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Blue is a prepaid, multi-currency card built for Iraq and the wider Middle East, charging a currency conversion fee of 0% on the Visa network. It suits travellers who want to hold several currencies and spend abroad without a conversion charge, and it is a prepaid account rather than a bank debit card.
Key facts
- Best for
- A prepaid multi-currency card for Iraq and the Middle East with a 0% currency conversion fee.
- Currency conversion fee
- 0% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Card type
- Prepaid (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Card network
- Visa (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Ishtar Gate Company for E-Payment Systems and Services (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- Iraq (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Features
- Multi-currency, Travel
- Official website
- blue.com.iq
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- App Store
Pros and cons
Pros
- A currency conversion fee of 0%, against 3.99% at Skrill, 0% to 3% at CMF and 1% to 2% at Tap & Go
- Multi-currency and travel features (multi currency and travel) built into a single prepaid account
- Based in IQ and aimed at Iraq and the Middle East, with a Visa network card (visa)
Cons
- Card type is prepaid (prepaid), so spending stops at the balance you hold
- The account is regional: Blue is based in Iraq and its features (multi currency and travel) centre on multi-currency and travel
Who it suits
- Travellers to Iraq and the Middle East who want a prepaid card in several currencies
- People who pay in a currency other than their own and want to keep conversion costs down
- Shoppers and diners who want a card on the Visa network (visa) while abroad
Who should look elsewhere
- Skrill and CMF users who want a prepaid account for a wider set of markets, since Blue is based in Iraq
- Tap & Go users who expect a listed conversion fee of 1% to 2% rather than 0%
- Travellers whose home market sits outside Iraq and the Middle East, who may find a provider such as Skrill at 3.99% a closer fit
The company behind it
Blue is operated by Ishtar Gate Company for E-Payment Systems and Services, the company behind the card. The business is headquartered in Iraq, which places it among the payment providers serving Iraq and the wider Middle East rather than a European or UK provider. The legal entity and its home market are the clearest guide to who the account is built for and where the money sits.
How Blue compares
Where Blue is available
- Available
- Iraq
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What kind of card is Blue?+
Blue is a prepaid card (prepaid) rather than a bank debit card. Its features are multi-currency and travel (multi currency and travel), so the account is built for holding balances in several currencies and spending them abroad. The card runs on the Visa network (visa).
What does Blue charge for currency conversion?+
Blue charges a currency conversion fee of 0%. That compares with 3.99% at Skrill, 0% to 3% at CMF and 1% to 2% at Tap & Go, so conversion is the cost that separates these providers. A prepaid card priced this way suits anyone paying in a currency other than their own.
How does the prepaid account work?+
A prepaid account works by holding a balance rather than drawing on a bank account, so spending is limited to the money loaded. Blue is a prepaid card type (prepaid) with multi-currency and travel features (multi currency and travel), and it charges a currency conversion fee of 0%.
Who runs Blue and where is it based?+
Blue is operated by Ishtar Gate Company for E-Payment Systems and Services and headquartered in Iraq. That home market places it among the payment providers serving Iraq and the wider Middle East. The legal entity behind the brand is the place to look for details on how the account is run and where funds sit.
Which card network does Blue use?+
Blue runs on the Visa network (visa). Visa is the most common network among the cards on DebitCue, so a Blue card is accepted wherever Visa merchants take payment. Check the places you plan to use it, especially smaller merchants and cash points, before you rely on the card day to day.
Can I hold more than a single currency?+
Multi-currency is among the features listed for Blue (multi currency and travel), alongside travel, so holding balances in several currencies is the point of the account. The currency conversion fee is 0%, and the card runs on the Visa network (visa).
Who does Blue suit?+
Blue is built for travellers and residents in Iraq and the wider Middle East, where it is headquartered (IQ). It suits people who want a prepaid card (prepaid) holding several currencies, with a currency conversion fee of 0% on spending abroad.
Sources
- newsroom.b2press.com/press-release/3185/blue-to-debut-a-f... checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Card type, Features, Currency conversion fee, Headquarters, Legal entity, Card network
“the first platinum prepaid card that Bluepay launched in Iraq in partnership with Visa International”
Compiled from 1 source page, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Monthly fee, Free ATM withdrawals, Protection.
Related by the facts
Blue
A prepaid multi-currency card for Iraq and the Middle East with a 0% currency conversion fee.