Perx card: balance check, expiry and where it works

To check a Perx card balance, log in at perx.getmybalance.com and select My Cards. If you were sent a digital Perx card, use the Get My eCard app instead. Cardholder support in Ireland is +353 1 255 7111.

Perx is a prepaid Mastercard used by Irish employers to reward staff — most often as a tax-free bonus under the Small Benefit Exemption. You cannot buy one yourself; it arrives because an employer ordered it.

This is not Perx. Everything below is the plain version of what their own terms say, including the fee that starts eating the balance after a year.

What a Perx card is

A Perx Reward card is a single-load prepaid Mastercard, issued in three formats:

• Physical card — arrives by post, used in shops and online
• Digital card — delivered by email, added to Apple Pay or Google Wallet
• Virtual card — online purchases only

It is not a bank card and not reloadable by you. The employer loads it once, and you spend it down.

Activating your card

Create an account at perx.getmybalance.com, or download the Get My eCard app and sign in with the email address your card was registered to.

The one thing that trips people up: your surname plus one other detail — email, phone number or code — must match exactly what your employer submitted. If activation fails, the mismatch is almost always in the employer’s data, not yours. Ring support rather than trying repeatedly.

Where you can use it

Anywhere the Mastercard acceptance mark is displayed — shops, restaurants, cinemas, online, and abroad. Virtual cards work online only.

There is no PIN. In a shop the card is swiped and signed for, and the transaction has to be processed as credit, not debit. If a terminal declines it, asking the cashier to run it as credit fixes it most of the time.

Digital cards added to Apple Pay or Google Wallet work contactless wherever that is supported, which sidesteps the swipe-and-sign problem entirely. If you get the choice, take the digital card.

Perx’s cardholder FAQs do not address ATM withdrawals. Cards given under the Small Benefit Exemption must be non-cash to keep their tax-free status, so do not plan on getting cash out. Ask Perx support if it matters.

Fees and limits

Minimum load	€10
Maximum load and balance	€2,500
Monthly fee, first 12 months after load	None
Monthly fee after 12 months	€3.00, taken from any unused balance
Replacement card	€7.50
Foreign currency transactions	2.75% per transaction

The 12-month clock is the one to watch. From month 13, €3 a month comes off whatever is left, whether you use the card or not. A €50 balance forgotten in a drawer is gone inside a year and a half.

The 2.75% foreign exchange charge applies to spending in a currency other than euro — including euro-priced goods from a non-euro website. On a Perx card it is easy to avoid by spending it at home.

Expiry and replacements

Perx cards carry an expiry date printed on the card, and you cannot use the card after it. You are not sent a replacement automatically. If a card expires with money still on it, you or your employer’s representative can contact customer services to request a replacement, and a fee may apply.

The exact validity period is not published in Perx’s cardholder FAQs — check the date on your own card. (TBC: Perx does not state a standard validity term.)

If a card is lost or stolen, log in and use the padlock icon to lock it, or call +353 1 255 7111. A replacement costs €7.50.

The employer angle

Perx cards exist mainly because of Revenue’s Small Benefit Exemption. From 1 January 2025, an employer can give an employee up to five non-cash benefits a year, worth up to €1,500 in total, with no PAYE, PRSI or USC on either side.

The rules that shape how the card is used:

• The benefit cannot be cash or convertible to cash, which is why the card is closed-loop and non-refundable.
• If a single benefit exceeds €1,500, the whole of that benefit becomes taxable, not just the excess.
• Only the first five benefits in a year qualify, and unused allowance does not roll over.
• Employers must report each benefit to Revenue under Enhanced Reporting Requirements, on or before the day it is given.

Revenue’s Small Benefit Exemption page has the full detail. Employers order cards through perxreward.com.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check my Perx card balance?

Log in at perx.getmybalance.com and select My Cards to see the balance and transaction history. Digital cardholders use the Get My eCard app. You can also call cardholder support on +353 1 255 7111.

How do I activate a Perx card?

Create an account at perx.getmybalance.com, or open the Get My eCard app and log in with the email your employer registered. Your surname and one other detail — email, phone or code — must match your employer’s records.

Does the Perx card have a PIN?

No. In store the card is swiped and signed for, and it must be processed as credit rather than debit. Digital cards in Apple Pay or Google Wallet work contactless.

Are there fees on a Perx card?

No monthly fee for the first 12 months after the card is loaded. After that, €3.00 a month comes off any remaining balance. A replacement card is €7.50, and foreign currency transactions carry a 2.75% charge.

What happens when my Perx card expires?

You cannot use it after the printed expiry date, and no replacement is sent automatically. Contact Perx customer services — or ask your employer’s card administrator to — if there is a balance left. A fee may apply.

Can I get cash from a Perx card?

Perx’s FAQs do not offer a cash-out route, and cards given under the Small Benefit Exemption must be non-cash to stay tax-free. Treat the balance as spend-only and check with support if you need certainty.

Can I buy a Perx card myself?

No. Perx is ordered by employers for staff rewards and incentives. Individuals cannot buy one.