The fees are broken down here
https://bit-x.com/guide/bitx-cardsMore expensive than a credit card but possibly cheaper and far more rapid than having to dick around with exchanges. Depends on your spending patterns I guess.
I love how the US is in the same boat as North Korea... just sick...
Restrictions
Residents from the following countries may order cards, but may not raise card limits to level 2: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Cambodia, Ecuador, Guyana, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Uganda, United States and Minor Outlying Islands, Yemen, Zimbabwe.
source: https://bit-x.com/guide/bitx-cardsI may be amero-centric in this view, but I think the US regulatory / judicial systems are a major barrier. There is huge market opportunity for billion dollar investors to make winfalls in bitcoin based industry, but the investors are very slow to enter this market because so many early adopters are getting thrown in jail. The regulatory burden is overwhelming. This is made even worse in the areas that are not regulated. The unregulated areas could land investors in jail for any number of out dated backward laws dating back to the steam engine.
I would like to think that the US would eventually break out ahead of the pack, but I'm not totally convinced. I think that major adoption will follow when some country gets serious about allowing it's citizens the freedom to develop bitcoin based industry without looking over their shoulder.
You are right, the U.S policies around finances and the transfer of finances around the world are draconian now. Since 9/11, as a few in banking have told me. And if the other institutions/businesses don't play by U.S rules, then they can't play the dollar/US economy game.
This is why you see many exchanges either US-centric or non-available to US citizens, but rarely both at the same time. It's the US that has put itself in this boat and right about now, the rest of the world has quite possibly got real tired of it.
This has worked for the U.S for as long as the US dollar is the worlds reserve currency and the US had a strong economy of happy spenders that other countries could profit off of. But when the US dollar falls off the reserve currency horse, which it's already doing in view of oil, then the whole thing falls and the US will get left behind. That's what's unfortunate. The US is generally at the forefront of technological developments, but not this time really. Even Canada has passed a 'hands off' law for Bitcoin to allow for its development.
