Short answerA dollar card is a prepaid card from a Nepali bank that lets you pay online in US dollars. Under Nepal Rastra Bank's rules, an ordinary individual can load up to USD 500 a year, and can hold only one prepaid card across all banks. You need a bank account, PAN and KYC, and issuing one costs about USD 5 to 10 or Rs 1,000, depending on the bank.
If you’ve ever tried to pay for a Facebook ad, a domain, Canva or an online course from Nepal, you’ve met the dollar card problem. A normal Nepali debit card won’t work for most foreign payments, so you need a prepaid card in US dollars, issued by a Nepali bank, inside the rules Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) sets.
This guide explains those rules, what banks charge, how to apply, and why payments still fail, especially for ads. Facts are taken from each bank’s own page and checked on 6 October 2026; fees change, so confirm with your bank before applying. If the card is only for ads, there’s another way: our Facebook ads service in Nepal pays Meta for you, and you pay us in rupees.
A dollar card is a prepaid card in US dollars. You load it from your rupee account (the bank converts at its exchange rate), then use it to pay online wherever Visa or Mastercard is accepted.
NRB first allowed banks to issue these cards in March 2021. The core rules:
In April 2026, NRB raised limits for the IT sector. Banks can now issue prepaid cards of up to USD 3,000 a year for software and IT services, USD 5,000 for companies that earn foreign currency from exports, and freelancers who earn foreign currency online can pay up to USD 25,000 a year for software and digital services through banking channels.
Some 2026 reports also say the flat USD 500 cap for ordinary individuals has been relaxed, with banks setting their own limits. We couldn’t confirm that from an official source, and the bank pages below still list USD 500. Ask your bank what applies to you today.
Most commercial banks offer a dollar card. Here is what five banks publish on their own pages (checked 6 October 2026):
| Bank | Card | Limit | Fees | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prabhu Bank | 500 Dollar Card | USD 500 | Rs 1,000 to issue; no annual fee; first load free, then Rs 250 per load | 4 years |
| Everest Bank | EBL E-Com Dollar Card (physical or virtual) | USD 500 a year | USD 10 physical or USD 5 virtual to issue; annual and reload free; USD 1 for 3D Secure | 4 years |
| Laxmi Sunrise | Dollar Prepaid Card | USD 500 a year (up to USD 5,000 with foreign income) | In the bank’s schedule of charges | 5 years |
| Global IME | Virtual and physical dollar cards | USD 500 a year | Rs 300 to reactivate once it expires, per the bank’s guide | 1 year, per the bank’s guide |
| Nabil Bank | Nabil iCard | USD 500 a year, including top-ups | See the bank’s charge sheet | Varies |
Other banks, including Kumari, Siddhartha, NIC Asia, Machhapuchhre and Nepal Bank, offer similar cards. Before choosing, compare three costs: issuance, reload, and renewal. Also check whether you can apply in the bank’s app.
Banks such as Prabhu, Laxmi Sunrise and Global IME list social media advertising as an allowed use. It works, with three catches for businesses:
If your card is declined, check these in order:
If you run ads every month, the dollar card limit is a real constraint. Some agencies, including EverestRise, pay Meta and Google directly and bill you in Nepali rupees, with a bill showing exactly what the platform charged. Your ad account stays in your name.
If that sounds useful, see how it works on our Facebook ads in Nepal and Google Ads in Nepal pages.
The long-standing NRB rule is USD 500 a year for an ordinary individual. People with documented foreign-currency income can use more (up to USD 5,000 a year under the 2021 rule), and an April 2026 change raised limits for IT businesses and freelancers. Some 2026 reports say the general cap was relaxed, but banks still list USD 500, so confirm with your bank.
It depends on what you value. Everest Bank lists free annual and reload fees; Prabhu Bank lists no annual fee but Rs 250 per reload after the first; Laxmi Sunrise lists 5-year validity. Compare issuance, reload and renewal charges, and whether you can apply in the bank's app.
No. Under NRB's rules, a person may hold only one prepaid dollar card at a time across all banks, and holding two can be penalised under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act.
Yes. Banks including Prabhu, Laxmi Sunrise and Global IME list social media advertising among the allowed uses. The catch is the limit: USD 500 a year runs out quickly for a business that advertises every month.
No. Prepaid dollar cards are for online payments only. They can't be used at ATMs or point-of-sale machines.
It varies by bank. Several banks let you apply in their mobile app if your PAN is already linked; virtual cards are usually faster than physical ones. Ask your branch for the current timeline.
Use a business account with foreign-currency income if you have one, or work with an agency that pays Meta for you and bills you in rupees. Avoid borrowed or shared cards, which can get ad accounts flagged.
Google says the payment methods you can use depend on the country of your business address and your account's currency, and its billing options page links a tool that lists them. Most Nepali debit cards don't allow international payments, so in practice businesses use a dollar card or an agency that pays Google and bills them in rupees.
How to choose a digital marketing agency in Nepal: 15 questions to ask, red flags, how to read a proposal, what it costs and a free scorecard to use today.
FunnelsGetting visitors but no enquiries? Here are the 9 reasons websites fail to turn traffic into leads, how to check each one in minutes, and what to fix first.
You get a score for your marketing, your business operations and your habits, plus what to fix in the next 30 days. Then we can study your website, social media and competitors for free.