Softwr

Payroll · head to head

Mooncard vs Oyster

Mooncard logo

Mooncard

Payroll

French corporate card and expense management platform built on the Visa network

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Oyster logo

Oyster

Payroll

Hire globally, compliantly

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Mooncard pricing is entirely unpublished, so a company cannot budget or benchmark Mooncard against Payhawk or Extend without starting a sales process.; Oyster employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing
  • They diverge on capability: Mooncard covers Configurable Visa cards, Oyster covers Global Employment.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Mooncard and Oyster actually diverge.

Attributes where Mooncard and Oyster differ
AttributeMooncardOyster
Starting priceOn request$29/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
FoundedUnknown2020

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Payroll).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Mooncard

  • Configurable Visa cards
  • Automated expense capture
  • Multi-entity premium tier
  • Accounting export
  • Flying Blue miles
  • Real-time spend visibility

Only in Oyster

  • Global Employment
  • Payroll
  • Benefits
  • Compliance
  • Contractor Management
  • Time Off
  • Expenses
  • BambooHR

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Mooncard

  • A French business replacing an Amex corporate card programme with wider Visa merchant acceptancenot Oyster
  • A finance team automating VAT-compliant receipt capture instead of manual expense reportsnot Oyster
  • A group with several legal entities wanting consolidated card and expense visibilitynot Oyster
  • A company whose travellers want Flying Blue miles on corporate card spendnot Oyster

Oyster

  • Hiring employees abroad without setting up a local legal entitynot Mooncard
  • Onboarding and paying international contractorsnot Mooncard
  • Getting country specific employment compliance advice for distributed teamsnot Mooncard

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Mooncard

  • Pricing is entirely unpublished, so a company cannot budget or benchmark Mooncard against Payhawk or Extend without starting a sales process.
  • Its strongest support, integrations and merchant relationships are concentrated in France, and companies with most spend outside France or Europe get a thinner experience.
  • Being built specifically to displace Amex corporate cards, it has less of a track record and feature depth outside the expense and card niche compared with broader spend platforms like Payhawk.
  • Group and multi-entity functionality sits behind a separate premium tier, so a growing company may need to renegotiate its plan as it adds entities.
  • Marketing-driven positioning, including stunts such as the stratospheric payment demo, does not substitute for third-party benchmarking of actual transaction reliability at scale.

Oyster

  • Employer of Record is $699 per employee per month, with the discount tied to annual billing
  • A refundable deposit is required before an EOR engagement starts
  • Contractor management is free for 30 days then $29 per contractor per month
  • HR advisory through People Partner Services is billed at $300 per hour on top of the subscription
  • A currency conversion fee applies when you pay Oyster in a currency other than the contract currency
  • Payments are accepted only by direct debit or wire in USD, EUR, GBP or CAD

Pricing, plan by plan

Mooncard

On request
  • Mooncard$undefined/month
    • Original offer with cards and expense management software
    • Premium tier for groups and multi-entity structures
    • Custom quote required, no published rate card

Oyster

$29/month
  • Global Contractors$29/month
    • Instant contracts in 180+ countries
    • Contractor payments in 120+ currencies
    • Identity verification
  • Employer of Record (EOR)$699/month
    • Compliant employment in 120+ countries
    • Multi-country payroll in 120+ currencies
    • Automated expenses, time-off, and reports

Which should you pick?

Choose Mooncard if

  • You need configurable visa cards.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want automated expense capture.
Mooncard review

Choose Oyster if

  • You need global employment.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want payroll.
Oyster review

Questions people ask

Is Mooncard or Oyster better?
Neither clearly leads. Mooncard starts at On request and Oyster at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Mooncard or Oyster?
Mooncard starts at On request and Oyster at $29/month.
Does Mooncard or Oyster run on more platforms?
Mooncard runs on Web, iOS, Android. Oyster runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is Mooncard best used for?
Mooncard is most often used for a french business replacing an amex corporate card programme with wider visa merchant acceptance, a finance team automating vat-compliant receipt capture instead of manual expense reports, a group with several legal entities wanting consolidated card and expense visibility, a company whose travellers want flying blue miles on corporate card spend. Of those, a french business replacing an amex corporate card programme with wider visa merchant acceptance and a finance team automating vat-compliant receipt capture instead of manual expense reports are not what Oyster is typically brought in for.
What can Mooncard do that Oyster cannot?
Mooncard covers Configurable Visa cards, Automated expense capture, Multi-entity premium tier, Accounting export. Oyster covers Global Employment, Payroll, Benefits, Compliance.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Mooncard: Is Mooncard only for France?

No, but its content, support and market presence are strongest in France; other European markets are served but less deeply.

Oyster: How much does Oyster charge for Employer of Record services?

Oyster charges $699 per employee per month for EOR services, with annual discounts available. Setup, onboarding, and offboarding are included with no additional charges.

Source
Mooncard: Does Mooncard publish pricing?

No, quotes are provided directly by the Mooncard sales team based on company size and needs.

Oyster: How much does Oyster charge for Global Contractors?

Oyster's Global Contractors tier costs $29 per contractor per month after a free 30-day trial. The plan covers instant contracts in 180+ countries, payments in 120+ currencies, and contractor management tools.

Source
Mooncard: Which card network does it use?

Visa, which the company positions as giving broader merchant acceptance than the Amex network used by many incumbent French corporate cards.

Oyster: What discounts does Oyster offer?

Oyster offers discounts for nonprofits and B-corps through its 'Oyster for Impact' program, startup savings of up to $1,200 on EOR subscriptions, and discounted or waived pricing for refugee support programs.

Source
Oyster: What payment methods does Oyster accept?

Oyster accepts payment by direct debit, wire transfer, and auto-withdrawal. The platform supports multiple currencies including USD, EUR, GBP, and CAD, with fees applied only when paying in a currency different from the contract currency.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Mooncard

More on Oyster

Keep looking

Other head to heads