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Plutus is a cryptocurrency company that marketed itself as a '''crypto cashback''' platform, allowing users to earn rewards in '''Pluton (PLU)''' tokens when making purchases with their Plutus debit card. The idea was to offer a '''Web3 banking alternative''', where users could spend their crypto and earn cashback in PLU, which could then be used for further purchases or staking benefits.
{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = {{PAGENAME}}
| Type = Private
| Founded = 2015
| Industry = Cryptocurrency
| Official Website = https://www.plutus.it/
| Logo = Plutus.svg
}}
 
Plutus is a cryptocurrency company founded in 2015<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.plutus.it/about|title=About|access-date=2025-03-22|work=Plutus}}</ref> that marketed itself as a '''crypto cashback''' platform, allowing users to earn rewards in '''Pluton (PLU)''' tokens when making purchases with their Plutus debit card. The idea was to offer a '''Web3 banking alternative''', where users could spend their crypto and earn cashback in PLU, which could then be used for further purchases or staking benefits.


They claimed to offer up to '''8% PLU Cashback''' on purchases and additional perks such as '''subscription-free access''' to their services compared to competitors like Crypto.com, which required staking. However, over time, users raised concerns about '''withdrawal limits, PLU liquidity, and reward reductions''', which led to skepticism about the sustainability of the model.
They claimed to offer up to '''8% PLU Cashback''' on purchases and additional perks such as '''subscription-free access''' to their services compared to competitors like Crypto.com, which required staking. However, over time, users raised concerns about '''withdrawal limits, PLU liquidity, and reward reductions''', which led to skepticism about the sustainability of the model.
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Plutus originally positioned itself as a '''crypto cashback and Web3 banking platform''', offering users '''up to 8% cashback in Pluton (PLU) tokens''' when using their Plutus debit card. However, over time, the company has made a series of abrupt and controversial changes that many users feel amount to '''forced arbitrage and deceptive practices'''.
Plutus originally positioned itself as a '''crypto cashback and Web3 banking platform''', offering users '''up to 8% cashback in Pluton (PLU) tokens''' when using their Plutus debit card. However, over time, the company has made a series of abrupt and controversial changes that many users feel amount to '''forced arbitrage and deceptive practices'''.


=== Sudden Policy Changes & Forced Arbitrage ===
Plutus has repeatedly changed its terms overnight, significantly '''reducing cashback rewards''' and increasing the '''amount of PLU required to maintain benefits'''. Users who initially invested thousands—some over '''$20,000+'''—to qualify for '''5-7% cashback''' suddenly found themselves '''downgraded to lower tiers''', receiving the same benefits as users who had spent far less.
=== Hidden & Unfair Fees ===
* '''33% PLU Withdrawal Fee:''' Plutus introduced a massive '''33% withdrawal fee''' for moving PLU to an external wallet, without prior notice. This removed the option for users to pay the '''£15 withdrawal fee to cover Ethereum gas costs''', leaving them trapped with their tokens.
* '''Gift Card Deception:''' Plutus advertised that '''1 PLU could be redeemed for a £10/€10 gift card''', but in reality, users were forced to '''pay an additional £8/€8 in fiat''', making this so-called benefit essentially useless.
* '''EU Swap Feature – 50% Fee:''' For EU users, Plutus introduced an '''in-app swap feature to convert PLU to fiat''', but with an outrageous '''50% fee''', rendering the feature impractical.
* '''"Free" PLU Withdrawals - Not Really Free:''' They recently promoted '''free PLU withdrawals to external wallets''', but users soon discovered that this required an '''"upgrade" to a higher tier''', forcing them to '''buy even more PLU''' to access what was advertised as free.
=== Fiat Withdrawal Issues & Compliance Excuses ===
Plutus also '''stopped fiat withdrawals''', citing '''compliance issues''' and promising the pause was '''temporary'''. However, '''two years have passed''', and fiat withdrawals remain unavailable, leaving many users without access to their own funds.
=== Trust & Legality Concerns ===
These sudden, unfair changes have sparked '''serious concerns about Plutus' legitimacy'''. Users argue that implementing fees without notice, changing cashback tiers overnight, and blocking withdrawals '''should be illegal'''. The lack of transparency has led many to believe that Plutus prioritises '''locking users into their ecosystem and forcing them into unfavorable conversions and fees''' rather than providing the benefits they originally promised.
In the beginning, Plutus actively promoted the use of '''PLU in external wallets and third-party exchanges''', encouraging users to hold, trade, and utilize their tokens outside the Plutus ecosystem. However, in a '''sudden and unannounced policy shift''', users who '''transferred PLU from their external wallet to an exchange''' found themselves '''classified as "misusing"''', their platform which resulted in '''penalties and restrictions on their accounts,''' aka blocking your account and giving no access to PLU. If you decide you want to close your account and have your Plu send to your external wallet, the plu held in the app will be forfeited.
This move essentially '''punished users for engaging in normal crypto trading activities''', making them feel like criminals for absolute normal behaviours. contradicting Plutus’ earlier messaging about PLU being a freely tradable asset. Many users feel this was yet another tactic to '''trap PLU within the Plutus ecosystem''', limiting liquidity and forcing users into unfavorable redemption options with '''hidden fees and restrictions'''.
{{InfoboxCompany
| Name = {{PAGENAME}}
| Type =
| Founded =
| Industry =
| Official Website =
| Logo =
}}{{Placeholder box|An introductory paragraph starting with "'''{{PAGENAME}}''' is a ...<ref name":0">ref goes here</ref>"}}


==Consumer-impact summary==
==Consumer-impact summary==
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==Incidents==
==Incidents==
{{Placeholder box|If the company page is short enough and/or the incident is not deserving of its own page, add incidents below in sub-sections (including the points outlined in [[Consumer_Action_Taskforce:Sample/Incident/Help|the incident help page]]) without linking/creating an incident page.
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
===Sudden Policy Changes & Forced Arbitrage===
Plutus has repeatedly changed its terms overnight, significantly '''reducing cashback rewards''' and increasing the '''amount of PLU required to maintain benefits'''. Users who initially invested thousands—some over '''$20,000+'''—to qualify for '''5-7% cashback''' suddenly found themselves '''downgraded to lower tiers''', receiving the same benefits as users who had spent far less.
 
===Hidden & Unfair Fees===


If the company has various incidents listed and/or this page is getting too long, create subsections linking to each incident while linking to the main article and including a short summary. To link to the page use the "Hatnote" or "Main" templates.
*'''33% PLU Withdrawal Fee:''' Plutus introduced a massive '''33% withdrawal fee''' for moving PLU to an external wallet, without prior notice. This removed the option for users to pay the '''£15 withdrawal fee to cover Ethereum gas costs''', leaving them trapped with their tokens.
*'''Gift Card Deception:''' Plutus advertised that '''1 PLU could be redeemed for a £10/€10 gift card''', but in reality, users were forced to '''pay an additional £8/€8 in fiat''', making this so-called benefit essentially useless.
*'''EU Swap Feature – 50% Fee:''' For EU users, Plutus introduced an '''in-app swap feature to convert PLU to fiat''', but with an outrageous '''50% fee''', rendering the feature impractical.
*'''"Free" PLU Withdrawals - Not Really Free:''' They recently promoted '''free PLU withdrawals to external wallets''', but users soon discovered that this required an '''"upgrade" to a higher tier''', forcing them to '''buy even more PLU''' to access what was advertised as free.
 
===Fiat Withdrawal Issues & Compliance Excuses===
Plutus also '''stopped fiat withdrawals''', citing '''compliance issues''' and promising the pause was '''temporary'''. However, '''two years have passed''', and fiat withdrawals remain unavailable, leaving many users without access to their own funds.


If the company has numerous incidents then format them in a table (see [[Amazon]] for an example). }}
===Trust & Legality Concerns===
These sudden, unfair changes have sparked '''serious concerns about Plutus' legitimacy'''. Users argue that implementing fees without notice, changing cashback tiers overnight, and blocking withdrawals '''should be illegal'''. The lack of transparency has led many to believe that Plutus prioritises '''locking users into their ecosystem and forcing them into unfavorable conversions and fees''' rather than providing the benefits they originally promised.


This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
In the beginning, Plutus actively promoted the use of '''PLU in external wallets and third-party exchanges''', encouraging users to hold, trade, and utilize their tokens outside the Plutus ecosystem. However, in a '''sudden and unannounced policy shift''', users who '''transferred PLU from their external wallet to an exchange''' found themselves '''classified as "misusing"''', their platform which resulted in '''penalties and restrictions on their accounts,''' aka blocking your account and giving no access to PLU. If you decide you want to close your account and have your Plu sent to your external wallet, the plu held in the app will be forfeited.  
===Example incident one (''date'')===
{{Main|link to the main article}}
Short summary of the incident (could be the same as the summary preceding the article).
===Example incident two (''date'')===
...


==Products==
This move essentially '''punished users for engaging in normal crypto trading activities''', making them feel like criminals for absolute normal behaviours. contradicting Plutus’ earlier messaging about PLU being a freely tradable asset. Many users feel this was yet another tactic to '''trap PLU within the Plutus ecosystem''', limiting liquidity and forcing users into unfavorable redemption options with '''hidden fees and restrictions'''.
{{Placeholder box|This is a list of the company's product lines '''with articles on this wiki'''.
* [[Example product line one]] (release date): Short summary of the product's incidents.
* [[Example product line two]] (release date):}}


==See also==
To find users that are experiencing issues, https://www.reddit.com/r/Plutus_Uncensored/
{{Placeholder box|Link to relevant theme articles or companies with similar incidents.}}


==References==
==References==
Retrieved from "https://consumerrights.wiki/Plutus"