Good
- Essential plan has no annual fee and a free virtual card
- Elite has 0% FX, free ATM withdrawals and a free metal card
- Apple Pay and Google Pay on both plans
- Rewards posted monthly, within 10 business days of month end
Watch out
- Only for US residents, excluding Louisiana and New York
- Elite costs $99.99 a year
- Essential charges 1.5% FX and $2.95 per ATM withdrawal
- Rewards are paid in XRP, and only for a limited time
Uphold Debit Card is a Visa debit card for US residents that spends from an Uphold account. The Essential plan has no annual fee, and Elite costs $99.99 a year. Uphold advertises 2% back in XRP on Essential and 3% on Elite, but only as a limited-time offer for new cardholders.
The card can spend from your dollar balance or from crypto you hold on Uphold. Both plans include a free virtual card and work with Apple Pay and Google Pay. Elite adds a metal card, no FX fee and free ATM withdrawals.
Uphold Debit Card cashback
Uphold Debit Card rewards are advertised at 2% on Essential, capped at $120 a month, and 3% on Elite, capped at $300 a month, paid in XRP.
The caps translate into spending limits. On Essential, 2% stops adding up after $6,000 of monthly spending, since 2% of $6,000 is $120. On Elite, 3% reaches the $300 cap at $10,000 a month. Uphold's page also lists 4% on Elite purchases funded with crypto or metals, but the $300 cap is the same, so the higher rate only gets you there faster.
The catch is in Uphold's rewards terms, which describe the program as running for a limited time for customers who sign up for the card, with no end date. That means the 2% and 3% rates are a promotion that Uphold can end at any point.
Rewards are calculated on the last day of each month and posted within ten business days. The terms say Uphold picks the rewards currency, which is currently XRP. Cash-like transactions, gambling, government payments and debt payments don't earn rewards.
Uphold Debit Card fees
Uphold Debit Card has no annual fee on Essential, $99.99 a year on Elite, and a 1.5% FX fee on Essential that Elite removes.
The physical card is a $4.99 plastic card on Essential and a free metal card on Elite. The virtual card is free on both plans.
Uphold doesn't publish a separate fee for spending crypto with the card. Its trading fee page lists 2.05% to 2.2% for BTC and ETH trades and 0% for converting between dollars and stablecoins on the first $20,000 a month, so the cheapest way to use the card is to spend from a dollar balance.
Elite's fee is easier to judge with numbers. The extra 1% of rewards covers $99.99 once you spend about $833 a month, or $10,000 a year. If you also travel, the 0% FX fee saves $1.50 on every $100 spent abroad.
Uphold Debit Card ATM withdrawal fees
Uphold Debit Card charges $2.95 for each ATM withdrawal on Essential, and nothing on Elite.
A flat fee hurts small withdrawals most: on a $200 withdrawal, $2.95 is about 1.5%, and on $50 it's almost 6%. Take out larger amounts less often if you're on Essential, and note that the ATM owner may add its own charge on either plan.
Is Uphold Debit Card safe?
Uphold Debit Card is custodial: your dollars and crypto sit in your Uphold account, and Uphold holds the keys.
The card itself is a Visa debit card issued by Cross River Bank. Uphold runs the account the card spends from, so your access to funds depends on Uphold. You need a verified Uphold account in good standing to get the card and to receive rewards.
As with any custodial card, keep only what you plan to spend on the platform and move long-term holdings to a wallet you control.
Who should get Uphold Debit Card
Uphold Debit Card suits US residents who already keep money on Uphold and want to spend it without moving it to a bank first.
Essential is a reasonable choice for spending at home. It costs nothing to keep, and while the promotion runs, 2% on up to $6,000 a month is strong for a free card.
Elite makes sense for people who spend at least $833 a month on the card or travel abroad often. At $2,000 a month, Elite's 3% earns $60 a month against Essential's $40, which is $240 a year more for a $99.99 fee.
Skip the card if you live in Louisiana or New York, or if you want rewards you can count on long term. The comparison below shows other cards available in the US.
Where Uphold Debit Card is available
Uphold Debit Card is only available to residents of US states and Washington D.C., excluding Louisiana, New York and US territories.