Uphold Card
Uphold debit card lets you spend crypto, metals and traditional currencies directly from your Uphold account. In the US, the free Essential card earns 2% back in XRP and the $99.99-a-year Elite card up to 4%, as a promotional rate for the first three months after activation. The UK card pays 1% cashback in GBP on cash-funded spending.
Is the Uphold Card worth it?
The Uphold Card is a debit card on Visa (US) / Mastercard (UK), paying up to 4% back on spend. Whether it suits you comes down to the trade-offs below.
GOOD FIT IF
- you want up to 4% back on everyday spending
- you don't want to stake or lock up a token to earn the rate
THINK TWICE IF
- you want to hold your own keys — this card is custodial
- a fixed cost is a dealbreaker — the annual fee is Free (Essential) / $99.99/yr (Elite)
How we rate the Uphold Card
- Cost25%4.0 / 5
Elite removes both the foreign transaction fee and ATM charges for $99.99 a year; on the free Essential card those cost 1.5% per foreign purchase and $2.95 per withdrawal.
- Conditions25%4.0 / 5
No stake or balance — the better rate needs only the $99.99 annual membership, which typical spending recovers several times over.
- Rewards25%4.5 / 5
4% in XRP on crypto-funded purchases with Elite, capped at $300 a month, worth around 3.4% after the fee. The free tier pays 2%, capped at $120. Uphold describes these as promotional rates for the first three months after activation.
- Reliability25%3.5 / 5
A long-running issuer with published reward terms and caps, but its rewards terms URL has moved and the US and UK cards run on different networks.
Four criteria, each worth 25%, scored by us against the issuer's published terms — the total above is their average, not a separate judgement. Scored September 16, 2026. Read the full scoring model. No issuer can pay to change a score.
The card at a glance
Earning Up to 4%
The headline rate is usually the top of a band, not a flat rate on everything. In practice most spending earns the base rate, and the higher figure applies to selected merchants, campaigns or staking tiers.
Up to 4%, paid in XRP in the US, GBP in the UK. No staking required for the base rate.
- Essential (free) pays 2% in XRP, capped $120/month.
- Elite ($99.99/year) pays 4% in XRP on crypto- and metals-funded purchases and 3% on fiat and stablecoins, capped $300/month.
- Uphold describes the US rates as a promotional offer: for cards activated on or after 1 January 2026 they apply for three months after activation, and Uphold has not published the rate after that.
- The UK card pays 1% in GBP on GBP-funded spending only, capped £100/month.
Compare the plans
This card has 3 plans. Select one to see its rate, fees and perks.
Fees you'll actually meet
Strengths and trade-offs
WORKS FOR YOU IF
- Up to 4% back in XRP (US Elite)
- Free Essential card still pays 2%
- No FX or ATM fees on Elite
- Apple Pay and Google Pay
- Available in the US and UK
LOOK ELSEWHERE IF
- Custodial model
- Best rates need the $99.99/year Elite membership
- US reward rates are a three-month promotional offer; the rate afterwards is not published
What sets it apart
- Spend from crypto, precious metals, stablecoins or cash
- Instant conversion at point of sale
Common questions
Where can I use the Uphold Card?
Does the Uphold Card have an annual fee?
Do I need to stake anything to earn rewards?
How much can I earn with the Uphold Card?
Does it work with Apple Pay and Google Pay?
Figures on this page come from Uphold's published card terms and were verified on October 3, 2026. Rewards, fees and availability change often and vary by region. See our methodology for how we score and verify every card. This is not financial advice.
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