A simple choice for UK residents who want cashback on everyday spending from a GBP balance without a subscription. If you mainly want to spend crypto, or often withdraw cash, the zero cashback on crypto and the ATM fees count against it.
Score breakdown
How we read the terms: UK card: free virtual card (physical £9.95), no annual fee, no FX fee, 1% cashback on purchases funded from a fiat balance. The US card has different plans and isn’t scored here.
Not rated yet: verified criteria cover 65% of the weight, and we need 70% to give an overall score. How scores are calculated.
Pros
- 1% cashback in GBP with no plan or balance requirement
- No annual fee and no foreign transaction fee
- Spend 15 fiat currencies or 300+ crypto assets from one wallet
- Apple Pay and Google Pay
Cons
- Crypto-funded purchases earn no cashback
- Cashback capped at £100 a month
- ATM withdrawals cost £2.50 in the UK and EU, £3.50 elsewhere
- Physical card costs £9.95
Overview
In the UK the Uphold card is a multi-currency prepaid Mastercard issued by Optimus Cards UK Limited and linked to your Uphold account. When you spend crypto, it is sold at the market rate and standard trading fees apply.
UK cashback is 1% in GBP on purchases paid from a fiat balance, up to £100 a month, credited by the 15th of the next month. In the US, Uphold offers a different Visa debit card issued by Cross River Bank, with a free Essential plan and a $99.99-a-year Elite plan that pays up to 4% in XRP.
We haven’t run a hands-on test of this card; this review is based on the issuer’s published documents linked on this page.
Planssource
| Plan | Monthly fee | Cashback | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK card | £0 | 1% | GBP cashback on fiat-funded purchases, £100/month cap; no FX fee; £2.50–£3.50 ATM fee |
| US Essential | $0 | 2% | 2% in XRP up to $120; 1.50% FX fee; $2.95 ATM fee; plastic card $4.99. Page footnote says the reward value is available for 3 months after activation (if activated on/after 1 Jan 2026). |
| US Elite | $99.99/year | 4% | 4% in XRP on crypto/metals-funded purchases, 3% on fiat/stablecoins, up to $300/month; 0% FX; $0 ATM fee; free metal card |
Region: UK.
Fees and limits
- Card issuance (UK)
- £0 virtual; £9.95 physicalsource
- Monthly fee (UK)
- £0source
- FX fee (UK)
- 0source
- Top-up (UK)
- Not verified
- Free ATM per month (UK)
- None — £2.50 per UK/EU ATM withdrawal, £3.50 elsewheresource
Fees are quoted from the issuer’s documents for the region shown. Each “source” link opens the issuer’s page; the wording is quoted in the availability table and in the link’s tooltip.
Is it worth it? Quick math
Entry tier, £1,000 a month of everyday spending in the card’s currency, first year, compared with a plain 2% cash-back card. Only the verified figures above are used.
- Cashback earned
- £120
- Card fees (issuance + 12 × monthly)
- £0
- Net value, year one
- £120
- Plain 2% cash-back card
- £240
At this spend, a plain 2% cash-back card earns £120 more.
Cashback paid in a volatile token can be worth more or less when you sell it. FX and top-up fees are not included here.
Availability
| Region | Status | What the issuer says |
|---|---|---|
| US | With restrictions | “Available only to US residents residing in US states and Washington D.C. Not available in Louisiana, New York, or US territories.”source US residents get a separate Visa card; not offered in Louisiana, New York or US territories. |
| UK | Available | “Yes, all Uphold users in the UK are eligible.”source |
| EEA | Not verified | “These Terms and Conditions apply to any holder of an E-money Account in the UK who applies for and is provided with a Card.”source |
By country
Other regions listed by the issuer: United Kingdom, United States (excluding Louisiana, New York and US territories)source. Not legal advice; an issuer can refuse any applicant.
How to get the card
- 1Create an Uphold accountSign up in the Uphold app and complete verification.
- 2Activate the virtual cardActivate the free virtual card and add it to Apple Pay or Google Pay.
- 3Order a physical cardOptionally order a physical card for a £9.95 one-time fee.
- 4Spend from cashSpend from your GBP or other fiat balance to earn 1% cashback.
Uphold Debit Card: common questions
What are the Uphold Debit Card fees in the UK?
In the UK the virtual card is free, there are no set-up or annual fees, and there's no foreign exchange fee on purchases. A physical card costs £9.95, and ATM withdrawals cost £2.50 in the UK and EU or £3.50 elsewhere. Spending crypto incurs Uphold's standard trading fees.source
What are the Uphold Debit Card fees in the US?
The US Essential card has no annual fee, a $4.99 physical card, a $2.95 ATM fee and a 1.50% foreign transaction fee. The Elite card costs $99.99 a year and includes a free metal card, no ATM fee and no foreign transaction fee.source
What are the Uphold Debit Card limits?
In the UK you can spend up to £10,000 per transaction and per day, with a maximum of 50 transactions a day. ATM withdrawals are capped at £500 per withdrawal, £1,000 a day and two withdrawals a day.source
How does Uphold Debit Card cashback work in the UK?
UK: you earn 1% back in GBP on purchases paid from your cash balances, capped at £100 a month and credited by the 15th of the following month; crypto-funded purchases don't earn it.source
How do Uphold Debit Card rewards work in the US?
US rewards are paid in XRP: 2% on the free Essential plan (up to $120 a month; for cards activated from 1 January 2026, only for the first 3 months) or 3–4% on the $99.99-a-year Elite plan (up to $300 a month).source
Which countries can get the Uphold Debit Card?
The card is available to Uphold users in the UK (not business accounts) and to US residents in US states and Washington D.C., excluding Louisiana, New York and US territories. The UK and US cards are separate products. Uphold doesn't advertise a card for the EEA.source
Who issues the Uphold card?
In the UK the card is issued by Optimus Cards UK Limited, which the FCA authorises as an electronic money institution (firm reference number 902034). In the US, Uphold's page says Cross River Bank holds the fiat deposits.source
Does the Uphold card pay cashback in the UK?
Yes. UK cardholders earn 1% in GBP on purchases funded from a cash balance, up to £100 a month. Purchases funded with crypto don’t earn cashback.
Is the Uphold card the same in the US?
No. The US card is a Visa debit card from Cross River Bank with Essential and Elite plans and XRP rewards. It isn’t offered in Louisiana, New York or US territories.
Alternatives and comparisons
Information only, not financial advice. Crypto assets are volatile. Terms change often — confirm on the issuer’s site before applying.