Uphold Debit Card

The Uphold Debit Card is a Visa debit card issued by Cross River Bank that lets users spend dollars or over 300 digital assets while earning XRP rewards. It is available to US residents in most states and offers a unique reward structure centered on XRP. The card is designed for users who want to spend crypto directly without manual conversion steps.

Rewards

The card offers two tiers:

• Uphold Elite Card ($99.99/year): 4% back in XRP on purchases using crypto or metals as funding, or 3% back using fiat or stablecoins. Rewards are capped at $300/month.
• Uphold Essential Card ($0/year): 2% back in XRP on all purchases, capped at $120/month.

A direct deposit promotion can raise total rewards up to 8% in XRP for qualifying users. Rewards are paid automatically in XRP to the user’s Uphold wallet.

Benefits

• No credit checks required to apply.
• Spend dollars or 300+ digital assets anywhere Visa is accepted.
• Elite tier has no foreign transaction fees and no ATM fees worldwide.
• Metal card included with Elite tier.
• Apple Pay and Google Pay compatible.
• USD deposits held at Cross River Bank are FDIC insured up to $250,000.

Important Considerations

The card is not available in Louisiana, New York, or US territories. Using cryptocurrency to fund purchases is treated as a sale by the IRS, which may trigger taxable events. Stablecoins and USD do not typically trigger significant tax implications. The Elite tier’s annual fee requires substantial spending to break even compared to the free Essential tier. The card’s rewards are exclusively paid in XRP, which may not appeal to users who prefer other cryptocurrencies.