Upgrade Card Upgrade Select Visa
A plan byUpgrade Card · Visa
Upgrade Card is a credit-builder product on the Visa network with APR starting at 14.99%, low for the sector, 3% cashback, no annual fee and 0% FX. It is not a true credit card, however, but relies on fixed-rate closed-end loans, making it less flexible and unable to offer cash advances.
Upgrade Select Visa
- Price
- Free
- Annual price
- €39
- Issuance fee
- Free
- FX markup
- 0%
- Cashback
- 3%
- Cashback currency
- USD
- Required staking
- Nessuno
- ATM fee
- 0%
- ATM limit
- Not disclosed
- Net annual cost
- Free
What's included
- $39 annual fee
- Higher line
- Upgrade variants
The clause
That 3% on the banner isn't what you pocket.
After FX markup, fees and withdrawals, on an average profile of €1,000/mo (20% abroad).
Data & conditions
§ Amounts in USD/GBP are shown in the service's native currency.
| Network | Visa |
|---|---|
| Card type | Credit card |
| APR | 29.99% |
| Issuance fee | Free |
| Annual fee | €39/year |
| Free ATM limit | Not disclosed |
| ATM withdrawal | Free |
| FX markup | 0% |
| Cashback | 3% in USD · Nessuno |
| On-chain settlement | No |
| Contactless | Yes |
| Virtual card | Yes |
| KYC | Full |
| Privacy | 4/10 |
| Supported countries | US · 1+ countries |
| Estimated net annual cost | €0/year |
| Regulator | FDIC / OCC |
| OAM Italy registration | No |
| Segment | B2C |
| MiCA / License status | Partner bank charter |
Strengths
- APR from 14,99% (low for the settore); 3% cashback; no annual fee; 0% FX.
- No notable sovereignty advantage documented.
Weaknesses
- Not is a credit card vera; rate fisse less flessibili.
- Traditional credit card: not self-custody — the account requires full KYC, a credit check, and can be closed or reported to credit bureaus by the issuer.
- Full KYC required: verified identity, zero pseudonymity.
Verdict
Good at tier B for competitive costs: APR from 14.99%, low for the sector, 3% cashback, no annual fee and 0% FX, a mix that protects the user's wallet well with FDIC/OCC custody. Capping the score is the product's nature, not a true credit card but fixed-rate closed-end loans, hence less flexible and without cash advances.
On this lens it counts for little: a custodial, full-KYC Visa, FDIC/OCC-regulated and US-only, with no self-custody, on-chain privacy or censorship resistance. The low APR and cashback are consumer advantages that carry no weight here, where the crypto-native criteria are entirely absent.
Promp's editorial rating based on real fees and net annual cost. Promp reviews third-party products independently.
"Sovereignty" rating: score computed on privacy/anonymity (30%), fund control (20%), censorship resistance (20%), trustless/auditability (20%) and costs (10%). Same data, different weights.
Reputation
What happened to people who used Upgrade Card, and what users say. External signals: they do not feed the promp.it rating.
Incidents & regulatory actions
No known incidentSearch across public sources: no known hack, withdrawal freeze or regulatory action as of the verification date.
verified on
Public reviews
-
App Store ↗
4.9/5
82,495 reviews
"Upgrade - Mobile Banking" app by Upgrade, Inc. (trackId 1389859093); exact figure from the iTunes Lookup API (averageUserRating/userRatingCount), count refers to ratings.
Weighted average across 1 public review platform (82,495 reviews in total), weighted by volume. This is not our rating: it is those platforms’ average.
FAQ
Is Upgrade Card a safe card?
Upgrade Card is a custodial card on the Visa network. As a payment card, loaded funds are e-money and are not covered by a bank deposit-guarantee scheme. Fund custody is custodial.
How much does Upgrade Card cost?
The card has no annual fee. Issuance is free. The FX markup is 0% (no surcharge). See the tier table for full conditions.
Does Upgrade Card offer cashback?
Yes: cashback goes up to 3%, depending on the tier.
Is Upgrade Card available in Italy?
No, Upgrade Card is not currently available in Italy.
Is Upgrade Card custodial or self-custody?
Upgrade Card uses a custodial model. Funds are held by the issuer: you do not have direct control of the private keys.
Sources
- Official service page Plans & pricing · Regulatory framework · Founders · Annual cost · +9 Data verified on Jul 11, 2026
- fintechweekly.com Valuation · Latest funding round · Investors Data verified on Jun 14, 2026
- nerdwallet.com Cashback · ATM fees Data verified on Jun 14, 2026
- pitchbook.com Company type Data verified on Jun 14, 2026
Show 1 more source
- trustpilot.com Trustpilot reviews Data verified on Jun 13, 2026