Uphold review
Updated September 28, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.
Our verdict
Uphold suits people who want crypto spending and stablecoin balances alongside a free debit card, and anyone who values published reserves over the lowest trading fee. Trading fees of 2.05% to 3.8% sit well above the 0.25% site median, which is the trade-off.
Key facts
- Best for
- Spending crypto through a fee-free Visa debit card while holding a custodial account with published reserves.
- Taker fee
- 2.05% to 3.8%↗
- Regulators
- Bank of Portugal, Florida Office of Financial Regulation, Texas Department of Banking, New York Department of Financial Services (NMLS ID for Uphold HQ, Inc.), Washington Department of Financial Institutions, Maryland Office of Financial Regulation (NMLS ID for Uphold HQ Inc.), Wyoming Division of Banking, Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFAL licence)↗
- Fiat deposit methods
- Card, Bank, SEPA, ACH, Apple-pay↗
- Proof of reserves
- Yes↗
- Withdrawal fee
- Crypto on-chain withdrawal fee USD 0.99 flat, except BTC, XRP, HBAR (network fee varies); fiat card withdrawal 1.75% (min USD 1)↗
- Exchange type
- Cex↗
- Legal entity
- Uphold Digital Assets Europe, Unipessoal, Lda.↗
- Headquarters
- Portugal↗
- Founded
- 2014↗
- Support channels
- Help-centre, Phone↗
- Features
- Custodial, Staking
- Official website
- uphold.com
Debit cards
Credit cards
- Perks
- Staking on more than 20 digital assets, instant stake and unstake, Radical transparency: assets and liabilities published every 30 seconds, SOC 2 Type II attestation, ISO/IEC 27001 and PCI DSS certifications, Anything-to-Anything trading across crypto, equities, precious metals and fiat↗
Facts checked September 26, 2026, 5 sources
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- App Store
- Elsewhere
- WikidataLinkedInXfacebook.com
Pros and cons
Pros
- The debit card carries a monthly fee of $0 and a cashback rate of 2%
- Proof of reserves, with assets and liabilities published continuously, and SOC 2 Type II attestation, an ISO/IEC information security standard and PCI DSS certifications
- Staking on a broad set of digital assets, with instant stake and unstake
- Fiat deposits run through card, bank and sepa, and support covers help centre and phone
Cons
- Trading fees of 2.05% to 3.8% are well above the 0.25% median across the exchange listings
- Custody is custodial, so assets sit with the platform rather than in a self-custodied wallet
- Support runs on help centre and phone only, with no live chat
Who it suits
- Anyone who wants a free Visa debit card linked to a crypto balance, with cashback of 2%
- Savers who want staking with instant stake and unstake on a custodial account
- Readers who put weight on proof of reserves and published assets and liabilities
Who should look elsewhere
- Active traders who care most about cost, since fees of 2.05% to 3.8% exceed the 0.25% median
- People who want to hold their own keys, as custody here is custodial rather than self-custodied
- Users who need live chat, since support is limited to help centre and phone
How Uphold compares
9.0 vs 9.5
9.0 vs 9.3
9.0 vs 9.4
9.0 vs 9.4
9.0 vs 8.5
9.0 vs 9.4
9.0 vs 8.7
9.0 vs 9.2A taker fee of 1% costs less than Uphold's 2.05% to 3.8% for heavier trading.
9.0 vs 9.4
9.0 vs 8.7
9.0 vs 9.3
9.0 vs 9.0
9.0 vs 9.0
9.0 vs 9.2
9.0 vs 9.0
9.0 vs 8.6
9.0 vs 8.3
9.0 vs 9.4
9.0 vs 9.4
9.0 vs 9.3
9.0 vs 9.3
9.0 vs 9.3
9.0 vs 9.3
9.0 vs 9.3
9.0 vs 9.2
9.0 vs 9.2
9.0 vs 9.2
9.0 vs 9.2
9.0 vs 9.1
9.0 vs 9.1
9.0 vs 9.0
9.0 vs 9.0
9.0 vs 9.0
9.0 vs 9.0
9.0 vs 8.9
9.0 vs 8.5
9.0 vs 8.4- 9.0 vs 8.0
Where Uphold is available
- Available
- Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States
- Licence in Portugal
- Bank of Portugal, checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in United States
- Florida Office of Financial Regulation (FT230000328), checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in United States
- Texas Department of Banking (3164), checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in United States
- New York Department of Financial Services (NMLS ID for Uphold HQ, Inc.) (1269875), checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in United States
- Washington Department of Financial Institutions (550-MT-100543), checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in United States
- Maryland Office of Financial Regulation (NMLS ID for Uphold HQ Inc.) (12-1269875), checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in United States
- Wyoming Division of Banking (MT-7297), checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in United States
- Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (500350), checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in United States
- California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFAL licence), checked September 26, 2026
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What does the Uphold debit card cost to hold?+
The card carries a monthly fee of $0, so there is no standing charge for keeping it. Purchases through the card earn cashback at 2%. It runs on the visa network as a debit card.
How much does trading cost on Uphold?+
Trading fees run 2.05% to 3.8%, which sits above the 0.25% median across the exchange listings. Investors who trade often will feel this more than those who hold and spend. Card spending itself stays free of a monthly fee.
Is my money protected and are the reserves published?+
Uphold reports proof of reserves, and publishes assets and liabilities continuously, which is part of what it calls radical transparency. The platform also holds SOC 2 Type II attestation, an ISO/IEC information security standard and PCI DSS certifications. Licence records sit with the Bank of Portugal, Florida Office of Financial Regulation and Texas Department of Banking.
What are the withdrawal fees?+
Crypto on-chain withdrawal is a flat fee in USD, except for BTC, XRP and HBAR where the network fee varies, and fiat card withdrawals are charged at a percentage rate with a minimum in USD. Buying and selling fees of 2.05% to 3.8% are separate from these.
How do I add money to my account?+
Fiat deposits run through card, bank and sepa, which covers a spread of listed methods rather than one route. The account is custodial, meaning the platform holds the assets on your behalf. The card is a debit card on the visa network.
Can I earn a return on my crypto holdings?+
Staking is available with instant stake and unstake across a broad set of digital assets, and staking is listed as a platform feature. Returns come from network rewards rather than a fixed rate. Support runs on help centre and phone.
Who does Uphold suit?+
It fits people who want to spend crypto day to day and value visible reserves, along with those who want staking without running a node. Traders focused on the lowest cost may prefer a cheaper venue, and anyone wanting self-custody should look elsewhere. Support runs on help centre and phone.
Sources
- support.uphold.com/hc/en-us/articles/360038404532-Fees-Li... checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Fiat deposit methods, Support channels, Withdrawal fee
“United States: Debit/credit card, Apple/Google Pay, ACH, Wire; United Kingdom: GBP Bank account, EUR bank account”
- uphold.com checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Custody, Exchange type, Features, Founded, Headquarters, Legal entity, Perks, Proof of reserves, Regulators, Wallet type, Licences
“We publish our assets and liabilities every 30 seconds, on this website, for all to see.”
- uphold.com/en-eu/get-started/service-fees checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Currency conversion fee, Taker fee
“Major Market FX 0.3%”
- uphold.com/en-eu/resources/about checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Open source
“Built on a core of proprietary technologies and e-money apps”
- uphold.com/en-us/debit-card checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Free ATM withdrawals, Card type, Cashback rate, Monthly fee, Card network
“ATM Withdrawal Fee ... Uphold Elite Card $0 / Uphold Essential Card $2.95”
Compiled from 6 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Coins listed.
Related by the facts
Uphold
Spending crypto through a fee-free Visa debit card while holding a custodial account with published reserves.