What is the credit limit for the Upgrade Cash Rewards card?

If you are approved for the Upgrade Cash Rewards card, your credit line will be at least $500 but can be up to $25,000.

Is the Upgrade Cash Rewards card a credit card?

Technically, no, the Upgrade Cash Rewards card is not a credit card. Each statement period, your Upgrade Card transactions are combined in an installment loan with a fixed rate and term. That means you know when you pay off your charges and can save on interest over time.

Can I withdraw cash with my Upgrade Cash Rewards card?

No, you cannot withdraw cash at an ATM with the Upgrade Cash Rewards card. You can only use the Upgrade Cash Rewards card as a payment method wherever Visa cards are accepted.

What credit score do you need to be approved for the Upgrade Cash Rewards card?

Generally speaking, you should have reasonably good approval odds if you have a credit score of 640 or higher. That said, there are no guarantees you’ll be approved for the card, no matter how high your credit score is. Fortunately, Upgrade allows you to check if you’d receive an approval offer without any impact on your credit score if you do not.

Does the Upgrade Cash Rewards card charge an annual fee?

No, the Upgrade Cash Rewards card has a annual fee.

Upgrade Cash Rewards Card — Full Review

Updated: January 17, 2025, 10:26am CST

Edited by:

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Upgrade Cash Rewards Card

U.P. Rating

2.5

Welcome Offer
None
Annual Fee
$0
APR
14.99% - 29.99%

Upgrade Cash Rewards Card

Earn 1.5% cash-back on all purchases, with the flexibility of a personal loan, and no annual fee.

U.P. Rating

2.5

Summary

The Upgrade Cash Rewards Card earns unlimited 1.5% cash-back on payments and offers credit lines from $500 to $25,000 with a $0 annual fee.

Card Details

Card Snapshot

Welcome Bonus & Info

Earn 1.5% unlimited cash back on card purchases every time you make a payment
Combine the flexibility of a credit card with the predictability of a personal loan
$0 fees – $0 annual fee, $0 activation fees, $0 maintenance fees
No touch payments with contactless technology built in
See if you qualify in minutes without hurting your credit score
Access to a virtual card while you wait for your card to arrive in the mail
Great for large purchases with predictable payments you can budget for
Mobile app to access your account anytime, anywhere
Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud liability

Card Categories

Pros & Cons

Pros

Unlimited 1.5% cash-back on all purchases
Find out if you’ll be approved without impacting your credit score
Access to the Upgrade shopping portal
$0 annual fee

Cons

Not as rewarding as other cash-back reward cards
Limited redemption options

Great Card If

You want to build your credit and earn cash-back rewards.
You want a card with no annual fee.

Don’t Get If

Your credit score is high enough to get approved for a 2% cash-back card.
You prefer a card that earns travel rewards.

Upgrade Cash Rewards Card: Is It Worth It?

The Upgrade Cash Rewards card is a good option to consider if you’re looking to build your credit score and earn cash-back rewards while you do so.

Not only does the card earn 1.5% cash-back on all purchases with a $0 annual fee, it also lets you see if you have an approval offer with no impact to your credit score if you don’t. Plus, you also have access to the Upgrade shopping portal, where you can earn up to 10% cash-back with over 1,000 select merchants.

Upgrade Cash Rewards Card Top Benefits

The Upgrade Cash Rewards card is a Visa Signature card and comes with all eligible Visa Signature benefits, including:

Extended Warranty Protection: The card extends eligible the manufacturer’s U.S. warranty up to 1 additional year on eligible warranties of 3 years or less.
Price Protection: If an item that you purchased with your card appears in a print advertisement at a lower price, you can be reimbursed for the difference.
Roadside Dispatch: Receive 24/7 roadside assistance for items like a flat tire, jump-start, and more.
Travel and Emergency Assistance Services: Helps connect you to emergency resource services 24/7 when traveling abroad.

Best Ways To Earn and Redeem Your Cash-Back

Easily the best ways to earn more cash-back with your Upgrade Cash Rewards card is to use your card for as many purchases as you can to earn 1.5% cash-back, provided that you pay your full balance on time. You can also use the Upgrade shopping portal to earn additional cash-back with select merchants.

Once you are ready to redeem your cash-back, you can do so in the form of a statement credit to offset previous purchases you’ve made with the card.

Alternative Cards to the Upgrade Cash Rewards Card

Citi Double Cash^® Card

If you’re trying to earn as much cash-back as possible, the Citi Double Cash card would likely be better for you thanks to its uncapped 2% cash-back on all purchases with a $0 annual fee (1% when you buy, 1% when you pay). Plus, you’re not just limited to cash-back, as cardholders can transfer their ThankYou Points to Choice Privileges at a 1:1.5 ratio and Wyndham Rewards and JetBlue TrueBlue at a 1:0.8 ratio.

Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

Not only does the Freedom Unlimited card earn at least 1.5% cash-back on all purchases, but it also earns 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 5% back on Lyft purchases, and 3% back on dining and drugstores.

Further, despite it being a $0-annual-fee card, it comes with great perks like purchase protection, auto rental collision damage waiver, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, the ability to pool rewards with other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards, and more.