Uphold review
Updated September 28, 2026 · HodlCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Uphold suits people who want a regulated custodial account with a crypto card attached rather than a bare trading venue. Trading is the weak spot, with a taker fee of 2.05% to 3.8% against a site median of 0.2%, while the card adds a conversion fee of 1.5%.
Key facts
- Best for
- A regulated custodial account with a crypto card, for people who want card spending over deep trading.
- 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
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- App Store
- Elsewhere
- WikidataLinkedInXfacebook.com
Pros and cons
Pros
- Regulated in Portugal and across US states, with Bank of Portugal, Florida Office of Financial Regulation and Texas Department of Banking listed
- Card spending on a debit card runs on the visa network, with a monthly fee of $0 and cashback of 2%
- Fiat deposits run through card, bank and sepa, and support covers help centre and phone
Cons
- The taker fee of 2.05% to 3.8% sits well above the site median of 0.2%
- Custody is custodial, so coins are held for you rather than in a wallet you control
- Support runs on help centre and phone only
Who it suits
- People who want to spend crypto on a card while the money stays with a regulated custodian
- Holders who value published proof of reserves and staking over low trading costs
Who should look elsewhere
- Active traders, since ActivTrades charges a taker fee of 0%
- Anyone after the lowest taker fee, since bunq's runs 0.25% to 1.99% against 2.05% to 3.8% here
Safety and regulation
Uphold is custodial, so the provider holds the coins, and it publishes proof of reserves. Regulators listed include Bank of Portugal, Florida Office of Financial Regulation and Texas Department of Banking. Registration details per body: Florida FT230000328, Texas 3164, New York 1269875, Washington 550-MT-100543, Maryland 12-1269875, Wyoming MT-7297 and Colorado 500350. A California DFAL licence also appears.
Trading and withdrawal fees
The taker fee is 2.05% to 3.8%, high next to a site median of 0.2% for exchange listings. On-chain crypto withdrawals charge a flat fee, except BTC, XRP and HBAR where the network fee varies, and fiat card withdrawals take a percentage with a minimum. Card spending adds a conversion fee of 1.5%, a monthly fee of $0 and a free ATM allowance of $0.
How Uphold compares
9.0 vs 9.5- 9.0 vs 9.3
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9.0 vs 9.7Its taker fee is 0%, against 2.05% to 3.8% at Uphold, which suits frequent traders.
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9.0 vs 8.6
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 it cost to trade on Uphold?+
The taker fee is 2.05% to 3.8%, charged on each trade, and it is a range rather than a single rate. The median taker fee across exchange listings is 0.2%, so Uphold sits well above the middle. Trading is not where it is cheapest.
Which regulators license Uphold?+
The listed regulators include Bank of Portugal, Florida Office of Financial Regulation and Texas Department of Banking. Registration details are published per body, for example Florida FT230000328 and Texas 3164. Portugal and several US states appear, with a California DFAL licence also in the list.
Who holds the coins on an Uphold account?+
Custody is custodial, so Uphold holds the coins for you rather than sending them to a wallet you control. The wallet is mobile and the platform is a cex. Staking is offered on some holdings, and proof of reserves is published.
Does Uphold have a crypto card?+
The card is a debit card on the visa network. The monthly fee is $0, the currency conversion fee is 1.5%, cashback is 2% and the free ATM allowance is $0. Conversion is the cost to watch when spending in another currency.
How can I fund an Uphold account?+
Fiat deposit methods cover card, bank and sepa, so cards, bank rails and several bank transfer routes are among the choices. A debit card handles the spending side. Fees and processing times are covered in the same support material as the deposit methods.
What does it cost to withdraw from Uphold?+
On-chain crypto withdrawals carry a flat fee, except BTC, XRP and HBAR where the network fee varies. Fiat card withdrawals take a percentage of the amount with a minimum charge. Trading costs sit separately at 2.05% to 3.8%.
Who is Uphold suited to?+
It fits people who want regulated custody, staking and card spending in one account, with proof of reserves published. It suits holders rather than active traders, whose taker fee is 2.05% to 3.8% against a site median of 0.2%. Holding your own keys calls for a different model.
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, 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: Taker fee
“In the U.S., U.K. and Europe, our fees are typically: BTC, ETH 2.05% - 2.2%; Altcoins 2.85% - 3.8%”
- 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, Currency conversion fee, 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.
Uphold
A regulated custodial account with a crypto card, for people who want card spending over deep trading.