Uphold Relaunches US Debit Card Offering Up to 10% XRP Rewards

Uphold has reintroduced its U.S. debit card with a unique rewards program that offers up to 6% back in XRP on purchases made with dollars, cryptocurrencies, or stablecoins, and an additional 4% XRP rewards for users who set up direct deposit of part of their paycheck into their Uphold account, totaling a potential 10% return. The card, issued through Cross River Bank as a Visa debit card, allows spending from over 300 supported crypto and fiat assets at merchants accepting Visa, with two versions available: the no-fee Essential Card and the $99.99 annual fee Elite Card, which offers higher rewards and no foreign transaction or ATM fees. Uphold's longstanding support for XRP, even during regulatory challenges, has fostered a loyal user base, which the company aims to expand by reintroducing this card amid growing crypto payment adoption in the U.S. market. The card's seamless integration with the Uphold wallet simplifies funding through various methods but may trigger taxable events since the IRS treats crypto as property when spent directly. Uphold's relaunch comes as other crypto platforms like Gemini also expand crypto-linked payment options, with major card networks Visa and Mastercard increasing their crypto payment activities, positioning Uphold competitively in the evolving crypto payment landscape.