Side-by-side card comparison

ether.fi Cash vs Uphold US: fees, rewards and account setup

ether.fi Cash Card has the higher Overall Score by 16 points (86 vs 70). ether.fi Cash Card also looks stronger for Cashback, Travel, Funds control, Lowest fees, and Transfers. The details below show where Uphold Card US may still be the better personal fit.

Information checked Oct 14, 202650 official sources reviewed

01 · Make the first cut

ether.fi Cash Card is the better all-round starting point

ether.fi Cash Card has the higher Overall Score in this comparison. Uphold Card US may still suit you better if its card format, way of holding funds or availability is the deciding factor. A score cannot tell you whether a provider will accept your application or whether every feature will be available where you live, so check the latest provider terms before signing up.

Overallether.fi Cash86Uphold US70Higher score
Cashbackether.fi Cash84Uphold US75Higher score
Travelether.fi Cash82Uphold US71Higher score
Funds controlether.fi Cash96Uphold US44Higher score
Lowest feesether.fi Cash65Uphold US56Higher score
Transfersether.fi Cash100Uphold US65Higher score

Choose ether.fi Cash Card if cashback and travel matter most

ether.fi Cash Card comes out ahead for Cashback, Travel, Funds control, Lowest fees, and Transfers in this comparison. It is worth a closer look if those are the parts of a card you expect to use most.

  • Card spend plus cash-account rails
  • Liquid USD can stay spendable
  • Tiers make perks easier to compare

Choose Uphold Card US if its day-to-day setup suits you

Uphold Card US does not lead one of the use-case scores here, but it can still be the right choice when its costs, rewards and day-to-day setup match how you plan to use it. The other card looks stronger for Cashback, Travel, Funds control, Lowest fees, and Transfers, so compare that advantage with the features you would actually use.

  • Essential has no annual fee
  • Apple Pay and Google Pay
  • Elite raises spending limits

The differences that could change the result

The overall score points one way, but a specific use case or product condition may point another.

Overall Score
ether.fi Cash86
Uphold US70

ether.fi Cash Card has the higher Overall Score by 16 points.

Entry cost & FX
ether.fi Cash$0 plan · 0–0.5% FX
Uphold US$0 plan · 0–1.5% FX

ether.fi Cash Card has the lower published FX fee (0–0.5% vs 0–1.5%).

Purchase rewards
ether.fi Cash3% base · up to 4%
Uphold US2% base · up to 4%

ether.fi Cash Card has the higher published base cashback rate (3% vs 2%).

Funds control
ether.fi CashNon-custodial account
Uphold USCustodial balance

ether.fi Cash Card uses a non-custodial account setup, while Uphold Card US uses a custodial balance setup. Neither approach is always better, so choose the level of control you are comfortable with.

Everyday access
ether.fi CashVirtual + Physical · Apple Pay, Google Pay
Uphold USVirtual + Physical · Apple Pay, Google Pay

Both cards list the same number of card formats and phone-wallet options.

Money movement
ether.fi Cash5 stablecoins · Stablecoin transfers; USD ACH, USD Fedwire, EUR SEPA, USD SWIFT +2
Uphold US0 stablecoins · US bank withdrawal

ether.fi Cash Card lists more stablecoins and ways to send money out (12 vs 2).

02 · Read the shortlist

A closer look at the two cards

These quick facts cover the costs, rewards and everyday features most likely to shape your choice. Use the full table below when you want the finer details.

2 cards compared
Cashback
3%-4%
Plan cost
$0
FX fee
0–0.5%
ATM fee
Not disclosed
Card formats
Virtual, Physical
Wallet payments
Apple Pay, Google Pay
Receive methods
18 crypto · 14 fiat
Payout methods
5 crypto · 30 fiat
Cashback
2%-4%
Plan cost
$0
FX fee
0–1.5%
ATM fee
Essential: $2.95; Elite: $0
Card formats
Virtual, Physical
Wallet payments
Apple Pay, Google Pay
Receive methods
0 crypto · 3 fiat
Payout methods
0 crypto · 1 fiat

Partner links may earn us a commission. Read our affiliate disclosure for how these links work.

03 · Compare the details

Compare the details side by side

We highlight a better number only when both cards publish values that can be compared fairly. Anything missing stays clearly marked.

Best known Not disclosed
Cards
ether.fi Cash CardOverall86
Uphold Card USOverall70
01

Scores

6 fields
Overall Score
ether.fi Cash Card
86
Uphold Card US
70
Cashback score
ether.fi Cash Card
84
Uphold Card US
75
Travel score
ether.fi Cash Card
82
Uphold Card US
71
Funds control score
ether.fi Cash Card
96
Uphold Card US
44
Lowest fees score
ether.fi Cash Card
65
Uphold Card US
56
Transfers score
ether.fi Cash Card
100
Uphold Card US
65
02

Strengths & trade-offs

2 fields
Strengths
ether.fi Cash Card
Card spend plus cash-account rails, Liquid USD can stay spendable
Uphold Card US
Essential has no annual fee, Apple Pay and Google Pay
Trade-offs
ether.fi Cash Card
Vault returns depend on the selected strategy, Borrowing accrues interest immediately
Uphold Card US
Asset sales can reduce rewards, Rewards have a disputed time window
03

Costs

7 fields
Plan cost
ether.fi Cash Card
$0
Uphold Card US
$0
FX fee
ether.fi Cash Card
0–0.5%
Uphold Card US
0–1.5%
Top-up fee
ether.fi Cash Card
Not disclosed
Uphold Card US
ACH: no deposit fee; external card: 3.99%
Card spending fee
ether.fi Cash Card
Not disclosed
Uphold Card US
Not disclosed
ATM fee
ether.fi Cash Card
Not disclosed
Uphold Card US
Essential: $2.95; Elite: $0
Virtual card
ether.fi Cash Card
First virtual card normally $0; $10 for AR, AO, BD, BO, CO, EC, ID, MY, MX, NG, PE, PH, ZA and TH under the dedicated fee article. Check the displayed price before order.
Uphold Card US
Free on both plans
Physical card
ether.fi Cash Card
Comparison page: Core $60 including shipping; one free physical card on higher tiers. Help pages describe additional-card fees and different included quantities. Confirm the order quote.
Uphold Card US
Essential: $4.99 plastic; Elite: metal included in $99.99 annual plan
04

Plans

2 fields
Available plans
ether.fi Cash Card
4 plans: Core, Luxe, Pinnacle, VIP
Uphold Card US
2 plans: Essential, Elite
Top cashback plan
ether.fi Cash Card
VIP: 4%
Uphold Card US
Elite: 3%
05

Everyday use

8 fields
Network
ether.fi Cash Card
Visa
Uphold Card US
Visa
Card formats
ether.fi Cash Card
Virtual, Physical
Uphold Card US
Virtual, Physical
ATM withdrawals
ether.fi Cash Card
Available
Uphold Card US
Available
Mobile wallets
ether.fi Cash Card
Apple Pay, Google Pay
Uphold Card US
Apple Pay, Google Pay
Apps
ether.fi Cash Card
iOS, Android, Web
Uphold Card US
iOS, Android
Daily spending limit
ether.fi Cash Card
Editable defaults: $5,000/day per card; Vault $10,000/day and $10,000/month. Current tier maximum is unconfirmed; the first applicable card, Vault or MCC limit applies.
Uphold Card US
Essential: $2,500/day; Elite: $25,000/day
Monthly spending limit
ether.fi Cash Card
Monthly limit shown in app; cashback caps vary by plan
Uphold Card US
Essential: $10,000/month; Elite: $100,000/month
ATM limit
ether.fi Cash Card
Core/Luxe/Pinnacle: $1,000 per withdrawal, up to 5 withdrawals and $5,000 per rolling 24 hours. VIP numeric ceiling is unconfirmed.
Uphold Card US
Essential: $500/day, $2,000/month; Elite: $2,000/day, $10,000/month
06

Funding & transfers

5 fields
Networks
ether.fi Cash Card
Optimism, Ethereum, Arbitrum, Base, HyperEVM, BNB Smart Chain +10
Uphold Card US
Not disclosed
Crypto deposits
ether.fi Cash Card
Stablecoins: USDC, USDT, EURC, frxUSD, LiquidUSD; Other crypto: beHYPE, eBTC, ETHFI, LiquidBTC, LiquidETH +8
Uphold Card US
Not disclosed
Fiat deposits
ether.fi Cash Card
USD ACH, USD Fedwire, EUR SEPA, USD SWIFT +10
Uphold Card US
Linked US bank account, USD bank transfer, External card deposit
Transfers
ether.fi Cash Card
Stablecoin transfers; USD ACH, USD Fedwire, EUR SEPA, USD SWIFT +2
Uphold Card US
US bank withdrawal
Payout currencies
ether.fi Cash Card
USD, EUR, GBP, AED, AUD, BRL, CAD, CHF +22
Uphold Card US
USD
07

Rewards

3 fields
Base cashback
ether.fi Cash Card
3%
Uphold Card US
2%
Max cashback
ether.fi Cash Card
4%
Uphold Card US
4%
Reward currency
ether.fi Cash Card
ETHFI token cashback
Uphold Card US
XRP
08

Earn

5 fields
Advertised APY
ether.fi Cash Card
Up to 5.47% APY
Uphold Card US
Not offered
How it works
ether.fi Cash Card
Earn on spending balance, Borrow against collateral, Optional earn vault
Uphold Card US
Not offered
Separate deposit
ether.fi Cash Card
Not disclosed
Uphold Card US
Not offered
Use balance for spending
ether.fi Cash Card
Not disclosed
Uphold Card US
Not offered
Lock-up
ether.fi Cash Card
Not disclosed
Uphold Card US
Not offered
09

Trust & availability

6 fields
Custody
ether.fi Cash Card
Non-custodial
Uphold Card US
Custodial
Control until payment
ether.fi Cash Card
You keep control
Uphold Card US
Provider controls funds
Card issuer
ether.fi Cash Card
Third National
Uphold Card US
Cross River Bank
Custody / key management
ether.fi Cash Card
Not disclosed
Uphold Card US
Uphold HQ Inc.
Deposits & withdrawals
ether.fi Cash Card
SEPA third-party provider
Uphold Card US
Not disclosed
Programme operator
ether.fi Cash Card
ether.fi, Ether.Fi SEZC
Uphold Card US
Not disclosed
10

Sources

2 fields
Official sources
ether.fi Cash Card
37
Uphold Card US
13
Last reviewed
ether.fi Cash Card
Oct 6, 2026
Uphold Card US
Oct 14, 2026

04 · The takeaway

ether.fi Cash Card is the stronger all-round choice

ether.fi Cash Card finishes ahead with an Overall Score of 86 versus 70 for Uphold Card US. ether.fi Cash Card has the lower published FX fee (0–0.5% vs 0–1.5%). ether.fi Cash Card has the higher published base cashback rate (3% vs 2%).

Uphold Card US can still be the more comfortable choice if its availability, card setup or way of holding funds suits you better. ether.fi Cash Card uses a non-custodial account setup, while Uphold Card US uses a custodial balance setup. Neither approach is always better, so choose the level of control you are comfortable with.

ether.fi Cash Card lists more stablecoins and ways to send money out (12 vs 2). Before applying, confirm availability in your country and recheck the provider's current fees and reward conditions.

If one card now looks like the better fit, you can check the latest application terms on the provider site or read our full ether.fi Cash Card and Uphold Card US reviews first.

05 · Common questions

ether.fi Cash vs Uphold US FAQ

Is ether.fi Cash or Uphold US better overall?

ether.fi Cash Card has the higher Overall Score (86 vs 70). That does not make it better for everyone: your preferred fees, rewards, way of holding funds and country availability can change the practical choice.

Which has lower fees, ether.fi Cash or Uphold US?

ether.fi Cash Card has the lower published FX fee (0–0.5% vs 0–1.5%). Compare plan, FX, card-spend, top-up and ATM charges separately because one fee does not represent the full cost.

Which has better cashback, ether.fi Cash or Uphold US?

ether.fi Cash Card has the higher published base cashback rate (3% vs 2%). Maximum rates may depend on tiers, caps, categories or other conditions, so the entry rate and reward asset matter too.

How do ether.fi Cash and Uphold US differ on custody?

ether.fi Cash Card uses a non-custodial account setup, while Uphold Card US uses a custodial balance setup. Neither approach is always better, so choose the level of control you are comfortable with.

How current is this ether.fi Cash vs Uphold US comparison?

The latest information check for these two cards was October 14, 2026, using 50 official sources in total. Each full card review lists its own check date, sources and anything the provider has not clearly disclosed.

06 · Keep comparing

See how each card compares with other close alternatives, or choose a different pair yourself.

Open the comparison workspace