ZEN.COMZEN
77
Side-by-side card comparison
ZEN vs Uphold US: overall score versus use-case fit
ZEN Card has the higher Overall Score by 7 points (77 vs 70). ZEN Card looks stronger for Travel, Funds control, Lowest fees, and Transfers, while Uphold Card US comes out ahead for Cashback.
Information checked Oct 14, 202656 official sources reviewed
01 · Overall score versus use-case fit
ZEN Card is the better all-round starting point
ZEN Card has the higher Overall Score in this comparison. Uphold Card US may be the better fit for Cashback. 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.
OverallZEN77Uphold US70Higher score
CashbackZEN39Uphold US75Higher score
TravelZEN96Uphold US71Higher score
Funds controlZEN65Uphold US44Higher score
Lowest feesZEN81Uphold US56Higher score
TransfersZEN98Uphold US65Higher score
Choose ZEN Card if travel and funds control matter most
ZEN Card comes out ahead for 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.
- Free plan with 0.5% weekday FX margin
- Physical, virtual and phone-wallet access
- Four current crypto-route assets
Choose Uphold Card US if cashback matters most
Uphold Card US comes out ahead for Cashback in this comparison. It is worth a closer look if those are the parts of a card you expect to use most.
- Essential has no annual fee
- Apple Pay and Google Pay
- Elite raises spending limits
Where each card has the edge
The overall leader does not win every use case, so the reason you want the card matters here.
- Overall Score
- ZEN77Uphold US70
ZEN Card has the higher Overall Score by 7 points.
- Entry cost & FX
- ZEN$0 plan · 0–0.5% FXUphold US$0 plan · 0–1.5% FX
ZEN Card has the lower published FX fee (0–0.5% vs 0–1.5%).
- Purchase rewards
- ZEN0% baseUphold US2% base · up to 4%
Uphold Card US has the higher published base cashback rate (2% vs 0%).
- Funds control
- ZENCustodial balanceUphold USCustodial balance
ZEN Card and Uphold Card US use the same custodial balance setup.
- Everyday access
- ZENVirtual + Physical · Apple Pay, Google PayUphold USVirtual + Physical · Apple Pay, Google Pay
Both cards list the same number of card formats and phone-wallet options.
- Money movement
- ZEN2 stablecoins · Stablecoin transfers; Card-to-card transfer; SEPA transfersUphold US0 stablecoins · US bank withdrawal
ZEN Card lists more stablecoins and ways to send money out (5 vs 2).
02 · Read the shortlist
A closer look at the split decision
Start with the strengths that drive each use-case result, then test them against costs and access.
77
- Cashback
- 0% base
- Plan cost
- $0
- FX fee
- 0–0.5%
- ATM fee
- 0–1.5%
- Card formats
- Virtual, Physical
- Wallet payments
- Apple Pay, Google Pay
- Receive methods
- 4 crypto · 2 fiat
- Payout methods
- 4 crypto · 1 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
03 · Compare the details
See how the trade-offs line up
Comparable figures receive a marker; missing or unverified details stay visible instead of becoming an assumed advantage.
Best known Not disclosed
CardsZEN CardOverall77Uphold Card USOverall70
ZEN CardOverall77Uphold Card USOverall70Scores
6 fields- Overall Score
- ZEN Card77Uphold Card US70
- Cashback score
- ZEN Card39Uphold Card US75
- Travel score
- ZEN Card96Uphold Card US71
- Funds control score
- ZEN Card65Uphold Card US44
- Lowest fees score
- ZEN Card81Uphold Card US56
- Transfers score
- ZEN Card98Uphold Card US65
Strengths & trade-offs
2 fields- Strengths
- ZEN CardFree plan with 0.5% weekday FX margin, Physical, virtual and phone-wallet accessUphold Card USEssential has no annual fee, Apple Pay and Google Pay
- Trade-offs
- ZEN CardFree-plan ATM withdrawals cost 1.5%, No universal public cashback rateUphold Card USAsset sales can reduce rewards, Rewards have a disputed time window
Costs
7 fields- Plan cost
- ZEN Card$0Uphold Card US$0
- FX fee
- ZEN Card0–0.5%Uphold Card US0–1.5%
- Top-up fee
- ZEN Card0–3%Uphold Card USACH: no deposit fee; external card: 3.99%
- Card spending fee
- ZEN Card0%Uphold Card USNot disclosed
- ATM fee
- ZEN Card0–1.5%Uphold Card USEssential: $2.95; Elite: $0
- Virtual card
- ZEN CardFree/Gold: 1 included; Platinum/Pro: 3 included; next card €5Uphold Card USFree on both plans
- Physical card
- ZEN CardFree first card €10; Gold 1 included; Platinum/Pro 2 included; next card €10Uphold Card USEssential: $4.99 plastic; Elite: metal included in $99.99 annual plan
Plans
2 fields- Available plans
- ZEN Card4 plans: Free, Gold, Platinum, ProUphold Card US2 plans: Essential, Elite
- Top cashback plan
- ZEN CardFree: 0%Uphold Card USElite: 3%
Everyday use
8 fields- Network
- ZEN CardMastercard/VisaUphold Card USVisa
- Card formats
- ZEN CardVirtual, PhysicalUphold Card USVirtual, Physical
- ATM withdrawals
- ZEN CardAvailableUphold Card USAvailable
- Mobile wallets
- ZEN CardApple Pay, Google PayUphold Card USApple Pay, Google Pay
- Apps
- ZEN CardiOS, Android, WebUphold Card USiOS, Android
- Daily spending limit
- ZEN CardStandard €10,000/day; maximum €30,000/day (currency equivalents also published)Uphold Card USEssential: $2,500/day; Elite: $25,000/day
- Monthly spending limit
- ZEN CardNot publicly confirmedUphold Card USEssential: $10,000/month; Elite: $100,000/month
- ATM limit
- ZEN CardStandard €2,000/day; maximum €30,000/day (currency equivalents also published)Uphold Card USEssential: $500/day, $2,000/month; Elite: $2,000/day, $10,000/month
Funding & transfers
5 fields- Networks
- ZEN CardNot disclosedUphold Card USNot disclosed
- Crypto deposits
- ZEN CardStablecoins: USDT, USDC; Other crypto: BTC, ETHUphold Card USNot disclosed
- Fiat deposits
- ZEN CardSEPA bank transfer, Payment-card top-upUphold Card USLinked US bank account, USD bank transfer, External card deposit
- Transfers
- ZEN CardStablecoin transfers; Card-to-card transfer; SEPA transfersUphold Card USUS bank withdrawal
- Payout currencies
- ZEN CardEURUphold Card USUSD
Rewards
3 fields- Base cashback
- ZEN Card0%Uphold Card US2%
- Max cashback
- ZEN CardNot disclosedUphold Card US4%
- Reward currency
- ZEN CardTransaction currencyUphold Card USXRP
Earn
5 fields- Advertised APY
- ZEN CardNot offeredUphold Card USNot offered
- How it works
- ZEN CardNot offeredUphold Card USNot offered
- Separate deposit
- ZEN CardNot offeredUphold Card USNot offered
- Use balance for spending
- ZEN CardNot offeredUphold Card USNot offered
- Lock-up
- ZEN CardNot offeredUphold Card USNot offered
Trust & availability
5 fields- Custody
- ZEN CardCustodialUphold Card USCustodial
- Control until payment
- ZEN CardProvider controls fundsUphold Card USProvider controls funds
- Card issuer
- ZEN CardUAB ZEN.COMUphold Card USCross River Bank
- Custody / key management
- ZEN CardNot disclosedUphold Card USUphold HQ Inc.
- Deposits & withdrawals
- ZEN CardTriple A Technologies Pte Ltd, Coreline Solutions LLCUphold Card USNot disclosed
Sources
2 fields- Official sources
- ZEN Card43Uphold Card US13
- Last reviewed
- ZEN CardOct 7, 2026Uphold Card USOct 14, 2026
04 · The trade-off
ZEN Card is the stronger all-round choice
ZEN Card finishes ahead with an Overall Score of 77 versus 70 for Uphold Card US. ZEN Card has the lower published FX fee (0–0.5% vs 0–1.5%). Uphold Card US has the higher published base cashback rate (2% vs 0%).
Uphold Card US still comes out ahead for Cashback, which may matter more than the overall result if that is how you plan to use the card. ZEN Card and Uphold Card US use the same custodial balance setup.
ZEN Card lists more stablecoins and ways to send money out (5 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 ZEN Card and Uphold Card US reviews first.
Continue with
ZEN Card
Continue with
Uphold Card US
05 · Common questions
ZEN vs Uphold US FAQ
Is ZEN or Uphold US better overall?
ZEN Card has the higher Overall Score (77 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, ZEN or Uphold US?
ZEN 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, ZEN or Uphold US?
Uphold Card US has the higher published base cashback rate (2% vs 0%). Maximum rates may depend on tiers, caps, categories or other conditions, so the entry rate and reward asset matter too.
How do ZEN and Uphold US differ on custody?
ZEN Card and Uphold Card US use the same custodial balance setup.
How current is this ZEN vs Uphold US comparison?
The latest information check for these two cards was October 14, 2026, using 56 official sources in total. Each full card review lists its own check date, sources and anything the provider has not clearly disclosed.