| Last updated on December 9th, 2024
Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa®
Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa®
Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa®
- 14.99% to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate Regular Purchase APR
- 14.99% to 29.99% Balance Transfer APR
At a Glance
The Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® offers no fees, low rates, cash back, and credit lines up to $25,000 in one unique package. The card provides the flexibility and predictability consumers need to pay down balances and get debt-free quickly.
- Best Benefits
- Rates & Fees
- Why Should You Apply?
- $200 bonus after opening a Rewards Checking Plus account and making 3 debit card transactions*
- 3% unlimited cash back on every purchase in Home, Health, and Auto categories
- No annual fee
- Enjoy Visa Signature benefits, like Roadside Dispatch, Price Protection, Extended Warranty and more
- Up to 10% cash back from your favorite brands with Upgrade Shopping
- No touch payments with contactless technology built in
- See if you qualify in seconds with no impact to your credit score
- Great for large purchases with predictable payments you can budget for
- Mobile app to access your account anytime, anywhere
- Use your card anywhere Visa is accepted
- Relax knowing that you are protected in case of unauthorized transactions with Visa’s Zero Liability Policy
- Regular Purchase APR: 14.99% to 29.99% variable based on creditworthiness and the Prime Rate
- Balance Transfer APR: 14.99% to 29.99%
- Balance Transfer Transaction Fee: Up to 5%
- Foreign Transaction Fee: Up to 3%
- You struggle to pay off your credit card balances
- You want to earn up to 3% cash back on purchases
- You can reliably pay off your statement balances to earn cash back for your purchases
- You have a desire to get debt-free quickly
- You don’t want to pay an annual fee
In-Depth Review: Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® Credit Card
The Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® is a cash back rewards and a low-rate credit card from Upgrade. Like the other offer from the issuer, the Upgrade Visa® Card with Cash Rewards, the Triple Cash Rewards combines the flexibility of a card with the low cost and predictability of a loan.
Who Can Benefit from the Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Card?
The Upgrade Card, with its unique hybrid features, is designed to provide significant advantages to a specific group of individuals:
- Those Struggling with Credit Card Payments: The installment plan structure of the Upgrade Card makes it an attractive option for individuals who find it challenging to manage payments with their regular credit cards.
- Individuals Needing Debt Assistance: The card is particularly beneficial for those seeking assistance in paying down their debts, offering a more manageable approach to debt reduction.
- Preference for Carrying a Balance: For individuals who prefer carrying a balance on their cards, the Upgrade Card’s features align well with their financial preferences.
How to Get Upgrade
People with fair FICO Scores often struggle to find a credit card offering more than 1% cash back rewards. With Upgrade, however, more credit scores have better access to impressive rewards than ever.
Cross River Bank and Upgrade have a much broader range of credit application approvals, making the Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa an almost unbeatable chance to get a versatile rewards card with no annual fee. While creditworthiness will vary depending on various factors, many applicants with a FICO Score over 620 have good approval odds for the card.
Pre-Qualify Before Applying
Even better, Upgrade provides a free online pre-qualification tool. This means you can see if you pre-qualify in minutes without hurting your credit score. This feature is a great way to see your suitability for an Upgrade product without a ding on your credit report. Remember, however, that a credit card pre-qualification or preapproval is not the same as an application approval. Typically, your approval odds with pre-approved offers are good if you receive an offer and your credit profile has changed recently.
How Does Upgrade Card Work?
The Upgrade’s credit cards work in two ways. Cardholders can use their line of credit to make purchases anywhere Visa is accepted worldwide. Tap, swipe, insert, or purchase online with the card anywhere you see the Visa logo – currently in over 200 countries worldwide. You can also use some of the credit line to transfer to an external bank account to help tackle existing debt.
Once the statement period ends, Upgrade lumps all bank transfers and purchases into one balance, which you can pay down based on the installment terms. As noted, these terms range from 12 months to 60 months. During subsequent statement periods, you can continue making purchases or transferring funds to existing bank accounts up to the credit limit, repeating the process.
The upgrade takes the guesswork out of credit card balances with a set, pre-determined automatic payment from your linked account each month, saving you time and headaches. The Upgrade Card program is a simple yet effective platform to streamline your credit life and help you flourish financially.
Upgrade Vs. Traditional Credit Cards
Upgrade balances feature a fixed rate and term, providing you with the knowledge of when you will pay off your balance and the opportunity to save on interest.
Paying Off Balances with Upgrade Card
Using the Upgrade Card to pay down a $10,000 balance would take three years, with a monthly payment of $38.68. In total, using Upgrade would accrue $392.17 in interest over that period.
Paying Off Balances with a Traditional Card
Conversely, using a traditional credit card and paying only the minimum monthly payment due is significantly more expensive and slower. The same $10,000 balance would take approximately 10 years to pay off, with an average monthly payment of $28.33 and a whopping $1,193.25 in interest accrued.
How to Rewards with Upgrade
Earn Up to 3% Cash Back
The Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa offers double the cash back rewards of the popular Upgrade Card with Cash Rewards. The Triple Cash allows cardholders to earn up to 3% back on purchases in select categories, with an unlimited 1% back on all other purchases.
Those triple cash back (3% back for every $1 spent on purchases) categories are broad, making the card a versatile earner that excels for use in everyday life. Cardholders earn 3% cash back on purchases in the “Home,” “Auto,” and “Health” categories. Since these categories are very broad, there is no telling how much cash back you can rack up with the card!
Like the Upgrade Visa® Card with Cash Rewards, the cash back rewards program with the Triple Cash Rewards Visa is slightly different from that of other issuers. Cardholders only get rewarded after they pay off their purchases via their billing statement. This condition ensures that cardholders remain responsible for paying off their debt, which can go a long way towards developing healthy money habits.
Bonus Categories Explained
Wondering what qualifies as a “home,” “health,” or “auto” purchase? Here is how Upgrade classifies your rewards:
Auto
The auto category is expansive and includes auto shops and services, car and truck dealers, camping and RV dealers, car repairs, car washes, mobile homes, motorcycle dealers, snowmobile dealers, tire repair, towing services, truck rentals, and more.
Health
Health is equally impressive in its range of eligible transactions. Eligible “Health” purchases with Upgrade include bike shops, chiropractors, counseling services, dance studios, dentists, orthodontists, doctors, drug stores, health spas, beauty spas, hearing aids, hospitals, labs, membership clubs, country clubs, nursing, osteopaths, optometrists, orthopedics, podiatrists, golf courses, recreational, sporting goods, and sports apparel.
Home
Finally, “Home” includes the following transactions: AC repair, carpentry, carpet and upholstery, construction, contractors, electricians, furniture, appliances, rugs and flooring, glass, paint, hardware stores, plumbing, lumber, landscaping, masonry, tiles, home goods stores, nurseries, and roofing.
Earn Bonus Rewards with Dosh®
Upgrade lets users earn even more rewards via Upgrade Shopping powered by Dosh®. Dosh is a mobile app and service that can help you get automatic cash back at thousands of places when you shop, dine, or book hotels.
Activate Upgrade Shopping offers from participating merchants via your account dashboard, then shop online through Dosh or at stores using your Upgrade Card. All cash back rewards are automatically applied to your balance and will not otherwise reduce the amount of your regular monthly payments.
Other Card Benefits
As an Upgrade cardholder, you can expect an array of helpful tools, security features, and more. All Upgrade Cards feature EMV chip technology, allowing you to shop with an additional layer of security in-store and online. EMV chips let you tap and pay at retailers worldwide, streamlining your buying experience and keeping you safe.
Visa Signature Benefits
Upgrade Triple Rewards cardholders enjoy the Visa Signature protections consumers have come to expect from a credit card, including the following features:
- Zero Fraud Liability
- Cardholder Inquiry Services
- Emergency Card Replacement
- Luxury Hotel Collection
- Extended Warranty Coverage
- Roadside Dispatch
- Lost/Stolen Card Reporting
- ID Navigator from Norton
- Travel & Emergency Assistance
Comparison
The Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® offers unlimited cash back on payments – 3% on Home, Auto, and Health categories and 1% on everything else. On the other hand, the Upgrade Cash Rewards Visa® provides 1.5% unlimited cash back on card purchases every time you make a payment.
Both Upgrade Visa cards share the following benefits:
- They combine the flexibility of a credit card with the predictability of a personal loan.
- They feature no-touch payments with contactless technology built in.
- Individuals can check if they qualify in minutes without hurting their credit score.
- There is no annual fee for either card.
Upgrade FAQs
- Yes! The Upgrade Card is a regular Visa credit card that also acts as an installment loan.
- Unlike other cards, Upgrade is reported as an installment loan on your credit report.
- The card requires a fair credit score or higher. Those with a credit score of 620 or more are eligible for the card, while those with lower credit scores should consider another credit card for rebuilding credit.
- Yes. Upgrade reports to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
- Upgrade Loans are different from the Upgrade Visa® Card with Cash Rewards. Upgrade Loans may contact your employer to verify employment and income details. The Upgrade Card, however, acts like any other credit card application, meaning you won’t have to worry about your employer being contacted.
Upgrade Card Ratings
How does the Upgrade Card stack up? Here are a selection of expert reviews for the card:
| BestCards | Better Business Bureau | TrustPilot |
|
5/5 |
5/5 |
5/5 |
Should You Apply for the Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa®?
Like its 1.5% cash back counterpart, the Upgrade Visa® Card with Cash Rewards, the Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® is a versatile, impressive credit card for those that want an exceptional APR, solid rewards, and a whole lot more.
The low rates and installment system with Upgrade are the ideal way to pay down an existing balance, with data showing it can accelerate the timing to becoming debt-free by years. Not only that, but the monthly plan system of the Upgrade Card makes repayments predictable.
The addition of up to 3% cash back on home, auto, and health purchases is equally impressive and makes the card an everyday earner that just so happens to help you reduce your existing credit card debt. Plus, since those rewards can be applied towards statement credits, using the card every day can really help put a dent in existing debt in no time!
Overall, the Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® provides a whole lot of value for no annual fee. For those seeking an excellent balance transfer and rewards credit card – your search may be over. Other popular no annual fee options include the Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer (unlimited 2% back), WF Active Cash (also 2% back) and the Citi Custom Cash℠ Card.
Welcome Bonus Disclosure: *To qualify for the welcome bonus, you must open and fund a new Rewards Checking Plus account through Upgrade and make 3 qualifying debit card transactions from your Rewards Checking Plus account within 60 days of the date the Rewards Checking Plus account is opened. If you have previously opened a checking account through Upgrade or do not open a Rewards Checking
Plus account as part of this application process, you are not eligible for this welcome bonus offer. Your Upgrade Card and Rewards Checking Plus account must be open and in good standing to receive a bonus. To qualify, debit card transactions must have settled and exclude ATM transactions. Please refer to the applicable Upgrade Visa® Debit Card Agreement and Disclosures for more information. Welcome bonus offers cannot be combined, substituted, or applied retroactively. The bonus will be applied to your Rewards Checking Plus account as a one-time payout credit within 60 days after meeting the conditions.
State Exclusions: DC, IA, WV, WI
Credit Lines feature Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) of 14.99% – 29.99% and line amounts ranging $500 – $25,000. The lowest rates require Autopay and the majority of the line amounts will be $15,000 or under. For example, a $5,000 transaction with a 36 month term and a 19.99% APR has a required monthly payment of $187.90. Optional ACH transfers to your bank account, balance transfers, ATM withdrawals (if available), and foreign transactions are subject to applicable fees that, if incurred, will increase your finance charge and APR. Late fees and insufficient funds fees may apply. Your rate, line amount, and default term depend on maintaining a qualifying credit score, your credit usage history, requested amount, and other factors. The Upgrade Card is unique in that it allows you to obtain a series of closed-end loans which you may access through transactions such as card purchases up to an approved amount. As you repay your balance, additional credit may become available to you up to an approved amount subject to meeting our credit requirements, but your line will not replenish automatically.
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Editorial Disclosure – The opinions expressed on BestCards.com's reviews, articles, and all other content on or relating to the website are solely those of the content’s author(s). These opinions do not reflect those of any card issuer or financial institution, and editorial content on our site has not been reviewed or approved by these entities unless noted otherwise. Further, BestCards.com lists credit card offers that are frequently updated with information believed to be accurate to the best of our team's knowledge. However, please review the information provided directly by the credit card issuer or related financial institution for full details.