Is the Upgrade Card Legit?

The Upgrade family of cards is indeed legit. Created by the financial technology company Upgrade and issued by Sutton Bank, the cards blend features of both credit cards and personal loans. You can use them to make purchases wherever Visa cards are accepted, and pay down your balance by making equal monthly payments with a fixed interest rate. You can also borrow against your credit limit by requesting that funds be sent to your bank account, and you’ll pay that off much like a personal loan, also in equal monthly installments.

The Upgrade Card makes NerdWallet’s list of best credit cards, as one of the top cards for average credit (FICO scores from 630 to 689).

Upgrade offers three cards:

All of these options function as credit card/personal loan hybrid products.

Yes, but rewards vary by card:

• The Upgrade Card earns 1.5% cash back on all purchases when you pay them back. (Cash back will be applied to the next month’s balance on your card.)

• The Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® earns 3% cash back in home, auto and health spending categories and 1% on everything else, also earned when you pay eligible purchases back and also applied to the next month’s balance.

• The Upgrade Bitcoin Rewards Card works a bit differently. You earn 1.5% back as you make payments on your balance, and those earnings are used to purchase bitcoin on your behalf. They’re held in a wallet provided by NYDIG, a custody and trading platform.

Depending on your credit history and other financial factors, you may qualify for a version of the card that doesn’t offer rewards.

Technically no. An Upgrade card looks like a credit card, and since you can use it in stores, it acts like a credit card. But it’s actually considered a “series of closed-end loans,” according to the terms and conditions. Any time you make a purchase or request that funds be transferred to your bank account, you’re borrowing against your credit limit (which can range from $500 to $50,000, with most limits being $25,000 and under).

You can borrow from that limit multiple times simultaneously. And instead of making at least a minimum payment when the bill is due, you’re making payments in equal installments like you would with a personal loan.

On-time payments are reported to the credit bureaus, which can help you build your credit score over time. However, Upgrade doesn’t report your total credit limit, so credit utilization isn’t a factor in the case of these cards.

Besides their credit card/personal loan hybrid functionality, there are some other notable features that set the Upgrade cards apart from more traditional credit card products:

• You can qualify with fair credit. There aren’t a lot of credit cards for those with fair credit, and the ones that do exist aren’t known for their rewards. But the Upgrade cards are available to applicants in that credit range, and they do offer compelling rewards on par with cards designed for good to excellent credit (FICO scores of 690 or higher).

• You can see what you’d qualify for without affecting your credit scores. Typically, applying for a credit card or other loan involves a hard credit inquiry, which can temporarily lower your credit scores. With the Upgrade cards, you can see what credit limit and APR you’d qualify for before you apply, without sacrificing precious points. (A hard credit will be conducted once you officially apply for the card, however.)

• You can begin using the card immediately upon approval. If your application is approved, you’ll get access to a virtual card with a temporary card number. You can use this while you wait to receive the physical card in the mail.