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Offers for the Chase Freedom Flex℠ and Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® are not available through this site. Some offers may have expired. Please see our card marketplace for available offers
A cash-back credit card with unique categories, the Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® earns back on things most cards don't. On spending, you'll earn 3% on Home, Auto, and Health categories and 1% on everything else.
There's no cap on how much you can earn, but there is a catch. Unlike traditional credit cards, this card works more like a personal loan, where you get a specific credit amount to make purchases against for a fixed term and rate (Rates & Fees). Cash back is earned as you repay your balance, not at the time of purchase. And after each “loan”, you may experience fluctuating credit availability based on your credit score and other factors at the time.
The ability to earn 3% back on large home, auto, and health purchases makes the Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa a competitive credit card option, especially for large expenses. Here's how to decide if it's right for you.
$200 bonus after opening a Rewards Checking Preferred account and making 3 debit card transactions*
*See card highlights for full bonus terms
$200 bonus after opening a Rewards Checking Preferred account and making 3 debit card transactions*
*See card highlights for full bonus terms
- 3% on Home, Auto, and Health categories
- 1% on everything else
Page Contents
- Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa Pros
- Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa Cons
- Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa Welcome Bonus
- Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa Benefits
- Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa Earning Rates
- Redeeming Points With the Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa
- Application Restrictions and Strategy
- Cards That Compete With the Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa
- Bottom Line
Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa Pros
- $0 annual fee (Rates & Fees).
- Earn 3% unlimited cash back on every purchase in Home, Health, and Auto categories.
- Credit lines between $500 and $25,000.
Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa Cons
- Up to 3% foreign transaction fee and Up to 5% qualifying balance transfer fee (Rates & Fees).
- The available credit on this card varies depending on your credit score and other factors at any given time after the fixed term.
- Cash back is only earned after you make payments to your account balance.
Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa Welcome Bonus
The Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa comes with a $200 bonus after opening a Rewards Checking Plus account and making 3 debit card transactions within 60 days.
This bonus offer is not valid if you already have a Rewards Checking Plus account or if you don't open a new account as part of the card's application process.
Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa Benefits
The Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa is light on benefits, but the benefits it does have can be invaluable to the right cardholder. They are:
No annual fee
The Triple Cash Rewards Card does not have an annual fee (Rates & Fees). However, this card does incur Up to 3% foreign transaction fees and Up to 5% balance transfer fees, so be mindful of using your card abroad or for balance transfers.
Visa Signature® benefits
The Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa is a Visa Signature product. Based on this designation alone, you're entitled to several travel and purchase protection benefits, such as extended warranty protection, roadside dispatch, and travel and emergency assistance services.
Zero Liability policy
Visa Signature cardholders (including those with the Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa) can also take advantage of Visa’s Zero Liability Policy, which ensures you won’t be held responsible if your card details are stolen or for unauthorized transactions on your card — as long as they are charges processed by Visa, and you report them promptly.
Fixed interest rate on purchases
One of the best benefits of the Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa is the card's fixed interest rates and terms.
Here's how it works: You're given a credit limit up to a certain dollar amount. All of your purchases up to that amount will be at a fixed rate that will not fluctuate (Rates & Fees).
After you've spent up to the predetermined credit limit, your available credit limit will be reassessed based on your credit score and other factors. Your subsequent credit limit may be more or less than the previous limit, and you will get a new fixed rate.
Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa Earning Rates
The Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa earns 3% unlimited cash back on every purchase in Home, Health, and Auto categories. You earn cash back as you make payments toward the balance on your card.
Unlike many cards that have extremely defined earning categories, such as gas stations and grocery stores, the categories for the Upgrade Triple Cash are extremely broad, so you can earn 3% cash back at a wide variety of merchants.
For example, home improvement stores, landscaping services, construction materials, hardware stores, and even plumbing contractors all qualify as home expenses.
Car rental agencies, automotive service shops, towing services, car washes, and mobile home dealers are among the expenses that also qualify for 3% back as an auto purchase. For health categories, you can take advantage of health and beauty spas, gym memberships, medical supplies, and exercise equipment in merchants such as Walgreens and Dick's Sporting Goods.
Redeeming Points With the Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa
Cash-back rewards earned with the Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa are applied to your balance after your next scheduled monthly payment.
If you don't have a balance, you can receive your bonus cash back as a deposit to the bank account on file. Cash back does not reduce the amount owed on your regular monthly payments.
Application Restrictions and Strategy
There's not much known about the application restrictions for the Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa. It's unclear how many credit cards from Upgrade you can have at one time or how long you should wait before applying for your next card.
Aside from those with fair or average credit, you'll likely be a competitive applicant if you have a healthy credit score and sufficient time has passed since your last credit card application. Moreover, Upgrade will let you “See if you have an offer with no impact to your credit report” when you click to apply. This feature is helpful if you're unsure if you qualify for the Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa.
The only firm restriction we know of is whether you have previously opened a Rewards Checking Plus account. If so, you'll be ineligible for this card's sign-up bonus.
Cards That Compete With the Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa
The Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa is a unique card, but it's not for everyone. If you don't think it's right for you, consider these three options:
- If you prefer to earn a higher rate of cash back, check out the Chase Freedom Flex℠. This no-annual-fee card earns 5% on rotating bonus categories (up to $1,500 per quarter), 5% on travel purchased through Chase, 3% on dining at restaurants and drugstore purchases and 1% on other eligible purchases. Additionally, the card offers 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 15 months. After that, the balance transfer fee is $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. Learn more about the Freedom Flex in our full review.
- If you want a card that earns travel rewards, consider the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. This card earns an unlimited 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. 5 Miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Redeem miles for travel by transferring them to travel partners or by applying them to qualifying travel purchases made with your card. You also have a broad range of redemption options, such as cash back, statement credit, or gift cards. Learn more about the Capital One Venture in our full review.
- If you want a simple cash-back card that's great for balance transfers, the Citi Double Cash® Card (Rates & Fees) is worth a look. Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time. Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel. You'll also get 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months. There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5). Learn more about the Citi Double Cash in our full review.
$0
- Earn 5% on up to $1,500 on combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate
- Earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- Earn 3% on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services
- Earn 3% on drugstore purchases
- Earn 1% on all other purchases
$95
- 5X miles per dollar on purchases through Capital One Entertainment
- 5X miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2X miles per dollar on all other purchases
- Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.
Plus, earn 5% total cash back on hotel, car rentals and attractions booked with Citi Travel.
Bottom Line
The Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa is the card to have when you need to make home, auto, or health purchases. The ability to earn 3% cash back on home and auto repairs, for example, can add up quickly. Plus, a fixed rate on those often large purchases can help when it comes to paying back your card.
This card may not be right for you if you want a more traditional credit card. So, before applying, it's a good idea to know what you plan to use this card for.
$200 bonus after opening a Rewards Checking Preferred account and making 3 debit card transactions*
*See card highlights for full bonus terms
$200 bonus after opening a Rewards Checking Preferred account and making 3 debit card transactions*
*See card highlights for full bonus terms
- 3% on Home, Auto, and Health categories
- 1% on everything else
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Upgrade Triple Cash Rewards Visa® (Rates & Fees), and Citi Double Cash® Card (Rates & Fees)
