Uphold Cryptocurrency Platform – January 2020 review
Introducing Uphold, a multi-currency wallet that supports cryptocurrency, fiat currency and even precious metals.
Details
| Product Name | Uphold Digital Money Platform |
|---|---|
| Fiat Currencies | USD, GBP, AUD, EUR, INR, ARS, BRL, CAD, CNY. NZD, DKK, HKD, ILS, JPY, KES, CHF, MXN, NOK, PHP, PLN, SGD, SEK, AED |
| Cryptocurrencies | BTC, LTC, ETH, BCH, BAT, DASH, BTG, XRP, NANO, VOX |
| Deposit Methods |
Bank transfer Credit card Debit card Bank transfer (SEPA) |
| Trading Fee | 0.65-3.65% |
| Deposit Fees |
Bank transfer: None
Bitcoin: None Credit/debit card: 3.99% |
| Withdrawal Fees |
Cryptocurrency: $2.99 + coin fees
Bank transfer: $3.99 |
Pros
- Transfer money globally in seconds
- Instantly convert between 30+ currencies
- Hold cryptocurrency and fiat currency in a single wallet
- Manage your funds in real-time
- Free transfers between Uphold members
Cons
- You may not be able to access all account funding methods in your country of residence
- Conversion fees apply when buying or converting between currencies
- Other wallets support a wider range of cryptocurrencies
What is Uphold?
Uphold is a cloud-based financial services platform that supports more than 30 currencies (both fiat and crypto) and is available to users in over 180 countries. This digital wallet is designed to make it quick and easy to store assets, send funds to other Uphold users around the globe and instantly exchange between currencies.
Operating on a 100% reserve model, Uphold backs all member stores one-for-one with its own holdings. Since its launch in 2015, the platform has supported more than US$3 billion in transactions. Uphold is headquartered in the United States.
Compatible with:
- Web browsers
- iOS 9.0 or later
- Android 4.1 and up
How much does it cost?
It’s free to sign up with Uphold and create a wallet. However, depending on the funding method you select, you may need to pay deposit and/or withdrawal fees.
Fees and limits on Uphold
Uphold’s users in the UK can deposit via SEPA. Note that bank transfers are only available through SEPA for EU residents or through ACH for US residents. Users from other countries can deposit through either credit card or debit card.
- Update – July 2018: GBP bank deposits and withdrawals are temporarily not supported until further notice.
What are Uphold’s deposit fees and limits?
| Deposit method | Fee | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Debit/credit card | 3.99% | Minimum: $50/€50/£50 per day Maximum: $500/€500/£500 per day |
| Bank transfer (ACH) | Free | Minimum: $50 per day Maximum: $500 per day |
| Bank transfer (SEPA) | Free | Minimum: €75/£100 per transaction |
| Bitcoin (BTC) | Free | None |
| Litecoin (LTC) | Free | None |
| Ethereum (ETH) | Free | None |
| Basic Attention Token (BAT) | Free | None |
| Bitcoin Cash (BCH) | Free | None |
| Dash (DASH) | Free | None |
| Bitcoin Gold (BTG) | Free | None |
| Ripple (XRP) | Free | None |
Which currencies can I store?
Uphold supports the following cryptocurrencies:
- Bitcoin (BTC)
- Litecoin (LTC)
- Ethereum (ETH)
- Basic Attention Token (BAT)
- Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
- Dash (DASH)
- Bitcoin Gold (BTG)
- Ripple (XRP)
- Australian dollars (AUD)
- US dollars (USD)
- Euros (EUR)
- British pounds (GBP)
- Chinese yuan (CNY)
- Japanese yen (JPY)
- Swiss franc (CHF)
- Indian rupee (INR)
- Mexican pesos (MXN)
- Canadian dollars (CAD)
- Hong Kong dollars (HKD)
- New Zealand dollars (NZD)
- Singapore dollars (SGD)
- Kenyan shillings (KES)
- Israeli shekel (ILS)
- Danish krone (DKK)
- Norwegian krone (NOK)
- Swedish krona (SEK)
- Polish zloty (PLN)
- Argentine peso (ARS)
- Brazilian real (BRL)
- United Arab Emirates dirham (AED)
- Philippine peso (PHP)
- Gold (XAU)
- Silver (XAG)
- Platinum (XPT)
- Palladium (XPL)
How do I add currency to my wallet?
There are multiple funding options available with Uphold including bank transfer, credit/debit card deposit and cryptocurrency transfer. However, the options available to you may vary depending on where you live.
Quick guide: How to add crypto to your Uphold wallet
To add cryptocurrency to your Uphold wallet, you’ll need to:
- Choose the Uphold money card you want to use and click “Add Funds”.
- Select the “Fund with cryptocurrency” option.
- Choose the cryptocurrency you want to send.
- Copy your wallet address or scan the QR code.
- Use this information to initiate the funds transfer from your external wallet.
How do I make payments with Uphold?
Quick guide: How to make crypto payments with Uphold
To transfer cryptocurrency from your Uphold account, you’ll need to:
- Choose the Uphold money card you want to use and click “Use Funds”.
- Select the “Send to cryptocurrency address” option.
- Enter the address of the wallet you’re sending funds to.
- Enter the amount you’re sending and the currency of your choice.
- Click “Confirm”.
How secure is Uphold?
Uphold offers several security measures to help protect user funds, including:
- Two-factor authentication. Uphold supports two-factor authentication methods so you can set up an extra layer of security on your account.
- Encryption. The private keys of customers are encrypted to protect against hacking.
- 24/7 monitoring. Uphold’s Security Operations Center monitors its systems 24/7 to detect suspicious activity.
- Team security. Uphold also claims that its staff must adhere to strict security measures, for example undergoing thorough background checks and using two-factor authentication on all administrative accounts.
- Regulation. Uphold is regulated by the United States Treasury Department regulator, FinCEN, and in Europe, it’s partnered with an Authorized Payment Institution regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority. As Uphold is a regulated financial service provider, it must also comply with global anti-money laundering controls.
Where can I get Uphold?
It’s free to sign up for an Uphold web wallet at uphold.com. If you want to manage your cryptocurrency on the go, mobile apps are available for download from Google Play (for Android devices) or the App Store (for Apple devices).
Pros and cons
- Supports multiple cryptos, fiat currencies and precious metals
- Easy to set up and use
- Mobile apps also available
- Supports two-factor authentication
- Quick and simple to send funds to any other Uphold user around the world
- You may not be able to access all account funding methods in your country of residence
- Conversion fees apply when buying or converting between currencies
- Other wallets support a wider range of cryptocurrencies
What are the next steps if I want to sign up to Uphold?
If you’d like to sign up for an Uphold account, click one of the green “Go to site” links on this page and you’ll be securely redirected to the Uphold website. You can then register by providing your email address, country of residence and mobile number.
To become a verified member, you’ll also need to provide:
- Your current residential address
- Government-issued ID
- A clear photo of your face
Finally, don’t forget to enable two-factor authentication on your account before proceeding any further.
