Ran into a problem with your Uphold Debit Card? Don’t worry - we’ll walk you through the most common fixes.
I was overcharged
In some cases, merchants (like gas stations, hotels, car rentals, or restaurants - where tipping is common) place a temporary hold for more than the actual purchase amount.
This is standard practice to make sure funds are available for the final charge.
In the Uphold app, this may appear as a larger card transaction amount. Don't worry - any excess will be credited back to your USD account in the Uphold wallet, once the final transaction is processed, regardless of the funding source you selected for the card.
💡 Tip: Holds usually clear in a few days - if not, reach out to the merchant.
Failed transactions
Here are some common reasons why a transaction might fail:
- Not enough funds in your account
- You’ve gone over your daily transaction limits
- Trying to pay at a merchant or category that isn’t supported*
Some merchants may place a temporary hold that’s higher than the actual purchase amount (Check I was overcharged). This can cause the transaction to decline if your available balance isn’t enough to cover the hold.
For details on a specific transaction, check the in-app transaction information.
*Some merchant or transaction categories are not supported in the US.
Click to view full list
- Money Transfer (peer-to-peer money transfers)
- Quasi Cash: Customer Financial Institution
- Non-Financial Institutions – Stored Value Card Purchase/Load
- Dating and Escort Services
- Gambling – Government Owned Lottery (U.S. Region Only)
- Video Game Arcades/Establishments
- Gambling – Betting, including Lottery, Tickets, Casino Gaming Chips, OffTrack Betting, and Wagers at Race Tracks and games of chance to win prizes of monetary value
- Digital Goods – Games
- Gambling – Horse Racing, Dog Racing, Non-sports, and State Lotteries
Disputing transactions
First, try contacting the merchant directly to try to resolve the issue. Merchant-issued refunds may take up to 10 days to be completed. If that doesn’t work, reach out to us using one of these options:
- Contact support
- Email us at cardsupport@uphold.com
- Or write to:
- 🇬🇧Optimus Card Services, PO Box 8534, London W1A 5AF
- 🇺🇸Uphold Card, 228 Park Ave. S., #50458, New York, NY 10003-1502
Please be ready to provide as much information as possible, including:
- Your name and User ID
- The transaction details and what you think went wrong
- The amount in question
Make sure to contact us within 60 days of the transaction.
What happens next:
- We’ll let you know if an error occurred within 10 business days.
- If we need more time, we may take up to 45 days to investigate.
- While we investigate, we’ll add a temporary credit to your account within 10 business days (20 days for new accounts), so you can keep using your money.
- If the transaction involves a new account, a point-of-sale purchase, or a foreign payment, the investigation may take up to 90 days.
You’ll get the results within 3 business days after we make our decision. If we don’t find an error, we’ll send you a written explanation. You can also request copies of the documents we used during the investigation.