CardUp Payment Service Review: Automate Your Bills & Earn Rewards Together
CardUp Payment Service Review: Automate Your Bills & Earn Rewards Together
ValueChampion Rating 
Pros
- Those who have many recurring bills
- Individuals who have high credit limits
Cons
- Those whose cards offer low rewards rates
CardUp payment service is great for those who currently have a credit or debit card that prohibits them from earning rewards on various bills such as rent, car loan payments, electricity, etc. It gives users the opportunity to earn rewards on their transactions that are restricted by their provider. By linking a card to their CardUp account, users can begin to make automatic payments while earning rewards for spend that was previously restricted. Ultimately, this lets cardholders earn points, cashback, or air miles on their existing transactions.
CardUp Features and Benefits
Key Features:
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Table of Contents
How Does CardUp Work?
CardUp primarily acts as a payment service for your bills/monthly expenses. By linking your card and entering your recipient’s information, CardUp then makes the payment automatically by charging your card. This eliminates the hassle of making manual payments, and adds the benefit of earning rewards. Users earn their card’s base rewards rate (general rate) for each payment that CardUp makes, allowing them to quickly accrue miles/points/ or cashback on their recurring expenses.
This card is very beneficial for those who have high credit limits, since adding these payments to your credit card can substantially increase your overall bill. This service is especially useful to those who have higher expenses, as the rate at which rewards can be earned is exponentially faster.
What Cards are Supported
CardUp is compatible with 8 different card providers, which is significantly higher than the number of options offered by its competitors like Citi PayAll, or RentHero. Below is a list of the supported banks and cards.
| Provider | Supported Cards |
|---|---|
| American Express | Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer, Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Ascend, Singapore Airlines PPS, Singapore Airlines Solitaire PPS Club, True Cashback |
| Bank of China | Elite Miles World Mastercard, Family Card |
| Citibank | PremierMiles, PremierMiles American Express, PremierMiles Mastercard, Prestige Card, ULTIMA Card, Cash Back+ |
| DBS | Altitude Visa Signature, Altitude American Express, Insignia Visa Infinite, Treasures Black Elite American Express |
| OCBC | Voyage Card, 90ºN Card |
| Standard Chartered | Priority Banking Visa Infinite, Standard Chartered Visa Infinite, Visa Infinite X Credit Card, MANHATTAN Platinum/World, Spree Credit Card, Unlimited Cashback |
| UOB | PRVI Miles Mastercard, PRVI Miles Visa Card, PRVI Miles American Express Card, Reserve Card, Visa Infinite Metal Card, KrisFlyer Card, One Card |
| Maybank | Platinum Visa Card |
How to Earn Rewards
Earning rewards with CardUp is like earning rewards with any card programme. With each payment, CardUp charges your account and you earn the general/base rate associated with that card. It’s important to check what rates, limits, and restrictions your credit card has in order to understand the rewards you will be earning. If you would like to take maximize your rewards, take a look at some of the best cashback and air miles credit cards.
| Payment Type | Bill Type | CardUp Fee | Rewards Rate | Rewards Earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citi Prestige | Rent | S$47.50 | 1.3mi/S$1 | 3,311.75 miles |
| OCBC Voyage | School Fee | S$56.26 | 1.3mi/S$1 | 3,323.13 miles |
| UOB One | Electricity Bill | S$11.25 | 5% | S$25.56 |
There is a limit to the certain rates that can be earned. For all cards, miles rates are capped at 1.6 mi/S$1 and cashback is capped at 5%. This means that if the card you are using exceeds either of these limits, CardUp will only pay up to these respective rates.
CardUp Fees
In comparison to its competitors, CardUp’s fee structure is somewhat more complex. Depending on the type of transaction and card, the fee will vary.
| Card Type | Rent Fee | All Other Payments Fee |
|---|---|---|
| MasterCard | 1.79% | 2.25% - 2.60% |
| Visa | 1.79% | 2.25% - 2.60% |
| UnionPay | 1.79% | 2.25% - 2.60% |
| Amex | 2.60% | 2.60% |
| International | 3.30% | 3.30% |
While the rates on fees do vary, they are generally higher than fees that competitors charge. With this being said, CardUp does offer a much wider range of spend categories and eligible cards. For example, while Citi PayAll offers a similar range of payment categories at a 2% fee, the eligible cards are restricted to Citi issued cards. Similarly, RentHero charges a low fee of 1.75%, but is limited to rental payments. Essentially, despite CardUp’s higher fees, they do offer a wider variety of options for users.
How to Sign Up
Starting with CardUp is a quick online process. Follow the steps below to sign up.
- Create a personal account using your email address
- Provide the details to the card you would like to use (name on card, card number, etc.)
- Enter in the information for the services you want to send payments to
Eligibility
The only prerequisite that is required for prospective users is that they are the primary cardholder to a valid credit card.
How to Close Your Account
To close your CardUp account, email [email protected] and request closure of your account. You may need to provide details pertaining to your account in order to verify that you are the account holder. It is important to note that you will be responsible for any outstanding fees associated with the account.