Where does Upside get the money to pay you?

Upside makes money primarily through a commission-based affiliate model, where its partner businesses pay a fee for each customer purchase made through the app. It also boasts revenue streams such as paid advertising on its platform. To date, Update has also raised significant funding from investors to support its growth.

Is Upside profitable as a company?

Given that Upside is not a public company and does not disclose financials, it’s unclear whether the business is profitable at this time. The cash-back app was founded in 2016 and may still be unprofitable if management prioritizes growth and expansion.

Is Upside publicly traded?

No, Upside is a private company and is not publicly traded on stock exchanges. While it is not available to the general public, some accredited investors may be able to purchase shares on secondary markets before a potential future initial public offering (IPO).

Is the Upside app really free?

Yes, the Upside app is free to download and use. The program is free for consumers because the participating businesses fund the cash-back offers to attract more customers, and Upside gets a cut of every completed transaction.

How Does Upside Make Money?

How Upside Makes Money

By Rachel Warren – Updated Oct 19, 2025 at 12:40 AM EST | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

Upside, a cash-back app, saves users up to $290 annually by offering rebates on everyday purchases.
Retailers see profit growth using Upside's platform, paying only for effective customer acquisitions.
Upside's revenue comes from affiliate commissions and advertising, driving more than $6B in annual commerce.

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Smiling person pushing a shopping cart in a grocery store.. — Image source: Getty Images.

Kinnier later worked at Opower, a company that used data to help utility companies better engage with their customers. This experience helped clarify for him the ways in which a data-driven engagement platform could be used to solve the inefficiencies he had previously observed in brick-and-mortar retail. It was also at Opower that Kinnier met other future company leaders like Wayne Lin and convinced them to join his new company.

Several years after its launch as GetUpside, the company rebranded as Upside in 2022. The platform also raised $165 million in Series D funding that same year, bumping its valuation to approximately $1.5 billion.

Today, Upside’s partners include big names like Chevron (CVX -3.88%), Phillips 66 (PSX -4.74%), Casey’s General Stores (CASY -0.49%), Uber (UBER +8.53%), and Instacart (CART -8.32%), and the list keeps growing. Here's more about what Upside does, how it makes money, and more

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Revenue

Revenue is a business’s gross income or the amount of money it brings in from regular operations before costs are considered.

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How does upside make money: FAQ

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About the Author

Rachel Warren is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, information technology, and consumer goods. Prior to The Motley Fool, Rachel was a paralegal and legal administrator. She holds a bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies from Liberty University School of Law.

TMFRachelW

Rachel Warren has positions in Alphabet. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Chevron, Domino's Pizza, PayPal, and Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool recommends Casey's General Stores, Instacart, Marqeta, and Phillips 66 and recommends the following options: long January 2027 $42.50 calls on PayPal and short December 2025 $75 calls on PayPal. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.