Uber Credit Card Review: High Value, but Only If You Love Using Uber

For consumers who want to earn as much as possible on their Uber spending, the popular ride-hailing app offers the Uber Credit Card. The card is issued with Barclays, and it includes many of the kinds of perks you expect from that company. In addition to a sign-up bonus, the Uber Credit Card earns 5% back on all Uber services. Considering that includes rides, food delivery through Uber Eats, and electric bike or scooter rentals through JUMP, you'll have the opportunity to earn big rewards.

While this card has quite a few appealing features, there are also some notable drawbacks, most notably the fact that it earns Uber Cash instead of cash back. Learn whether it's the best choice for you in our review of the Uber Credit Card.

Top perks

No annual fee: This is a no annual fee card, making it ideal if you'd like to keep your expenses down.

Up to 5% back: The Uber Credit Card earns Uber Cash on all your spending. Here's how much it offers for each type of purchase:

• 5% back on Uber services, including rides, Uber Eats, and rentals of JUMP bikes and scooters
• 3% back on hotels, airfare, and restaurants
• 1% back on all other purchases

The amount of Uber Cash you can earn with this card is by far the biggest benefit. 5% back on Uber services is great for those who use the app often, and 3% back is an excellent rate for hotels, airfare, and restaurants. Overall, this card's rewards rate is one of the best you'll find among rewards credit cards, especially considering it doesn't have an annual fee.

Read more: Best Cash Back Credit Cards

$100 Uber Cash sign-up bonus: You receive this bonus after spending $500 within the first 90 days that you have the card.

No foreign transaction fees: The Uber Credit Card doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee. Considering that it will also earn bonus rewards when you use it to purchase airfare, book hotels, or dine at restaurants, it's a good card to take along when you travel.

Complimentary cell phone insurance: If you pay your wireless bill with the Uber Credit Card, all the phone lines listed on your bill are automatically covered by this card's cell phone insurance. It covers damage or theft with a maximum reimbursement amount of up to $600 per claim after a $25 deductible. Per 12-month period, the maximum is two claims and reimbursement of up to $1,000.

Online FICO® Score tracking: When you have the Uber Credit Card, you can view your FICO® Score with TransUnion through your online credit card account. This is a helpful feature to have if you're working on building or rebuilding your credit.

No redemption minimum: You can transfer any amount of Uber Cash from your credit card account to your Uber account, starting with as little as $0.01. Many other cards let you cash in your rewards only when you've hit a redemption minimum. If you don't transfer Uber Cash yourself, it will be automatically transferred once you've earned $50.

What could be improved

Rewards are available only as Uber Cash: The biggest issue with this card is that you can use your rewards only as Uber Cash. That doesn't provide nearly as much flexibility or value as credit cards that let you redeem rewards for cash back or travel purchases.

To be fair, the card is intended for frequent Uber users. If you apply, that probably means you use Uber often and shouldn't have trouble redeeming your Uber Cash for rides or Uber Eats purchases. But if you ever come to a point where you don't use Uber that much, then you could find yourself with rewards that you have trouble cashing in.

0% intro APR offer: The Uber Credit Card doesn't offer a 0% intro APR for either purchases or balance transfers. While this isn't a huge problem, it does mean that you should look elsewhere if you need a card for financing purchases or refinancing credit card debt.

Read more: Best Credit Cards for Dining and Restaurants

To apply for the Uber Credit Card, we recommend that you have a credit score of 670 or higher. You stand a much higher chance of approval with a score in that range, because this card is aimed at consumers who have good credit.

Credit card companies evaluate many factors when deciding whether to approve an application, so it's not just about your credit score. It's possible to successfully apply for this card with a score below 670, but it's also possible to get denied with a higher score.

For more options, see our picks for the best credit cards for good credit.

The Uber Credit Card is worth considering only if you use the app often and don't mind earning Uber Cash instead of more versatile rewards.

Here's a simple way to figure out whether you'd benefit from this card: Review your monthly spending and find the top-five areas where you spend the most. If Uber (including Uber Eats) is on the list, then the Uber Credit Card could be a good choice.

If that's not the case, you likely could get more value by opting for another credit card. Frequent travelers probably would be better served by any of the best travel cards, and consumers interested in cash back have plenty of card options that earn legitimate cash back instead of Uber Cash.

Our credit card methodology

At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.