What the Uber Credit Card is and who issues it
The Uber Credit Card is a rewards card issued by Barclays Bank that gives you cash back on purchases you make through Uber and Uber Eats, plus cash back at gas stations and restaurants everywhere. You earn a higher cash back rate on Uber and Uber Eats purchases than you do on other spending. The card is a standard Visa, so you can use it anywhere Visa is accepted, not just at Uber.
Barclays is the bank that owns and manages the card account. When you open the card, Barclays runs a credit check and decides whether to approve you and what interest rate to offer. Uber does not make lending decisions or hold your account — Barclays does. The card is connected to your Uber account, but the credit line and monthly bill come from Barclays.
Key Takeaways
- The Uber Credit Card earns 5% cash back on Uber and Uber Eats purchases, 3% at gas stations and restaurants, and 1% on everything else.
- You need to open a credit card account with Barclays, which means a credit check and approval based on your credit history.
- The card has no annual fee, but you pay interest on any balance you carry from month to month unless you pay in full.
- Cash back appears as a statement credit on your Barclays bill each month, not as a separate payment to your bank account.
- You can link the card to your Uber account to see rewards tracked in the Uber app, but the card works as a regular Visa everywhere.
Cash back rates and how rewards are calculated
The card earns 5% cash back on Uber and Uber Eats purchases. This means if you spend $100 on an Uber ride or Uber Eats order, you earn $5 in cash back. The 5% rate applies to any purchase you make through the Uber or Uber Eats app or website, including rides, food delivery, and Uber Cash top-ups.
You earn 3% cash back at gas stations and restaurants everywhere — not just Uber restaurants. This includes any gas pump, any restaurant, any coffee shop, or any bar, whether you pay with the physical card or online. You earn 1% cash back on all other purchases: groceries, retail, utilities, subscriptions, anything that is not Uber, Uber Eats, gas, or dining.
Cash back is calculated each month and posted to your Barclays account as a statement credit. This means the cash back amount reduces your bill, not that money is sent to your bank account. If you have a $500 balance and earn $50 in cash back that month, your new balance becomes $450.
Annual fee and interest charges
The Uber Credit Card has no annual fee. You do not pay Barclays anything just to hold the card, whether you use it or not. This is different from some premium rewards cards that charge $95 or more per year.
You do pay interest if you carry a balance. The interest rate (called the APR, or annual percentage rate) depends on your credit score and credit history. Barclays tells you the rate when you are approved. If you pay your full statement balance by the due date each month, you pay no interest. Interest only applies to any amount you do not pay off.
Late payments also trigger a late fee. If you miss a payment, Barclays charges a fee and reports the late payment to credit bureaus, which can lower your credit score. Setting up automatic payments from your bank account is the easiest way to avoid this.
How to open the card and link it to your Uber account
You open the card by going to the Barclays website or the Uber app and starting the process. Barclays will ask for your name, address, Social Security number, income, and employment information. They run a hard credit inquiry, which means they check your credit report and score. This inquiry can lower your credit score by a few points for a few months.
Barclays approves or denies you within minutes in most cases. If approved, you receive a card number when ready that you can use online, and the physical card arrives in the mail within 7 to 10 business days. Once you have the card, you can link it to your Uber account in the app under "Payment Methods" so your rewards show up in the Uber app and you can track them easily.
Linking the card to Uber is optional. The card works as a regular Visa whether it is linked or not. Linking it just makes it easier to see your rewards in one place and to use the card for Uber rides without entering the card number each time.
What happens if you are denied or have limited credit history
Barclays denies applications based on credit score, credit history, income, or existing debt. If you are denied, you can call Barclays to ask why, though they may not give detailed reasons. A denial does not prevent you from opening other cards or accounts.
If you have no credit history or a very short history, Barclays may deny you or offer you a lower credit limit. Building credit takes time — it usually requires at least six months of on-time payments on any credit account before you have a score that most lenders will approve. If you are denied now, you can reapply in a few months after building more history.
If you have bad credit or past late payments, Barclays is less likely to approve you. In that case, a secured credit card (where you put down a cash deposit as collateral) may be easier to open and can help you rebuild credit over time.
Using the card outside of Uber and comparing it to other rewards cards
The Uber Credit Card works as a regular Visa everywhere — at grocery stores, gas pumps, restaurants, online retailers, anywhere Visa is accepted. You earn the cash back rates listed above at each type of merchant. The card does not restrict you to Uber purchases; it is a general-purpose rewards card that happens to offer a bonus for Uber spending.
If you use Uber and Uber Eats regularly, the 5% rate makes this card competitive. If you rarely use Uber, other cards may be better. For example, some cards offer 2% cash back on all purchases, which is simpler but lower on Uber. Some cards offer 3% on dining everywhere, which ties the Uber card's restaurant rate but does not give the 5% Uber bonus. The best card for you depends on where you spend most of your money.
You can hold multiple credit cards at once. Some people use the Uber card for Uber and dining, and a different card for groceries or travel. There is no penalty for having more than one card, though each process does a hard credit check.
Fraud protection and what to do if your card is lost or stolen
Visa cards come with fraud protection that limits your liability if someone uses your card without permission. Under Visa rules, you are not responsible for unauthorized charges if you report them within 60 days. Most cardholders pay $0 in fraud liability.
If your card is lost or stolen, call Barclays when ready at the number on the back of your card or on your statement. Barclays can freeze the card right away so no one else can use it. You can request a replacement card, which arrives in 7 to 10 business days. Barclays will also review any charges made after the card went missing and remove fraudulent ones from your bill.
You can also freeze or unfreeze your card temporarily in the Barclays app without calling. This is useful if you misplace the card and want to stop it from being used while you search for it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I earn cash back on Uber Eats orders placed through a restaurant's own app or website?
No. You only earn the 5% Uber cash back when you order through the Uber or Uber Eats app or website. If you order directly from a restaurant's website or app, the card earns only 1% cash back (or 3% if the restaurant is classified as a restaurant by the card network). The merchant, not Uber, processes the payment.
Can I use the card to pay my Uber bill if I have a business account?
Yes. The card works on Uber for Business accounts the same way it works on personal accounts. You earn 5% cash back on business rides and deliveries. However, the cash back goes to your personal Barclays account, not a business account, since the card is issued to you as an individual.
What if I close my Uber account — does my credit card close too?
No. Your Uber account and your Barclays credit card are separate. Closing Uber does not close the card, and closing the card does not close Uber. You can stop using Uber and keep the card to use at restaurants and gas stations, or vice versa.
How long does cash back take to show up on my bill?
Cash back is calculated and posted each month as a statement credit. It usually appears within a few days of your statement closing date. You can see pending cash back in the Barclays app or on your online account before it posts.
Is there a sign-up bonus when I open the card?
Barclays sometimes offers a sign-up bonus for new cardholders, such as $50 or $100 cash back after you spend a certain amount in the first few months. The offer changes over time. Check the Barclays website or Uber app to see what bonus is current when you explore.