Upgrade Acquires Uplift for $100 Million in Cash and Stock

Acquisition Will Make Travel More Accessible and Affordable for Millions of Consumers

SAN FRANCISCO, July 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Upgrade, Inc., a fintech company that offers affordable and responsible credit, mobile banking and payment products to mainstream consumers, today announced the acquisition of Uplift, Inc., the leading provider of Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) payment and credit products to travelers. Uplift has seen exceptional growth over the last few years, now serving 3.3 million customers in partnership with over 300 of the largest airlines, cruise lines and hotel chains in the United States and Canada.

"We are thrilled to welcome Uplift team members, partners and customers to Upgrade," said Renaud Laplanche, co-founder and CEO at Upgrade. "The Uplift team has established the company as the leading BNPL provider in the travel industry, and we look forward to combining forces to make travel more accessible and affordable for millions of consumers, and over time implement similar solutions in adjacent parts of our customers' lives."

Uplift offers a full range of BNPL products, including popular 0% financing offers that help consumers align the payment of their travel expenses with their own cash flows at no cost to them. Uplift performs credit bureau reporting, allowing users to keep up their good credit score as they make monthly payments.

"We believe this combination will accelerate Uplift's ability to help consumers pay for their trips through simple and affordable monthly installments," said Tom Botts, Chief Commercial Officer at Uplift. "As part of Upgrade, more resources will be available to better serve our partners and customers to continue to develop simple, surprise-free, and straightforward payment plans to ensure people can pay for the things that matter most, the ones that elevate their lives."

Travel financing fits within Upgrade's strategy of making credit available at the point of sale to finance meaningful expenses such as buying a car or making home improvements, in addition to making credit available directly to consumers through cards and loans.

About Upgrade, Inc.

Upgrade has delivered over $24 billion in affordable and responsible credit to mainstream consumers through cards and loans since its inception in 2017. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, California, with an operations center in Phoenix, Arizona, a technology center in Montreal, Canada and regional offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Irvine, California. Loans and credit lines are issued, and banking services are provided, by Cross River Bank, a New Jersey State Chartered Commercial Bank, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender, and/or Blue Ridge Bank, National Association, a nationally chartered commercial bank, Member FDIC. Upgrade Card and Upgrade OneCard are issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Rewards associated with the Upgrade Card, when applicable, are provided by Upgrade, Inc. More information is available at: https://www.upgrade.com.

About Uplift

Uplift is a leading Buy Now, Pay Later solution that empowers people to get more out of life, one thoughtful purchase at a time. Serving the world's top enterprise-level travel brands, Uplift's complete range of flexible payment options drives higher conversion and loyalty for partners while giving customers a simple, surprise-free way to pay over time with no late fees or prepayment penalties. Uplift is currently available throughout the United States and Canada. Loans are issued by Uplift, Inc., Uplift Canada Services ULC, CBW Bank, Member FDIC or Celtic Bank, Member FDIC. To learn more, visit www.uplift.com.

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SOURCE Upgrade, Inc.