Uplift
Uplift, now operating as Flex Pay under Upgrade, Inc., is a Buy Now, Pay Later platform that converts travel and retail purchases into fixed monthly installment loans, serving consumers at checkout across major airline, hotel, cruise, and resort brands in the U.S.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersMenlo Park, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Uplift does
Uplift was a Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) platform founded in 2014 that specialized in installment-based financing for travel and larger retail purchases. The product enables consumers to convert purchases into fixed monthly installment loans with APRs ranging from 0% to 36%, depending on creditworthiness, with no late or prepayment fees. Applications are completed inline at merchant checkout with a lightweight data input (mobile number, date of birth) and an automated decision engine returns offers in minutes.
In July 2023, Uplift was acquired by Upgrade, Inc. for $100 million and rebranded as Flex Pay, becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary within Upgrade's consumer fintech portfolio (which also includes personal loans, credit cards, rewards checking, and credit-health tools). Flex Pay is embedded at checkout across a roster of tier-one travel partners — airlines (Southwest, United, Air Canada), cruise lines (Carnival), hotels and resorts (Wyndham, Sandals, Universal Orlando), and ski/outdoor (Epic Pass) — alongside broader retail merchants. The company monetizes primarily through interest income on installment loans, with rate band sensitive to borrower credit and transaction characteristics.
Following the acquisition, Flex Pay has become Upgrade's primary growth engine: the unit generates roughly 75% of Upgrade's new user acquisition and accounts for approximately 25% of Upgrade's total revenue, a contribution that lifted Upgrade's overall revenue to more than double its pre-acquisition level. Upgrade subsequently raised $165 million in Series G funding in October 2025 at a $7.3–7.4 billion valuation and was reported to be targeting an IPO in 2026–2027. The Flex Pay roadmap includes an AI-powered refinancing agent intended to surface lower-rate options for existing borrowers.
Uplift firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Uplift
- Legal name
- Upgrade, Inc.
- Website
- https://uplift.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Uplift, now operating as Flex Pay under Upgrade, Inc., is a Buy Now, Pay Later platform that converts travel and retail purchases into fixed monthly installment loans, serving consumers at checkout across major airline, hotel, cruise, and resort brands in the U.S.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Uplift industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Buy Now Pay Later
- NAICS
- Sales Financing (52222)
- SIC
- Finance Lessors (6172)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Issuer/Network-Led Installments (Card-Based Pay-Over-Time) (FSAGAIAB)
Keywords
Where Uplift is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Menlo Park
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Uplift business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- BNPL Transaction Revenue: Uplift/Flex Pay generates revenue through interest charges on installment loans. APRs range from 0% to 36% based on consumer credit information, purchase details, and loan activity. Interest-free offers may be available for qualified borrowers.
- Interest-bearing Installment Loans: Revenue from interest accrual on loans where consumers carry balances beyond promotional periods. Uplift accounts for roughly 25% of Upgrade's total revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Standard installment loan with APRs from 0% to 36% |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Uplift product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Uplift (now rebranded as Flex Pay by Upgrade) is a buy now, pay later platform that enables consumers to make travel and retail purchases and pay over time through fixed monthly installments. The platform is embedded into partner merchant checkout experiences—including airlines, cruise lines, hotels, resorts, and retailers—delivering instant credit decisions with APRs ranging from 0% to 36%, no late or prepayment fees, and quick application based on basic information such as mobile number and date of birth.
Product overview
Uplift was acquired by Upgrade Inc. in July 2023 for $100 million and rebranded as Flex Pay. The product operates as Upgrade's buy now, pay later (BNPL) offering, enabling consumers to convert revolving credit card balances and retail purchases into fixed installment repayment plans. Flex Pay is positioned alongside Upgrade's core personal loan, credit card, and checking products, serving as a key growth driver that generates approximately 75% of Upgrade's new users while contributing roughly 25% of total revenue. The BNPL product is integrated into Upgrade's broader financial platform alongside personal loans, credit cards, rewards checking, and credit health monitoring tools.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Flex Pay: Buy Now, Pay Later service offering installment-based lending for travel, retail, and other purchases. Features low monthly payments, easy application, and no fees. Partners include major travel brands like Carnival, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, and hotel chains.
Products and services
- Flex Pay Buy Now, Pay Later service offered by Upgrade that allows consumers to pay for travel and retail purchases through fixed monthly installments with no late or prepayment fees. APRs range from 0% to 36% based on creditworthiness. Integrated into the checkout flows of partner brands including Carnival Cruise Lines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Air Canada, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Sandals, Universal Orlando Resort, and Epic Pass.
Quantifiable outcome
- Balances converted to fixed repayment plans reduce consumer credit card debt burden
Companies that use Uplift
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Uplift technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Uplift partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Carnival Cruise LinescoreMajor cruise line partner offering Flex Pay installment payments for cruise bookings. Part of Upgrade's strategy to provide BNPL options for travel purchases across multiple verticals.
- Southwest AirlinescoreLow-cost airline partner offering Flex Pay for flight bookings. Enables customers to pay for airfare in manageable monthly installments.
- Wyndham Hotels and ResortscoreHotel and resort partner providing Flex Pay payment option for accommodations across their global portfolio of properties.
- SandalscoreLuxury resort chain partner offering Flex Pay for Caribbean vacation packages including accommodations, meals, and activities.
- Universal Orlando ResortcoreTheme park and entertainment partner offering Flex Pay for theme park tickets, packages, and resort accommodations.
- United AirlinescoreMajor international airline partner offering Flex Pay installment payments for domestic and international flight bookings.
- Air CanadacoreCanadian flag carrier partner offering Flex Pay for flights, vacation packages, and related travel services.
- Epic PasscoreSki and outdoor recreation pass partner offering Flex Pay for season passes and related mountain resort purchases.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights4 records
Uplift competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Affirm: Public U.S. BNPL leader offering point-of-sale installment loans with 0-36% APR across retail and travel. Direct competitor to Uplift/Flex Pay in the same checkout-embedded BNPL category, with overlapping travel and retail merchant coverage.
- Klarna: Global BNPL pioneer offering pay-in-installments and pay-in-full at checkout. Competes directly with Uplift/Flex Pay in installment lending at merchant checkout, with broader retail and travel merchant coverage.
- Afterpay (Block): Block-owned BNPL platform offering pay-in-4 and longer-term installments at checkout. Direct competitor serving the same consumer and merchant base with a similar embedded-checkout BNPL model.
- Zip (formerly Quadpay): BNPL provider offering installment payments at checkout to consumers and merchants globally. Competes directly with Uplift in the same pay-over-time category with similar merchant integration model.
Broad incumbents
- PayPal Pay in 4 / Pay Later: PayPal's Pay Later products (Pay in 4 and Pay Monthly) offer BNPL at checkout across millions of merchants. A broad incumbent in the same category with significantly larger distribution and balance sheet.
- Apple Pay Later: Apple's installment BNPL offering integrated into Apple Pay. A broad incumbent with massive consumer reach that competes for the same checkout-financing demand.
- Bread Financial: Large consumer finance and payments company offering BNPL, private-label credit cards, and installment lending to merchants. Broad incumbent in the same point-of-sale financing space with deeper capital markets access.
Emerging players
- Sezzle: U.S.-focused BNPL platform offering pay-in-4 and longer-term installments. A smaller direct competitor focusing on everyday and retail purchases with overlapping target customers.
- Perpay: U.S. BNPL provider focused on employer-based payroll-deduction installment lending. Emerging player with a differentiated model that intersects with the broader BNPL category Uplift competes in.
Regional players
- Latitude Financial: Asia-Pacific focused consumer finance and BNPL provider, particularly strong in travel and retail in Australia/NZ. Comparable business model for travel BNPL but in a different geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Uplift social profiles
Digital presenceUplift financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Uplift leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Uplift subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Uplift funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds7 records
Investors11 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Uplift M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Uplift
What does Uplift do?
Uplift (now rebranded as Flex Pay by Upgrade) is a buy now, pay later platform that enables consumers to make travel and retail purchases and pay over time through fixed monthly installments. The platform is embedded into partner merchant checkout experiences—including airlines, cruise lines, hotels, resorts, and retailers—delivering instant credit decisions with APRs ranging from 0% to 36%, no late or prepayment fees, and quick application based on basic information such as mobile number and date of birth.
Is Uplift a public or private company?
Uplift is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Uplift founded?
Uplift was founded in 2017. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Uplift based?
Uplift is headquartered in Menlo Park, United States, in the North America region.
How does Uplift make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. BNPL Transaction Revenue is the primary driver. The others are interest-bearing Installment Loans.
Who are Uplift's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay (Block) and Zip (formerly Quadpay). Broad incumbents are PayPal Pay in 4 / Pay Later, Apple Pay Later and Bread Financial. Emerging players are Sezzle and Perpay. Latitude Financial is listed as a regional player.
Does Uplift have an API?
No public API is recorded for Uplift.
What industry is Uplift in?
Uplift's product category is Buy Now Pay Later. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGAIAB, Issuer/Network-Led Installments (Card-Based Pay-Over-Time). Its NAICS code is 52222 and its SIC code is 6172.