Upside
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
Upside firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Upside
- Legal name
- Upside Services, Inc.
- Website
- https://upside.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Upside industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Cash-Back Marketplace Platform
- akta.pro industry
- Price Comparison, Deals, Cashback & Loyalty Shopping PlatformsBusiness & Public Services/Web, Mobile & Digital Platforms/E-commerce Marketplaces & Shopping Platforms
Keywords
Where Upside is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Upside business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Affiliate Commissions: Upside earns affiliate commissions from participating retailers when users make purchases through the app. The company shares a portion of the incremental profit generated through its promotions.
- Targeted Advertising Fees: Additional revenue from targeted advertising fees paid by merchants seeking to reach Upside's consumer base.
- Profit Sharing: Performance-based model where Upside charges a share of the incremental profit it generates for retail partners. If transactions would have occurred without Upside or are not profitable, no fee is charged.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free for consumers |
| Outcome Based/ Performance | Pay-as-you-go | Performance-based for retailers |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
Upside product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Upside operates a two-sided digital marketplace that connects consumers with brick-and-mortar retailers through personalized cash-back promotions. The free consumer mobile app (iOS/Android) enables users to claim cash-back offers at gas stations, convenience stores, grocery stores, and restaurants, then earn rewards redeemable to bank accounts, PayPal, or gift cards. On the B2B side, retailers access an analytics dashboard, the Upside Pay payment solution, and a pay-for-performance model where they only pay a share of proven incremental profit.
Product overview
Upside operates as a two-sided digital marketplace with a core consumer mobile app and a retailer-facing business platform. The consumer app enables users to earn personalized cash back on gas, groceries, and dining at 100,000+ participating locations. The business side includes the Upside Dashboard for retailer analytics and measurement, Upside Pay for in-app payments with instant cashback, the Offer Engine for AI-powered personalized promotions, and Loyalty+ for complementing existing retailer loyalty programs. The platform uses a pay-for-performance model where retailers only pay for proven incremental profit, differentiated from traditional discounting through machine learning personalization and incrementality measurement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Upside Consumer App Free mobile application (iOS/Android) for consumers to discover, claim, and earn personalized cash-back offers on purchases at gas stations, convenience stores, grocery stores, and restaurants. Users claim offers, pay as usual with credit or debit cards, and cash out earnings to bank accounts, PayPal, or gift cards. Currently used by 35M+ consumers with 4.8-star App Store ratings and 500K+ reviews.
- Upside Dashboard Retailer-facing analytics platform providing real-time insights into promotion performance, including sales lift, customer acquisition, incremental sales, bottom-line impact, and top-performing locations. Enables retail partners to measure incrementality and optimize their Upside partnership.
- Upside Pay Proprietary in-app payment solution that lets shoppers pay through the Upside app and receive cash back in minutes instead of days, enabling seamless mobile payments and quicker reward experiences for consumers while helping retailers keep rewards and transactions inside their own ecosystem.
- Upside Marketplace Core two-sided digital marketplace connecting millions of consumers with brick-and-mortar businesses (gas stations, convenience stores, restaurants, grocery stores) through personalized cash-back promotions. Powers the consumer app and the retailer platform.
- Upside for Business B2B suite of tools and a performance-based model for brick-and-mortar retailers (gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores) to grow sales and profitability. Operates on a pay-for-performance model where businesses only pay for verified incremental profit delivered.
- Spanish-Language App Spanish-language version of the Upside consumer mobile app, expanding accessibility to Spanish-speaking users across the United States.
Quantifiable outcome
- $245 million in cash back delivered to consumers in 2024
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Upside
Customer profileNamed customers19 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Upside technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability5 records
Feature4 records
Upside partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
32 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- ShellminorGas discounts partnership through Uber offering up to 21¢/gallon savings for Uber drivers. Part of expanded fuel discount program.
- KiaminorEV discount partnership through Uber's 'Go Electric' initiative, offering $4,000 EV incentives for drivers. Separate from Upside's core fuel business.
- UbercoreUpside cashback promotions integrated directly into Uber driver app, offering up to $1.00/gallon savings for drivers. Partnership expanded to include Uber Pro Card integration with up to 15% cash back at gas stations for Diamond-tier drivers.
- DoorDashcorePartnership providing fuel discounts for DoorDash drivers through Upside, offering savings of up to $1.90 per gallon as part of driver benefits during gas price increases.
- LyftcorePartnership providing cash back on fuel through Upside for Lyft drivers via Lyft Direct debit card, offering up to 98 cents per gallon in savings through a temporary fuel relief program.
- The Save Mart CompaniescoreRegional grocery partnership covering nearly 200 Save Mart, Lucky, and FoodMaxx stores in California and Nevada, expanding Upside's grocery footprint on the West Coast.
- Meritage Hospitality Group/Wendy'scoreExpanded partnership to include 367 Wendy's locations across the United States following successful pilot that demonstrated increased customer traffic and profit margins.
- Giant Foodcore163 Giant Food stores across D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware partnered with Upside for personalized cashback offers.
- Vibe Restaurants/Little Caesarsminor72 Little Caesars locations partnered with Upside for restaurant cashback promotions.
- Applebee'sminorNational restaurant chain partnered with Upside as part of expansion into restaurant category.
- InstacartcorePartnership extending Upside offers to Instacart users, expanding reach to grocery delivery customers.
- Gelson'sminorUpside partnership helping premium grocery chain boost profit and customer loyalty.
- Lunds & ByerlysminorRegional grocery partnership to reach new customers through Upside's marketplace.
- GopuffminorPartnership offering promotions to delivery partners and driving new customers to participating retailers.
- 1% for the PlanetminorSustainability partnership commitment, with Upside taking new 1% Pledge to support environmental causes.
- bpcorePartnership offering cash back on fuel purchases at ARCO branded sites in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California.
- ChevroncoreAdded 300 Chevron stations to Upside digital marketplace across California, with plans for broader expansion.
- Phillips 66coreExpanded relationship to increase Phillips 66 stations on the Upside platform.
- SunococoreJoined Upside platform to enhance customers' fueling experience.
- Casey'scoreExpanded partnership with Upside promotions launched at Casey's convenience store locations.
- Circle KcoreNational convenience store chain partnered with Upside to offer cashback to customers.
- Love's Travel StopscorePartnership with Love's Travel Stops to provide more value to customers through cashback offers.
- Kum & GocoreUpside available at 50% of Kum & Go stores, partnership expanding to offer value to customers.
- SchnuckscoreMidwest grocery chain partnered with Upside, achieving 6% EBITDA lift. Also launched receiptless technology feature.
- Stinker StoresminorPartnership bringing added value to customers at Stinker Stores fuel locations.
- Domino'scoreDomino's franchise reported $163K incremental sales from Upside partnership. Multiple Domino's locations partnered.
- Giant EaglecoreRegional grocer using Upside to drive loyalty and win new customers. Partnership includes Upside Pay integration.
- Global Partners/Alltown FreshcoreExpanded from 40-site pilot to 700 sites on Upside platform across Alltown Fresh locations.
- First Coast Energy/Daily'sminorPartnership providing cash back at Daily's convenience stores with positive customer experience impact.
- The Wills Group/SMO/Dash InminorPositive impact on customer acquisition, gallons sold, and station loyalty at Dash In locations.
- Papa John'scoreFranchise operators report Upside customers buy three times more often than regular customers, driving toward +3% annual growth goals.
- Payfare/DasherDirectminorProviding cashback rewards on fuel and food for DasherDirect cardholders.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Upside competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ibotta: Ibotta is a leading cashback rewards app in the U.S. that pays users rebates on grocery and everyday purchases, with a public-company-grade scale (NYSE-listed) and a similar B2C cashback marketplace model — making it the closest direct competitor to Upside's consumer-facing business.
- Rakuten (formerly Ebates): Rakuten operates a global cashback and affiliate marketplace connecting consumers to online and increasingly offline merchants. Comparable to Upside in operating a two-sided cashback platform with affiliate-commission economics, though historically more online-skewed.
- Fetch Rewards: Fetch Rewards is a receipt-scanning rewards app that pays consumers for grocery and everyday purchases. Comparable to Upside in consumer cashback mechanics and grocery retailer focus, with overlapping merchant partnerships.
- Cardlytics: Cardlytics is a card-linked offer platform that delivers cashback through bank mobile apps based on debit/credit transaction data. Highly comparable to Upside in pay-for-performance merchant economics and incrementality-focused measurement.
- Dosh: Dosh is a card-linked cashback app offering automatic rewards at participating merchants. Similar B2C cashback marketplace model and merchant-funded revenue structure to Upside.
- Shopkick: Shopkick is a location-based rewards platform offering cashback and gift cards for in-store shopping across grocery, convenience, and retail. Comparable to Upside in bridging digital offers to brick-and-mortar transactions.
Broad incumbents
- Coupons.com (Quotient Technology): Coupons.com (now part of Quotient/Newsave) is a long-established digital coupon and cashback platform with deep CPG and grocery retailer relationships. Comparable to Upside in digital promotion distribution and merchant-funded economics, with a much broader legacy digital-coupon footprint.
- Groupon: Groupon operates a deals and cashback marketplace for local merchants and restaurants. Comparable to Upside in two-sided merchant/consumer cashback and deal marketplace mechanics, though Groupon skews toward discounted vouchers rather than measured incrementality.
Emerging players
- Bridg: Bridg is a card-linked offer and customer data platform helping brick-and-mortar restaurants and retailers leverage transaction data for marketing. Adjacent to Upside in brick-and-mortar personalization and incrementality measurement.
Others
- Kobie (Frequent Seeker): Kobie is a loyalty marketing and technology provider for enterprise retailers and brands. Adjacent to Upside's Loyalty+ module — comparable in serving enterprise retailers' loyalty and reward-program needs, though operating on a services-led model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Upside social profiles
Digital presenceUpside compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Upside financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Upside leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Upside funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Upside M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Upside
What does Upside do?
Upside operates a two-sided digital marketplace that connects consumers with brick-and-mortar retailers through personalized cash-back promotions. The free consumer mobile app (iOS/Android) enables users to claim cash-back offers at gas stations, convenience stores, grocery stores, and restaurants, then earn rewards redeemable to bank accounts, PayPal, or gift cards. On the B2B side, retailers access an analytics dashboard, the Upside Pay payment solution, and a pay-for-performance model where they only pay a share of proven incremental profit.
Is Upside a public or private company?
Upside is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Upside founded?
Upside was founded in 2017. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Upside based?
Upside is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Upside make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Affiliate Commissions are the primary driver. The others are targeted Advertising Fees and profit Sharing.
Who are Upside's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ibotta, Rakuten (formerly Ebates), Fetch Rewards, Cardlytics, Dosh and Shopkick. Broad incumbents are Coupons.com (Quotient Technology) and Groupon. Bridg is listed as an emerging player. Kobie (Frequent Seeker) is listed as an others.
Does Upside have an API?
No public API is recorded for Upside.
What industry is Upside in?
Upside's product category is Digital Cash-Back Marketplace Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAGAH, Price Comparison, Deals, Cashback & Loyalty Shopping Platforms.