Cards are used along with Tapes to upgrade a Character or Hangout. The cost increases with each upgrade, so you will need more cards each time.
![](https://d2duuy9yo5pldo.cloudfront.net/lumen/5236b2f3-5f78-4401-86af-b15a8a9f7725-2t.png)
![](https://d2duuy9yo5pldo.cloudfront.net/lumen/5236b2f3-5f78-4401-86af-b15a8a9f7725-2t.png)
In the example above, Johnny Atkins is level 1. The 12/5 indicates that you have 12 Johnny Cards and need 5 to upgrade him. When upgraded to level 2, his bonus to the Computer Class' payout will increase from x3 to x9.