Pick a lane: the reliability and scale of a legacy processor, or the breakthrough innovation of a modern platform. Why not both? Card issuing isn’t like other payments. It’s fundamentally more complex, with higher stakes and less room for error. Unlike simple payment processing, issuing requires managing the entire lifecycle of financial instruments. from real-time authorization decisions and dynamic spending controls to regulatory compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
Many platforms offer a wide array of financial services, but card issuing is often treated as just one feature among many. If they say you can’t have it all, don’t believe them. This generalized approach forces false choices—stability or flexibility, proven or groundbreaking—concealing significant limitations that become costly failures when programs scale. You need a solid partner right out of the gate, because the technical debt and operational gaps from the wrong choice compound quickly.
The complexity of card issuing and processing is unforgiving. Every transaction involves multiple real-time decisions, such as fraud detection, spending limit validation, merchant category restrictions, and regulatory compliance checks, all happening in milliseconds. A single point of failure can cascade into program-wide outages, regulatory violations, or security breaches that damage customer trust and business reputation.
Built for Issuing: The End-to-End Platform Advantage
A platform designed from the ground up for issuing offers capabilities that generalized payment providers are ill equipped to compete with. Instead of juggling multiple vendors or siloed systems for different programs, modern card issuers like Marqeta provide a single point of integration for all card issuing needs.
- One Platform, Many Use Cases: Integrate once to launch and manage various programs, from debit and credit to prepaid and virtual card programs across consumer and commercial segments. At the same time, scale across markets globally with one unified system that supports card issuance in 40+ countries.
- Flexibility to Evolve: Business needs change quickly. With Marqeta’s open APIs, you can launch new features, modify programs, and expand into new regions without costly re-platforming.
For example, an on-demand delivery marketplace can integrate with Marqeta to power its consumer-facing loyalty debit card. As the company grows, it can use the same integration to launch a commercial expense card program for its corporate clients and a payout card for its delivery drivers. This dramatically reduces complexity, minimizes points of failure, and accelerates time to market for new revenue-generating products.
Reliability and Scale Without Compromise
Enterprise-level operations demand infrastructure that is both resilient and scalable. A specialized focus on issuing allows investment in a highly optimized and robust platform capable of handling immense transaction volumes with exceptional uptime.
- Proven Reliability at Scale: We have processed over $400 billion in total payment volume (TPV) in 2024 and maintain near five-nines (99.99%) availability. This level of consistent performance ensures business continuity and protects customer trust, even during peak demand.
- Global Reach, Localized Execution: With certifications to operate in over 40 countries, our platform enables you to expand into the world’s most attractive card markets. You can deploy programs globally, while having the tools to configure solutions that meet local payment practices.
Imagine a global travel company launching a new co-branded credit card. With Marqeta, they can roll out the program across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific from a single platform. As transaction volumes surge during peak travel seasons, the infrastructure scales seamlessly, ensuring every payment is processed reliably.
The Expertise to Navigate Complexity
Card issuing is a complex and highly regulated space. A specialized partner brings deep expertise that helps you navigate this landscape and innovate with confidence. We provide more than just technology; we provide the guidance needed to succeed:
- Integrated Safety and Security: Our platform includes sophisticated program management tools for safety and security. Features like dynamic spend controls and real-time fraud monitoring are built into the core, offering robust protection that is more efficient and cost-effective than building these capabilities in-house, helping lower your total cost of ownership.
- Leverage Our Expertise: We have helped hundreds of the world’s most innovative companies build and scale their card programs. Our teams provide the expertise to guide you through bank partnerships, regulatory frameworks, and network rules, enabling you to launch faster and with greater certainty.
For instance, a fast-growing technology firm decided to create an expense management solution for its customers. By partnering with Marqeta, they gained access to our expertise in setting up dynamic spending controls that automatically enforce expense policies at the point of sale. This not only created a superior product, but also significantly reduced the internal resources needed to manage compliance and security.
Why a Specialized Issuer Processor Matters
For ambitious card programs, specialization is not a limitation; it’s an advantage. A focused issuer processor delivers a lower total cost of ownership, reduced operational complexity, and the flexibility to evolve your products as your business grows. You gain a partner with the proven reliability and deep expertise to help you build what’s next.
Seeing how other innovators have leveraged this specialized advantage provides the clearest picture of what is possible.