Lithic

Best for: Regulated or enterprise workloads - compliance attestations and an enterprise plan; AI agents and automation - an agent-ready surface (MCP / llms.txt); Teams needing broad API coverage out of the box

Avoid if: You want to try it free before paying

Pricing model

Usage-based [2]research.contrary.com/company/lithic“usage-based fees for things like creating virtual and physical cards, KYC, 3D Secure transaction authentications, etc., and interchange revenue”lithic.com/blog/introducing-lithic“Create active cards for a few cents each, with no expensive monthly fees”

Published pricing

✓ Yes [3]research.contrary.com/company/lithic“Virtual cards: $0.10 per virtual card; 0.2% on the first $100K in volume and 0.4% on all volume thereafter”lithic.com/blog/introducing-lithic“Create active cards for a few cents each, with no expensive monthly fees. When someone spends money, you'll earn back a percentage of interchange revenue generated by the merchant.”

Free tier

✗ No

Self-serve signup

✓ Yes [4]app.lithic.com/signup“You can sign up today and start moving money, with a self-serve platform where there is no need to talk to Sales or wade through lengthy MSAs to get started”

Requires sales call

✗ No [5]app.lithic.com/signup“You can sign up today and start moving money, with a self-serve platform where there is no need to talk to Sales”lithic.com/blog/introducing-lithic“no need to talk to Sales or wade through lengthy MSAs to get started”

Enterprise plan

✓ Yes [6]research.contrary.com/company/lithic“Enterprise Program — For companies with $250K+ in monthly payment volume. Supports physical and tokenized cards (plus virtual). Enterprise pricing is available”

• Virtual cards
• Physical cards
• Spend controls
• BIN sponsorship
• Credit programs
• Push provisioning
• Multi-region

Supported actions

issue_virtual_card, issue_physical_card, single_use_card, card_lifecycle_management, spend_controls, authorization_stream, jit_funding, push_provisioning, in_app_push_provisioning, web_push_provisioning, tokenization, 3ds, program_management, kyc_kyb, real_time_webhooks, authorization_rules, velocity_limits, custom_code_authorization_typescript, dispute_management, ach_origination, wire_transfers, ledger_accounts, settlement_api, enhanced_commercial_data_l2_l3, transaction_grouping, multi_currency, stablecoin_settlement, network_token_management, embedded_card_ui, card_simulation_sandbox

Regions

United States, Canada [7]grow.lithic.com/canada“Lithic has expanded into Canada to provide developer-first card issuing capabilities”

Input types

Visa, Mastercard, American Express, virtual, physical, debit, credit, prepaid, charge, consumer, commercial, single-use [8]lithic.com/card-issuing“The platform accommodates debit, prepaid, charge, and revolving credit products”lithic.com/transaction-processing“Lithic connects directly to the Visa, Mastercard, and Amex networks”

Output types

JSON, webhook events, card tokens, authorization events, transaction data, settlement reports, ledger entries, ACH originations, wire transfers, OpenAPI spec

Webhooks

✓ Yes [9]docs.lithic.com/docs/events-api“The Lithic Events API enables near-real-time notifications about platform activities. You can register webhook endpoints, manage subscriptions, retrieve historical events, and verify message authenticity through cryptographic signatures.”

Sandbox / test mode

✓ Yes [10]docs.lithic.com“A safe environment mirroring production”app.lithic.com/signup“You can sign up today and start moving money, with a self-serve platform where there is no need to talk to Sales”

SDK languages

Node.js / TypeScript, Python, Java, Kotlin, Ruby, Go [11]github.com/lithic-com“Lithic provides SDKs for Node.js, Python, Java, Kotlin, Go, and Ruby. The organization also maintains Lithic OpenAPI 3.0 definitions”

MCP server

✓ Yes [12]docs.lithic.com/reference“Lithic Developer API Model Context Protocol (MCP) server enables AI-powered code editors like Cursor and Windsurf, Claude Code, Gemini, and Codex, to interact directly with the Lithic API. The server URL is https://docs.lithic.com/mcp.”

SOC 2

SOC 2 Type II [13]lithic.com“SOC 1 Type 1, SOC 2 Type 2, PCI DSS, ISO 27001”trust.lithic.com“Lithic's security program aligns with SOC 1, SOC 2, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS, ensuring rigorous controls, continuous monitoring, and independent audits”

HIPAA

– Unknown [14]trust.lithic.com“Lithic Trust Center — page exists but HIPAA not listed among certifications (SOC 1 Type 1, SOC 2 Type 2, PCI DSS, ISO 27001 are the certifications shown)”

GDPR

– Unknown [15]trust.lithic.com“Lithic Trust Center — page exists but GDPR not listed among certifications shown”

ISO 27001

✓ Yes [16]lithic.com“SOC 1 Type 1, SOC 2 Type 2, PCI DSS, ISO 27001”

PCI DSS

✓ Yes [17]docs.lithic.com/docs/cards“Due to PCI compliance requirements, the pan and cvv fields are only available in Production for clients who have verified PCI compliance”lithic.com“SOC 1 Type 1, SOC 2 Type 2, PCI DSS, ISO 27001”

Published SLA

✓ Yes [18]lithic.com/transaction-processing“99.99% uptime with no scheduled downtime”

Rate limits

Read: 30 RPS; Write: 5 RPS (default production limits) [19]docs.lithic.com/docs/rate-limits“Read operations: 30 RPS; Write operations: 5 RPS (Default Production Limits)”

Known restrictions

Lithic is not a bank - BIN sponsorship is provided via Lithic's partner sponsor banks; customers on the Starter and Enterprise tiers use Lithic's managed program (turnkey BIN sponsorship included); Processor Only tier requires the client to bring their own sponsor bank, PCI DSS level not explicitly published on public pages (level not stated in trust materials), Production PAN/CVV access requires verified PCI compliance by the customer, Sandbox access is fully self-serve; production card issuance requires program approval by Lithic, Physical and tokenized cards available at Enterprise tier ($250K+ monthly volume); Starter tier is virtual-only, Primary markets are US and Canada; other geographies not publicly confirmed [20]research.contrary.com/company/lithic“Processor Only — designed for customers who already have their own sponsor bank; clients keep the highest share of interchange revenue and have the lowest usage-based fees”lithic.com/services/program-management“Lithic manages your integration and onboarding with one of our trusted partner sponsor banks”

• Docs
• API reference
• Status page

Docs rendering: static

API style

rest

Base URL

https://api.lithic.com/v1

Version

v1

Versioning

url

Stability

ga

Auth methods

api_key

Idempotency keys

✓ Yes

Error format

vendor-specific

Webhook signing

hmac_sha256

Rate limit

30 / second

SDKs

• Node.js / TypeScript lithic · repo
• Python lithic · repo
• Java com.lithic.api:lithic-java · repo
• Kotlin com.lithic.api:lithic-kotlin · repo
• Ruby lithic · repo
• Go github.com/lithic-com/lithic-go · repo

• Auth docs
• Quickstart
• MCP server
• Webhook events

Launched

2020-01-01

GA

2021-01-01

Notable customers

Mercury, Novo, Parker, Giftly

• Stripe Issuing

  "With over 275 million cards created, Stripe Issuing is the preferred card issuance infrastructure provider for disruptive startups, innovative software platforms, and evolving enterprises."

  Usage · public pricing

• Weavr

  "Embedded finance for digital B2B products"

  Hybrid · public pricing · self-serve

• Swan

  "The easiest way to embed banking features into your product."

  Hybrid · public pricing · self-serve

• Wallester

  "Free business IBAN account with cards and expense management"

  Hybrid · free tier · public pricing · self-serve

• Adyen Issuing

  "Get everything you need to create and manage your card program with our financial technology platform."

  Sales-led

• Marqeta

  "We are the world's first modern card issuing platform" - enabling any company to deliver delightful payment experiences natively.

  Sales-led · self-serve

Lithic alternatives · Lithic vs Stripe Issuing · All Card Issuing APIs APIs

Each field above carries a numbered source - hover for a preview, click to jump here.

1. ↑Description: lithic.com
2. ↑Pricing model: research.contrary.com · lithic.com
3. ↑Published pricing: research.contrary.com · lithic.com
4. ↑Self-serve signup: app.lithic.com
5. ↑Requires sales call: app.lithic.com · lithic.com
6. ↑Enterprise plan: research.contrary.com
7. ↑Regions: grow.lithic.com
8. ↑Input types: lithic.com · lithic.com
9. ↑Webhooks: docs.lithic.com
10. ↑Sandbox: docs.lithic.com · app.lithic.com
11. ↑SDK languages: github.com
12. ↑MCP server: docs.lithic.com
13. ↑SOC 2: lithic.com · trust.lithic.com
14. ↑HIPAA: trust.lithic.com
15. ↑GDPR: trust.lithic.com
16. ↑ISO 27001: lithic.com
17. ↑PCI DSS: docs.lithic.com · lithic.com
18. ↑Published SLA: lithic.com
19. ↑Rate limits: docs.lithic.com
20. ↑Known restrictions: research.contrary.com · lithic.com

Every field change, who made it, and when - from our audited data pipeline and editors.

1. 2026-06-21 Capabilities: {} → {"multi_region":true,"virtual_cards":true,"physical_cards":true,"spend_controls…
2. 2026-06-21 Summary Md: (none) → Lithic is a programmable card issuing and money movement platform for developer…
3. 2026-06-21 Score Docs Quality: (none) → 35
4. 2026-06-21 Score Procurement Friction: (none) → 75
5. 2026-06-21 Score Trust Readiness: (none) → 70
6. 2026-06-21 Best For: (none) → Regulated or enterprise workloads - compliance attestations and an enterprise p…
7. 2026-06-21 Avoid If: (none) → You want to try it free before paying
8. 2026-06-21 Scoring Methodology: (none) → Scores are computed deterministically from this profile's published, sourced fi…
9. 2026-06-21 Score Agent Friendliness: (none) → 40
10. 2026-06-21 Score Pricing Transparency: (none) → 60
11. 2026-06-21 Score Setup Speed: (none) → 75
12. 2026-06-21 Llms Txt Present: (none) → No
13. 2026-06-21 Has Structured Data: (none) → No
14. 2026-06-21 Robots Allows Agents: (none) → No
15. 2026-06-21 API Reference URL: (none) → https://app.lithic.com/api/reference
16. 2026-06-21 Status Page URL: (none) → https://status.lithic.com
17. 2026-06-21 Docs URL: (none) → https://docs.lithic.com/
18. 2026-06-21 Rendering: (none) → static
19. 2026-06-21 Free Tier Available: set to No
20. 2026-06-21 Self Serve Signup: set to Yes
21. 2026-06-21 Requires Sales Call: set to No
22. 2026-06-21 Enterprise Plan Available: set to Yes
23. 2026-06-21 SOC 2: set to type_2
24. 2026-06-21 ISO 27001: set to Yes
25. 2026-06-21 PCI DSS: set to Yes
26. 2026-06-21 SLA Published: set to Yes
27. 2026-06-21 Data Retention Policy URL: set to https://www.lithic.com/legal/privacy-policy
28. 2026-06-21 Documented Rate Limits: set to Read: 30 RPS; Write: 5 RPS (default production limits)
29. 2026-06-21 Rate Limit Requests: set to 30
30. 2026-06-21 Rate Limit Window: set to second
31. 2026-06-21 Known Restrictions: set to Lithic is not a bank - BIN sponsorship is provided via Lithic's partner sponsor…
32. 2026-06-21 Auth Methods: set to api_key
33. 2026-06-21 Auth Docs URL: set to https://docs.lithic.com/docs/api-basics
34. 2026-06-21 API Style: set to rest
35. 2026-06-21 Base URL: set to https://api.lithic.com/v1
36. 2026-06-21 API Version: set to v1
37. 2026-06-21 Versioning Scheme: set to url
38. 2026-06-21 Stability: set to ga
39. 2026-06-21 MCP URL: set to https://docs.lithic.com/mcp
40. 2026-06-21 Quickstart URL: set to https://docs.lithic.com/docs/create-card
41. 2026-06-21 Idempotency Supported: set to Yes
42. 2026-06-21 Error Format: set to vendor-specific
43. 2026-06-21 Webhook Signing: set to hmac_sha256
44. 2026-06-21 Webhooks Supported: set to Yes
45. 2026-06-21 Requires Verification: set to Yes
46. 2026-06-21 Launched At: set to 2020-01-01
47. 2026-06-21 GA Date: set to 2021-01-01
48. 2026-06-21 Notable Customers: set to Mercury, Novo, Parker, Giftly
49. 2026-06-21 Fields Not Found: set to pci_dss_level, hipaa, gdpr, specific_enterprise_card_fees, deprecation_policy_u…
50. 2026-06-21 Source Confidence: set to high

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  -d '{"kind":"review","rating":5,"body":"Your experience with this API…"}'

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  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
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