Best Card Issuing APIs

Best overall: Lithic

██████░░░░ 59 / 100 data score

Lithic is a programmable card issuing and money movement platform for developers and fintechs, covering virtual, physical, prepaid, debit, credit, charge, and fleet card programs in the US and Canada. Pricing is usage-based with published rates and self-serve signup; an enterprise tier is available for programs exceeding $250K monthly volume, which also unlocks physical and tokenized card issuance. The REST API supports webhooks, idempotency, and SDKs in six languages, with a sandbox environment for testing and an MCP server available. Lithic holds SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS certifications, and counts Mercury, Novo, and Parker among its customers.

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How it stacks up

• ✓ Lithic supports self-serve signup; the other routes through a sales conversation.
• ✓ On compliance, Lithic additionally documents SOC 2; Weavr additionally documents GDPR.
• ✓ On compliance, Lithic additionally documents SOC 2; Swan additionally documents GDPR.

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

Lithic profile → · Lithic vs Stripe Issuing →

At a glance

Quick pick by use case

If you only have thirty seconds, find your situation:

• If you want the strongest all-round pick, pick Lithic - our default pick: strongest across pricing, trust and breadth.
• If you want to start free, pick Wallester - the only genuinely free option here. Wallester Business free plan: €0/month, includes 300 virtual cards, unlimited physical ca….
• If you're buying for a regulated or large team, pick Lithic - for regulated or large teams: SOC 2 Type II, published SLA, enterprise plan.
• If you're wiring this into coding agents or AI workflows, pick Lithic - easiest to wire up programmatically: MCP server.
• If you want the broadest documented surface, pick Galileo Financial Technologies - 39 documented actions; breadth isn't quality, but it's the most to build on.

The picks in depth

• #1 Lithic

  ██████░░░░ 59 / 100
  • Best overall
  • Best for enterprise
  • Best for agents

  Lithic is a programmable card issuing and money movement platform for developers and fintechs, covering virtual, physical, prepaid, debit, credit, charge, and fleet card programs in the US and Canada. Pricing is usage-based with published rates and self-serve signup; an enterprise tier is available for programs exceeding $250K monthly volume, which also unlocks physical and tokenized card issuance. The REST API supports webhooks, idempotency, and SDKs in six languages, with a sandbox environment for testing and an MCP server available. Lithic holds SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS certifications, and counts Mercury, Novo, and Parker among its customers.

  PricingUsage · free tier ✗

  TrustSOC 2 Type II · ISO 27001 · PCI DSS

  Does

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

  Used byMercury, Novo, Parker, Giftly

  Strengthstransparent public pricing · self-serve signup · SOC 2 Type II

  Avoid ifYou want to try it free before paying

  ScoresAgent 40 · Pricing 60 · Setup 75 · Docs 35 · Procurement 75 · Trust 70

  Lithic profile →

• #2 Stripe Issuing

  █████░░░░░ 50 / 100

  Stripe Issuing is a card issuance infrastructure API for platforms, fintechs, and enterprises that need to create virtual or physical cards, covering expense management, B2B programs, fleet cards, and embedded finance. It is available in the US, UK, Canada, and across the EU, with over 275 million cards created and customers including Ramp and Shopify. Pricing is usage-based at $0.10 per card, though access requires a sales conversation and a compliance review before launch. The REST API ships with SDKs for seven languages, webhooks, sandbox access, and certifications for SOC 2 Type 2, PCI DSS, and GDPR.

  PricingUsage · from $0.10 card · free tier ✗

  TrustSOC 2 Type II · GDPR · PCI DSS

  Does

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

  Used byRamp, Shopify, Wayflyer

  Strengthstransparent public pricing · SOC 2 Type II · GDPR

  Avoid ifYou need to start building today without contacting sales

  ScoresAgent 55 · Pricing 70 · Setup 40 · Docs 55 · Procurement 30 · Trust 50

  Stripe Issuing profile →

• #3 Weavr

  ████▓░░░░░ 47 / 100

  Weavr is an embedded finance platform targeting B2B SaaS products in the UK and EU, enabling businesses to issue virtual and physical cards, manage spend controls, and run programs such as expense management, accounts payable, employee benefits, and loyalty schemes. Cards run on Mastercard and Visa networks via Weavr's own EMI licences (Malta MFSA, FCA-authorised UK), so no separate sponsor bank is needed. Pricing starts at £1,947 or €2,370 per month for the Launch plan covering B2B payments use cases, with a Scale plan for consumer payments requiring a sales conversation. The REST API supports webhooks, idempotency, sandbox testing, and push provisioning SDKs for iOS, Android, and React Native, and Weavr holds ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and GDPR certifications.

  PricingHybrid · free tier ✗

  TrustGDPR · ISO 27001 · PCI DSS

  Does

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

  Used byFinway, Ben (Thanks Ben), finway, 11Onze

  Strengthstransparent public pricing · GDPR · PCI DSS

  Avoid ifYou want to try it free before paying

  ScoresAgent 40 · Pricing 45 · Setup 75 · Docs 35 · Procurement 45 · Trust 40

  Weavr profile →

• #4 Swan

  ████░░░░░░ 43 / 100

  Swan is a Banking-as-a-Service API for software platforms and SaaS companies that want to embed accounts, IBANs, and card issuance into their products across 30+ EEA countries. It handles its own EMI licensing through the French ACPR, so partners do not need a separate sponsor bank. The API is GraphQL with OAuth2 and supports virtual, physical, and single-use cards on Mastercard, spend controls, and Apple Pay/Google Pay provisioning. Pricing starts at €2,990 per month with a free unlimited sandbox, and the platform is GDPR, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS certified.

  PricingHybrid · free tier ✗

  TrustGDPR · ISO 27001 · PCI DSS

  Does

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

  Used byPennylane, Agicap, Lucca, Accountable

  Strengthstransparent public pricing · GDPR · PCI DSS

  Avoid ifYou want to try it free before paying

  ScoresAgent 40 · Pricing 45 · Setup 70 · Docs 15 · Procurement 45 · Trust 40

  Swan profile →

• #5 Wallester

  █████░░░░░ 50 / 100
  • Only free option

  Wallester is a Visa card-issuing platform and licensed EMI that lets fintechs, neobanks, and non-financial companies launch white-label card programs without needing their own bank relationship or Visa membership. It covers the full card lifecycle including virtual and physical card issuance, spend controls, 3DS, push provisioning, and KYC/KYB, and is available across 31 EEA countries and the UK. Pricing starts at a free tier with 300 virtual cards, while white-label programs begin at €2,495 per month for non-financial institutions, subject to due diligence. The REST API is PCI DSS Level 1 certified, supports real-time webhooks, and comes with a sandbox environment and a TypeScript SDK.

  PricingHybrid · free tier ✓

  TrustGDPR · PCI DSS

  Does

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

  Used byHolm Bank, Latvijas Pasts, KuCoin, WeavePay

  Strengthstransparent public pricing · a free tier · GDPR

  Avoid ifYou have strict compliance requirements

  ScoresAgent 30 · Pricing 60 · Setup 90 · Docs 35 · Procurement 60 · Trust 25

  Wallester profile →

• #6 Adyen Issuing

  ███░░░░░░░ 31 / 100

  Adyen Issuing is a card program management API for platforms and marketplaces that need to embed branded virtual or physical cards into their products, covering use cases from supplier payments to corporate expense management. It is available in the US, UK, and European Economic Area, where Adyen operates under its own banking license and acts as BIN sponsor, removing the need for a third-party sponsor bank. Pricing is custom and requires a sales engagement; no self-serve sandbox access is available. The REST API ships with SDKs in seven languages, supports webhooks and idempotency, and holds SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS certifications.

  PricingSales-led · free tier ✗

  TrustSOC 2 Type II · GDPR · ISO 27001 · PCI DSS

  Does

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

  Used byGlovo, Spendesk

  StrengthsSOC 2 Type II · GDPR · PCI DSS

  Avoid ifYou need to start building today without contacting sales

  ScoresAgent 35 · Pricing 0 · Setup 40 · Docs 25 · Procurement 0 · Trust 85

  Adyen Issuing profile →

• #7 Marqeta

  ████▒░░░░░ 45 / 100

  Marqeta is a card issuing platform that lets companies launch virtual and physical card programs, including expense cards, BNPL cards, neobank debit, credit programs, and marketplace payouts, across 40+ countries. Pricing is not published and requires a sales engagement; sandbox access is self-serve but live program launch needs approval. The REST API supports webhooks, idempotency, and a Python SDK, and Marqeta holds SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, PCI DSS Level 1, and GDPR certifications. Notable customers include Square, Uber, Affirm, DoorDash, Instacart, and Google.

  PricingSales-led · free tier ✗

  TrustSOC 2 Type II · GDPR · ISO 27001 · PCI DSS

  Does

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

  Used bySquare (Block), Uber, Affirm, Instacart

  StrengthsSOC 2 Type II · GDPR · PCI DSS

  Avoid ifYou need transparent pricing up front

  ScoresAgent 60 · Pricing 0 · Setup 65 · Docs 35 · Procurement 25 · Trust 85

  Marqeta profile →

• #8 Thredd

  ███▓░░░░░░ 38 / 100

  Thredd is an issuer-processor API supporting debit, credit, prepaid, and virtual card programs across 47+ countries, aimed at fintechs, neobanks, and embedded finance builders. It handles card lifecycle management, real-time authorization, spend controls, 3DS, tokenization, push provisioning, and AI-enabled fraud monitoring via a REST API with OAuth2 and mTLS authentication. Pricing is negotiated through sales with no published rates. The platform holds SOC 2 Type 2, ISO 27001, and PCI DSS certifications, and customers include Zilch, Bigpay, and Pliant; notably, Thredd is an issuer-processor and not a BIN sponsor, so clients must arrange their own sponsoring bank.

  PricingSales-led · free tier ✗

  TrustSOC 2 Type II · GDPR · ISO 27001 · PCI DSS

  Does

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

  Used byZilch, Transcard, Treezor, REAP

  StrengthsSOC 2 Type II · GDPR · PCI DSS

  Avoid ifYou need transparent pricing up front

  ScoresAgent 40 · Pricing 0 · Setup 60 · Docs 35 · Procurement 25 · Trust 65

  Thredd profile →

See all 14 Card Issuing APIs compared →

How we rank

The headline score is the average of six 0-100 axes computed only from each API’s published, sourced fields: agent-friendliness, pricing transparency, setup speed, docs quality, procurement ease, and trust readiness. An unknown signal scores 0 for its axis - we credit what’s confirmed, never guess. The score is one input, not the verdict: we lead with each pick’s trade-off, and where a job has only one real option we say so rather than crown it. Full method on the methodology page.

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