Stripe lines up APIs for programmable payment cards
US-based mobile payments provider Stripe has unveiled a platform for creating, distributing, and managing physical and virtual cards via the magic of APIs.
“Abstract the complexity”
According to the firm, this infrastructure, called Stripe Issuing, will enable users to do things like create employee expense cards with spending limits, generate virtual cards so marketplace couriers can pay with their phones at specific merchants, or run a card stack for a new digital bank.
Stripe says: “Traditionally, card issuance has involved extensive development time, complex requirements, long-term contracts, and significant upfront fees. But with Stripe Issuing, we help abstract the complexity so you can start creating cards faster and scale more efficiently.”
To make it work, users implement the Stripe Issuing API with a few lines of code.
Via the API or dashboard, physical and virtual cards can be produced. Physical cards can feature customisable designs, “and ship in a few days”. Cards can be used instantly through mobile wallets.
The company adds that Stripe Issuing is certified with all major card networks as an issuing processor.
It includes support for Apple Pay and Google Pay, allows programmatic dispute handling, and provides real-time authorisation hooks.
Stripe Issuing is built on the core Stripe platform and can integrate with the suite of Stripe products to handle workflows for verifications, balances, and account funding.
