Best Card Issuing Platforms in 2026
Updated
In short: Extend is ranked #1 of 20 as of 8 October 2026, ahead of Visa DPS Forward and Conferma Pay. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Visa DPS Forward. The lowest first paid tier on this page is Extend at $0.75/mo.
Card issuing platforms help organizations create and manage card programs, from issuing virtual or physical cards to setting rules for how they can be spent. Compare card program support, issuing API and KYC/KYB tools, then check how each product handles funding and balances, spend controls, and whether virtual and physical cards are available. Paid from and free plan details can help you assess the cost of getting started. Extend, Paynetics Card Issuing, and Marqeta are among the entries ranked here, alongside other options for different program needs.
20 card issuing platforms ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
2 of the 20 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ExtendWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $0.75/mo | 6.6 | |
| 2 | Visa DPS ForwardAPI | Two bars | — | 0 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 3 | Conferma PayWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 4 | Paynetics Card IssuingWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 5 | Wallester White LabelWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | €2,495/mo | 5.6 |
| 6 | MarqetaWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 7 | ThreddWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 8 | Enfuce CardsWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 9 | InterlaceWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 10 | LithicWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 11 | Mastercard Decision IntelligenceWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 12 | Nium Physical and Virtual CardsWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 13 | OpenWay Way4Web · Self-hosted · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 14 | PaymentologyWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 15 | Pismo Card IssuingWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 16 | FIS Total Issuing SolutionsWeb · Android · iPhone | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 17 | HPS PowerCARDWeb · Self-hosted · API | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 18 | FIS Issuer ServicesWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 19 | HighnoteWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 20 | Stripe IssuingWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
Compare all 20 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Virtual cards | Physical cards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Extend | 6.6 | Free plan | $0.75/mo | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 2 | Visa DPS Forward | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | Conferma Pay | 5.6 | No | — | — | — | Yes | No |
| 4 | Paynetics Card Issuing | 5.6 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 5 | Wallester White Label | 5.6 | No | €2,495/mo | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 6 | Marqeta | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 7 | Thredd | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 8 | Enfuce Cards | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 9 | Interlace | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 10 | Lithic | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 11 | Mastercard Decision Intelligence | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 12 | Nium Physical and Virtual Cards | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 13 | OpenWay Way4 | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 14 | Paymentology | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 15 | Pismo Card Issuing | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 16 | FIS Total Issuing Solutions | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 17 | HPS PowerCARD | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | Yes | Yes |
| 18 | FIS Issuer Services | 5.0 | No | — | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 19 | Highnote | 5.0 | No | — | No | — | Yes | Yes |
| 20 | Stripe Issuing | 5.0 | No | — | No | — | Yes | Yes |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which card issuing platform is ranked first on Freedom251?
Extend is ranked #1 of 20 with a score of 6.6. Visa DPS Forward is second and Conferma Pay third.
How many of these have a free plan?
2 of the 20 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, Extend has the lowest first paid tier we found: $0.75/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.