Side by side

Extend vs Visa DPS Forward

Both stand on card issuing platforms. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Extend

Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+1

Extend combines company card controls with employee expense tools and accounting integrations. Its free plan has user and card limits, while virtual card issuance depends on participating bank partners.

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Visa DPS Forward

Free plan API

Choose DPS Forward if you need issuer processing APIs for card issuance, lifecycle management, and real-time authorization. The free Sandbox offers a way to use the service without production fees; production pricing requires contacting Visa, and access to documentation and assets is restricted.

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The facts

	Extend	Visa DPS Forward
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	No	Not published
Runs on	Android, API, iPhone, Web	API
Lowest paid plan	See the plans	Free or on request
Plans published	4	2
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	paywithextend.com	developer.visa.com
On card issuing platforms	#1 of 22	#2 of 22

Extend: what it does well

Free Starter supports up to five users.
Virtual cards can have limits and expiration dates.
Includes expense reports, reimbursements, and approval workflows.
API supports issuance and real-time transaction data through webhooks.

What to know first

Virtual card creation requires a participating bank partner.
Pro plans have a 10-user minimum.
Enterprise pricing is not listed.

Visa DPS Forward: what it does well

Supports digital and physical card issuance.
Includes tokenization and wallet provisioning.
Clients control real-time authorization decisions.
Cloud-compatible with no client-hosted hardware needed.
Can channel network traffic through one connection.

What to know first

Production fees require contacting Visa.
Documentation and assets have restricted access.

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