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Stripe Issuing Alternatives

Card IssuingFree tier available
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PlanMonthlyAnnual
Free testingFree—
StandardFree—
Connect IssuingFree—
Premium supportMost popular$1,800.00/mo$21,600.00/yr

Verdict

Stripe Issuing is the simplest path to issuing cards if you already use Stripe payments or Connect, with $0.10 per active virtual card monthly and $3 plus $0.50 per physical card use. Free in test mode covers the full API. Where alternatives win: Marqeta is the enterprise standard with deeper customization but $5K-$15K monthly minimums, Lithic offers developer-friendly issuing with no platform minimums, Bond bundles cards plus accounts plus payments as banking-as-a-service, Adyen Issuing fits multi-currency European programs, Highnote is GraphQL-first with multiple BIN partners, and Galileo provides white-label processing for fintechs.

By Subrupt EditorialPublished Reviewed

Card issuing platforms emerged when fintech apps realized that issuing branded debit or credit cards required a stack: bank partner, BIN sponsor, processor, KYC, dispute management, and the actual API for creating and managing cards. Stripe Issuing launched in 2018 by bundling all of these into the Stripe Connect platform; Marqeta took the modular processor approach (you bring the bank, they bring the processor); Lithic emerged with developer-friendly entry; Bond and Synctera took the banking-as-a-service approach.

Pricing math: Stripe Issuing charges $0.10 per active virtual card monthly plus $3 plus $0.50 per physical card use, with no platform minimum. Marqeta typically requires $5K-$15K monthly minimums plus volume-based interchange. Lithic charges per-card and per-transaction with no platform minimum. The crossover where Stripe's simplicity stops being the right answer is typically programs requiring custom BIN ranges, specific compliance regions (EU, APAC), or multi-million-card scale where Marqeta or Galileo unlock cost advantages.

Pick by your shape. Enterprise multi-program flexibility: Marqeta. Developer-friendly with no minimums: Lithic. Banking-as-a-service bundle (cards plus accounts plus payments): Bond. Multi-currency European programs: Adyen Issuing. GraphQL-first with multiple BIN partners: Highnote. White-label processing for fintechs: Galileo.

Affiliate disclosure: Subrupt earns a commission when you switch to a service through our recommendation links. This never changes the price you pay. We only recommend services where there's a real cost or feature advantage for you, and our picks are based on the data on this page, not on which programs pay the most.

Quick pick by use case

If you only have thirty seconds, find your situation below and skip to that pick.

If your team operates at enterprise scale and needs custom BIN sponsorship and program flexibilityMarqetaMarqeta Production at $5K-$15K/mo minimums covers volume-based interchange with custom BIN sponsorship for enterprise card programs.If your team wants developer-friendly issuing without platform minimumsLithicLithic Production charges pay-per-card plus per-transaction with no platform minimum, ideal for fintech startups.If you need cards plus accounts plus payments bundled as banking-as-a-serviceBond Financial TechnologiesBond Starter at ~$5K/mo bundles cards + accounts + payments with bank-of-record relationships included.If your business operates in Europe with multi-currency requirementsAdyen IssuingAdyen Issuing bundles with Adyen processing, with multi-currency cards and PCI Level 1 European compliance.If your team prefers GraphQL APIs and wants multiple BIN partner optionsHighnoteHighnote Production charges pay-per-card with no minimum and GraphQL API plus multiple BIN partner relationships.

At a glance: Stripe Issuing alternatives

Quick comparison across pricing floor, best fit, and switching effort. Tap a row to jump to the full pick.

Our picks for Stripe Issuing alternatives

#1

Marqeta

High switching effort

Best for enterprise multi-program flexibility

Try Marqeta

Marqeta Sandbox is free for testing; Production typically requires $5K-$15K monthly minimums with volume-based interchange and custom BIN sponsorship; Enterprise covers multi-region with PCI Level 1 compliance and dedicated CSM. The differentiator vs Stripe Issuing is the modular processor model: you bring your own bank partner (or use Marqeta's network), and Marqeta provides the processor with deep customization (custom card programs, just-in-time funding, complex authorization flows). For enterprise fintech with multi-million-card volume or specific regulatory requirements, Marqeta wins. The trade vs Stripe: $5K-$15K monthly minimums, longer onboarding (typically 3-6 months), and the platform assumes enterprise sophistication.

Strengths

  • +Custom BIN sponsorship + modular bank partner
  • +Volume-based interchange at growth-stage volume
  • +Multi-region + PCI Level 1
  • +Just-in-time funding + complex auth flows

Trade-offs

  • −$5K-$15K monthly minimums
  • −3-6 month onboarding timeline
  • −Overkill for sub-$1M monthly card volume
Sandbox
Free testing
Production
Custom (~$5K-$15K/mo)
Enterprise
Custom (~$25K/mo)
Strength
Enterprise customization
Migration steps
  1. Schedule sales call with Marqeta (4-8 weeks discovery).
  2. Identify bank partner (Marqeta network or your own).
  3. Implement Marqeta API and migrate from Stripe Issuing.
  4. Run parallel for 90+ days before cancelling Stripe Issuing.

Not for: Marqeta is the wrong fit for solo developers, sub-$1M card volume, or teams without enterprise implementation budget; Stripe Issuing, Lithic, or Highnote fit those better.

Paid plans from $8,000.00/mo

#2

Lithic

Free tierMedium switching effort

Best for developer-friendly issuing with no minimums

Try Lithic

Lithic Sandbox is free; Production charges pay-per-card plus per-transaction fees with no platform minimum on entry; Enterprise covers volume discounts and dedicated BIN with PCI compliance. The differentiator vs Stripe Issuing is the fintech-startup-friendly approach: where Stripe Issuing assumes you are using Stripe Connect, Lithic is standalone with open API and webhooks. For neobanks, expense management apps, and fintech startups whose stack is not Stripe Connect, Lithic fits cleanly. The trade vs Stripe: smaller integration ecosystem, less polished documentation, but the per-transaction pricing is competitive.

Strengths

  • +No platform minimum on entry
  • +Standalone (not tied to Stripe Connect)
  • +Open API + webhooks
  • +JIT + ACH/ACH+ funding

Trade-offs

  • −Smaller integration ecosystem than Stripe
  • −Less polished documentation
  • −Smaller customer base
Sandbox
Free, full API access
Production
Pay-per-card + per-transaction
Enterprise
Custom + dedicated BIN
Strength
No minimum + standalone
Migration steps
  1. Sign up at lithic.com (sandbox).
  2. Build production card program in sandbox.
  3. Verify compliance and KYC flows.
  4. Migrate from Stripe Issuing with parallel-issue period.
  5. Cancel Stripe Issuing after 30-day overlap.

Not for: Lithic is the wrong fit for teams already deeply on Stripe Connect or those needing Stripe's broader payments ecosystem; staying with Stripe Issuing is correct for Stripe-native stacks.

Paid plans from $500.00/mo

#3

Bond Financial Technologies

High switching effort

Best for banking-as-a-service bundle

Try Bond Financial Technologies

Bond Starter at ~$5K monthly covers cards + accounts + payments with bank-of-record relationships included; Growth at $15K-$30K monthly covers multiple programs and multi-bank partners; Enterprise covers dedicated tech team and custom programs. The differentiator vs Stripe Issuing is the full banking stack: where Stripe Issuing handles cards but requires Stripe Treasury or external bank partnerships for accounts, Bond bundles cards plus accounts plus payments plus compliance plus bank partnerships in one contract. For neobanks and embedded-finance products, Bond removes the multi-vendor coordination that Stripe Issuing-only setups face. The trade vs Stripe: 5x the minimum cost, longer onboarding, and the platform assumes embedded-finance scale.

Strengths

  • +Cards + accounts + payments bundled
  • +Bank-of-record relationships included
  • +Compliance support included
  • +Multi-bank partner network on Growth

Trade-offs

  • −$5K monthly minimum (5x Stripe entry)
  • −Longer onboarding than Stripe
  • −Best fit only for full banking stack
Starter
Custom (~$5K/mo)
Growth
Custom (~$15K-$30K/mo)
Enterprise
Custom (~$50K/mo)
Strength
Banking-as-a-service
Migration steps
  1. Schedule call with Bond (4-6 weeks discovery).
  2. Identify bank partner from Bond's network.
  3. Implement Bond API for cards + accounts + payments.
  4. Run parallel with Stripe Issuing for 60-90 days.
  5. Cancel Stripe Issuing when Bond covers full banking stack.

Not for: Bond is the wrong fit for cards-only programs without account or payment needs; Stripe Issuing, Lithic, or Marqeta fit those better.

Paid plans from $5,000.00/mo

#4

Adyen Issuing

High switching effort

Best for multi-currency European programs

Try Adyen Issuing

Adyen Issuing bundles with Adyen processing for multi-currency cards with volume-based interchange; Enterprise covers Adyen-issued BIN and bank partnerships with PCI Level 1 compliance. The differentiator vs Stripe Issuing is the European-first multi-currency model: where Stripe Issuing primarily targets US-based programs, Adyen Issuing handles EUR + GBP + USD + multi-currency natively with European bank partnerships. For European fintech and multi-region merchants who already use Adyen for processing, Adyen Issuing extends the relationship cleanly. The trade vs Stripe: smaller US program, requires Adyen processing relationship for best pricing.

Strengths

  • +Multi-currency European programs native
  • +Adyen-issued BIN + bank partnerships
  • +Bundled with Adyen processing
  • +PCI Level 1 European compliance

Trade-offs

  • −Smaller US program than Stripe
  • −Requires Adyen processing relationship
  • −Higher entry cost (~5K EUR/mo typical)
Standard
Bundled with Adyen processing
Enterprise
Custom (~20K EUR/mo)
Currency
EUR + GBP + USD multi-currency
Strength
European multi-currency
Migration steps
  1. Schedule call with Adyen (4-6 weeks discovery).
  2. Establish Adyen processing relationship if not already.
  3. Configure card programs in Adyen platform.
  4. Migrate from Stripe Issuing with parallel period.
  5. Cancel Stripe Issuing for European programs.

Not for: Adyen Issuing is the wrong fit for US-only programs or teams not on Adyen processing; staying with Stripe Issuing is correct for US-first programs.

Paid plans from $5,500.00/mo

#5

Highnote

Free tierMedium switching effort

Best for GraphQL-first with multiple BIN partners

Try Highnote

Highnote Sandbox is free; Production charges pay-per-card plus per-transaction fees with no minimum on entry; Enterprise covers dedicated CSM and custom programs. The differentiator vs Stripe Issuing is the GraphQL-first API plus multiple BIN partner options: where Stripe Issuing uses REST and a single BIN sponsorship, Highnote uses GraphQL with the option to switch BIN partners as your program grows. For developers who prefer GraphQL ergonomics or need flexibility on BIN sponsorship for compliance reasons, Highnote fits cleanly. The trade vs Stripe: smaller customer base, less mature documentation.

Strengths

  • +GraphQL API for clean type-safe SDKs
  • +Multiple BIN partner options
  • +No platform minimum on entry
  • +Card + account + ledger primitives

Trade-offs

  • −Smaller customer base than Stripe
  • −Less mature SDK documentation
  • −Newer platform with smaller ecosystem
Sandbox
Free, GraphQL API
Production
Pay-per-card + per-transaction
Enterprise
Custom + dedicated CSM
Strength
GraphQL + multi-BIN
Migration steps
  1. Sign up at highnote.com (sandbox).
  2. Build representative card program in sandbox.
  3. Validate compliance flows and KYC.
  4. Migrate from Stripe Issuing.
  5. Cancel Stripe Issuing after 30-day overlap.

Not for: Highnote is the wrong fit for teams who need Stripe's broader payments ecosystem or REST-only API preferences; staying with Stripe Issuing is correct for those.

Paid plans from $1,000.00/mo

When to stay with Stripe Issuing

Stay with Stripe Issuing if your platform is built on Stripe Connect, your virtual cards plus physical cards run through Stripe APIs in production, or your existing Stripe support relationship covers issuing alongside payments. The picks below address enterprise Marqeta with multi-program flexibility, developer-friendly Lithic with no minimums, full-stack Bond banking-as-a-service, multi-currency Adyen Issuing, GraphQL-first Highnote, and white-label Galileo processing.

5 Alternatives to Stripe Issuing

Marqeta

Marqeta from $8,000.00/mo

From $8,000.00/mo

Switch to Marqeta
LithicFree tier

Lithic starts at $500.00/mo vs Stripe Issuing Premium support at $1,800.00/mo

From $500.00/mo

Save $1,300.00/mo ($15,600.00/yr)

Switch to Lithic
Bond Financial Technologies

Bond Financial Technologies from $5,000.00/mo

From $5,000.00/mo

Switch to Bond Financial Technologies
Adyen Issuing

Adyen Issuing from $5,500.00/mo

From $5,500.00/mo

Switch to Adyen Issuing
HighnoteFree tier

Highnote starts at $1,000.00/mo vs Stripe Issuing Premium support at $1,800.00/mo

From $1,000.00/mo

Save $800.00/mo ($9,600.00/yr)

Switch to Highnote

Price Comparison

Compared against Stripe Issuing Premium support ($1,800.00/mo)

Continue your research

Marqeta alternativesLithic alternativesBond Financial Technologies alternativesAdyen Issuing alternativesHighnote alternatives

How we picked

Card issuing platform alternatives split along three vectors: bank-relationship model (single-BIN-sponsored vs modular-bring-your-own vs banking-as-a-service-bundle), pricing model (per-card-fees vs platform-minimums vs interchange-based), and regional fit (US-first vs multi-currency-Europe vs global). Picks below address each combination.

Pricing pulled from each vendor's site or customer reports on the review date. Custom-priced platforms are reported as ranges from documented contracts. We score on cost-at-volume for representative fintech programs (10K-100K active cards), API ergonomics (REST vs GraphQL), compliance posture (PCI, KYC, dispute management), and operational lift to migrate. We weight against tools whose advertised pricing excludes essential bank-partner or BIN-sponsorship fees that compound at production volume.

Update history1 update
  • Initial published version with 5 picks.

Frequently asked questions about Stripe Issuing alternatives

Why use a card-issuing platform instead of building direct bank relationships?

Three reasons: (1) bank partnerships take 6-12 months to establish from scratch and require regulatory expertise; (2) BIN sponsorship requires existing bank relationships that early-stage fintech does not have; (3) processor integration plus compliance plus dispute management is a 12-18 month build. Card issuing platforms compress that to 30-90 days at the cost of platform fees. Most fintech under $50M annual card volume find platforms pay back; above that, in-house may make sense.

What is the difference between virtual and physical cards?

Virtual cards exist only as 16-digit numbers (with CVV and expiration) and are issued instantly via API. Used for: B2B vendor payments, expense management, online subscriptions. Physical cards have plastic, get mailed to cardholders, take 7-14 days to arrive. Used for: consumer-facing card products, employee corporate cards. Stripe Issuing $0.10 per virtual card vs $3 plus $0.50 per use for physical. Most card-issuing programs use virtual primarily, with physical as a higher-cost option.

How do interchange fees work in card issuing?

Interchange is the fee paid by the merchant when a card is used; the issuing platform takes a cut and passes the rest to your business. Typical interchange: 1.5-3% of transaction value, with debit cards lower than credit, Visa/Mastercard typical, Amex higher. Card issuing platforms negotiate interchange tiers based on volume and program type. For high-volume programs ($10M+ monthly), interchange revenue can be a meaningful business line; for low-volume programs, platform fees often exceed interchange revenue.

What about KYC, KYB, and compliance for card-issuing programs?

Every card-issuing program requires KYC (Know Your Customer) for cardholders and KYB (Know Your Business) for issuing entity. Stripe Issuing handles KYC via Stripe Connect for cardholders. Marqeta, Lithic, Bond, and others provide KYC tools or integrations. Compliance varies by region (US BSA, EU AMLD, UK FCA, etc.). Plan for: monthly compliance reporting, annual audits, ongoing KYC re-verification. The platform fee covers the bulk of this; expect to add 0.5-1.5 FTEs for compliance ops at growth scale.

Can I switch card-issuing platforms without disrupting cardholders?

Difficult but possible. The challenge: existing cards have BIN ranges tied to specific bank partners; switching platforms typically means re-issuing cards with new BIN ranges. Standard migration pattern: (1) issue new cards on new platform 60-90 days before cutover, (2) communicate to cardholders to update online subscriptions and saved cards, (3) phase out old cards over 90 days, (4) close old platform contract. Total migration: 6-9 months for active card programs.

SE

About the author: Subrupt Editorial

The team behind subrupt.com. We track subscriptions, surface cheaper alternatives, and publish comparisons where the score formula is on the page so you can recompute it yourself. We do not claim 30,000 hours of testing. What we claim is live pricing from our database, a transparent composite score, and honest savings math against a category baseline.

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