Stripe Corporate Card Review

Pros

• Customizable commercial card program
• No setup fees
• Automatic reconciliation
• Virtual & physical cards
• Multi-currency support

Cons

• Not all businesses will qualify
• Must create or have a Stripe account and be approved for live Issuing access
• Fees for cards can add up

What Is Stripe Issuing?

If you want a truly personalized card program for your business, Stripe Issuing may be worth looking into, especially if you already use Stripe for payment processing.

Stripe Issuing allows businesses to create, manage, and scale a commercial card program for their users. Stripe Issuing is a compliance-first program, with bank partners and an experienced compliance team to help you launch your card program. Some businesses may use Stripe Issuing with their own banking relationships, but Stripe’s standard Issuing model uses Stripe’s bank partners and card network partnerships.

Fintech-focused businesses that want a truly personalized experience for employees and customers — from expense management and fleet management to credit programs and customer rewards — will appreciate what Stripe has to offer.

Stripe Issuing is not a traditional rewards corporate card. It is a card-issuing platform that lets eligible businesses build their own card program.

Stripe Issuing Rewards & Perks

As mentioned, Stripe once promoted a corporate card with cash-back rewards. Currently, that product no longer seems to be available.

Businesses with large transaction volume or unique business models may be able to discuss custom economics and interchange revenue sharing with Stripe. Depending on your program structure and Stripe’s approval, interchange revenue sharing may help support your business model or customer rewards program.

Unfortunately, Stripe doesn’t appear to offer any perks, discounts, or other rewards directly through Stripe Issuing. However, partner discounts and perks may be available through other products in the Stripe ecosystem, such as Stripe Atlas for startups.

Access To Other Stripe Services

One of the biggest perks of Stripe Issuing is that it integrates directly with Stripe and gives you access to other key Stripe services like:

• Stripe Payment Processing
• Stripe Capital
• Stripe Invoices
• Stripe Treasury

Based on how you set up your card program, users may benefit from some of these services. For example, users can hold funds, pay bills, and earn yield with Stripe Treasury, and customers can access funding through Stripe Capital.

Stripe Issuing Pricing & Fees

You won’t find traditional card fees like monthly or annual fees when you create your corporate card program through Stripe Issuing. These cards aren’t completely fee-free, though.

The following fees apply:

Stripe doesn’t list specific guidelines for Issuing eligibility besides the fact that you must have a Stripe account. You will need to contact Stripe Sales for more information about the program.

Stripe does note that Issuing is “the preferred card issuance infrastructure provider for disruptive startups, innovative software platforms, and evolving enterprises.”

Stripe Issuing Application Process

Stripe Issuing is available in the US, UK, and European Economic Area, with stablecoin-backed card programs available in more than 30 countries. Eligible users can test Issuing in a sandbox before going live. This allows Stripe users to see how Issuing works, get hands-on with the service, and determine if it’s a good fit for their business.

Access to test mode does not mean you’re approved for Stripe Issuing. You will need to contact Stripe Sales directly to request access to live mode. You can do this directly from the Stripe Issuing landing page.

After providing details about your business, Stripe will determine if your use case is supported and will contact you with more information about getting started.

Stripe Issuing Features

Stripe Issuing allows you to create a corporate card program customized for your users.

Notable features include:

• Multi-currency support
• Real-time transaction approval
• Create physical & virtual cards
• Cards can pushed to digital wallets
• Custom card branding
• Set spending controls for cards & cardholders, including category restrictions, spending limits, & geographic controls
• Automated categorization
• Earn interchange revenue with card usage
• Attach cards to Stripe Treasury or Stripe Capital

Stripe Issuing Customer Service

Stripe offers 24/7 phone & live chat support for all customers.

When paired with the knowledgebase and extensive developer documentation, Stripe’s support options are quite solid. However, customers have mixed reviews on the quality of the customer support representatives.

Stripe Issuing Customer Reviews

Stripe has a large online presence with mixed reviews. Stripe gets a lot of praise for the quality of its service. However, it also gets a high volume of complaints regarding account stability, although this happens with all third-party processors due to the inherent risk of account holds & terminations.

For Stripe Issuing specifically, there are far fewer reviews. Stripe Issuing earns a 4.3 out of 5 on G2 (based on 19+ reviews) and a 3.7 out of 5 on Capterra (based on 3 reviews).

Negative Stripe Issuing Reviews & Complaints

• Long payout times
• Couldn’t get approved to use Stripe Issuing
• Global accessibility is limited
• Limited reporting features

Positive Stripe Issuing Reviews

• Great customization & control
• User-friendly platform
• No setup fees
• Easy to create & manage cards
• Real-time tracking & card management

Is Stripe Issuing Safe?

Stripe is certified as a PCI Service Provider Level 1, the highest level of PCI certification available in the payments industry.

Final Verdict: Is Stripe Issuing Worth It?

Stripe Issuing isn’t like most corporate cards we review. Instead, this platform allows you to create a custom card program that’s right for your business. Stripe Issuing may be a good fit for businesses that want to build a custom commercial card program and can meet Stripe’s eligibility and compliance requirements.

However, there are a few things worth noting here. You have to have a Stripe account to qualify, and even then, not all businesses will qualify for Stripe Issuing — you must prove your use case before being approved to go live. This also isn’t a plug-and-play solution. If you’re looking for a corporate card program that offers rewards or is already set up for you, try one of the best corporate cards instead.

When To Choose Stripe Issuing

When To Pass On Stripe Issuing

If you already use Stripe for processing and want a truly customized card program, it’s worth reaching out to Stripe to learn more and to see if you qualify.