Stripe Issuing allows you to create a customized corporate card program for your business. Here's what you need to know before signing up.
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Last updated onUpdated
REVIEWED BY
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| Total Rating | 3.0 |
|---|---|
| Rewards & Perks0.9 | |
| Rates & Fees5.0 | |
| Features3.4 | |
| Eligibility Requirements5.0 | |
| Customer Service4.5 | |
| User Reviews4.0 | |
Annual Fee
$0Minimum Credit Score Requirements
N/ARewards Rate Range
N/ATable of Contents
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 you to create a customized card issuing program for your business. Stripe Issuing is a compliance-first program, with bank partners and an experienced compliance team to help you launch your card program. You can also opt for a processing only model that allows you to maintain your own banking relationships and licenses.
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.
At the time of our last review, Stripe offered a rewards corporate card available by invitation only. There are no updates on this card, and it is no longer promoted by Stripe.
| Rewards & Perks0.9 |
|---|
| Rewards Earning 1.0 |
| Rewards Redemption 0.7 |
As mentioned, Stripe once promoted a corporate card with cash-back rewards. Currently, that product no longer seems to be available.
However, under Stripe Issuing, you can earn a share of interchange revenue from every purchase. You can opt to keep this revenue for your business, or you can use it to provide rewards for your customers.
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.
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:
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.
| Rates & Fees5.0 |
|---|
| Annual Fee 5.0 |
| Other Fees 5.0 |
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:
| Fee | Cost |
|---|---|
| International Payments | 1% + 30¢ for cross-border transactions |
| Currency Conversion | 1% |
| Virtual Card Creation | $0.10 per card |
| Physical Card Creation | $3.50 per card |
| Disputes | $15 per dispute |
| Eligibility Requirements5.0 |
|---|
| Business Requirements 5.0 |
| Personal Guarantee 5.0 |
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 users in the US, UK, and certain countries in the EU have access to Issuing’s test mode right within their dashboard. 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.
| Features3.4 |
|---|
| Business Perks 4.0 |
| Extra Benefits 0.0 |
Stripe Issuing allows you to create a corporate card program customized for your users.
Notable features include:
| Customer Service4.5 |
|---|
| Support Options 5.0 |
| Support Quality 4.0 |
Stripe offers 24/7 phone & live chat support for all customers.
| Stripe Issuing Customer Service | Availability |
|---|---|
| Phone Support | |
| Email Support | |
| Support Tickets | |
| Live Chat | |
| Dedicated Support Representative | |
| Knowledge Base or Help Center | |
| Videos & Tutorials | |
| Company Blog | |
| Social Media |
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.
| User Reviews4.0 |
|---|
| User Feedback 4.0 |
| Review Site Aggregate 4.0 |
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).
As an eCommerce-focused payment processor, Stripe is a PCI Service Provider Level 1, which is the strongest certification level available in the payments industry.
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. Whether you want to use your existing licenses or want to use Stripe’s compliance team and bank partners to launch your program, Stripe Issuing has what you’re looking for.
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.
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.
Merchant Maverick has been researching and reviewing business credit cards and corporate cards since 2018. Our writers have evaluated over sixty different business card products. In each corporate card review, we evaluate rewards and perks, rates and fees, features, eligibility requirements, customer service, and user reviews. Read more about how we rate corporate cards.
Note: We use a different credit card rating methodology to evaluate traditional business credit cards, as they often differ from corporate cards in benefits, qualifications, and use cases.
When comparing corporate cards, we consider many data points, including the specifics of cash back and spending rewards, the presence of annual fees, the breadth and flexibility of reward redemption options, revenue and time in business qualifications, credit score requirements, and extra perks. Our lists of the best corporate cards include only those we’ve deemed worthwhile from multiple vantage points and often share qualities such as widespread availability, low fees, competitive rewards, and reasonable revenue, cash-on-hand, and time in business requirements.
We spend an average of 10-15 hours researching and updating each one of our lists, making sure the corporate cards included meet our internal standards for quality and reputation.
The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆
Stripe Issuing |
|---|
After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see Stripe Issuing for yourself.
The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆
Stripe Issuing |
|---|
After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see Stripe Issuing for yourself.
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Merchant Maverick’s ratings are editorial in nature, and are not aggregated from user reviews. Each staff reviewer at Merchant Maverick is a subject matter expert with experience researching, testing, and evaluating small business software and services. The rating of this company or service is based on the author’s expert opinion and analysis of the product, and assessed and seconded by another subject matter expert on staff before publication. Merchant Maverick’s ratings are not influenced by affiliate partnerships.
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Our team of experts spends hours on every review so that we can find the best companies to recommend to our readers. Stripe Issuing made the cut.
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