Bridgecard has been a familiar name for fintechs issuing virtual cards in Nigeria and across Africa. Its website now states that card issuing has moved to a new platform, and that new virtual card sign-ups go through Anchor.
For teams that issue cards today, that raises practical questions about continuity, onboarding, and whether the new setup still fits as the programme grows.
This guide compares 7 Bridgecard alternatives on markets, card types, authorization, controls, and pricing, so you can choose the provider that fits your programme.
Key Takeaways
- Bridgecard's website now directs new virtual card sign-ups to Anchor, so teams that need a provider should compare their options before they migrate.
- Miden offers API-based card-issuing infrastructure for businesses building customer and corporate card programmes, alongside accounts, collections, and disbursements.
- Marqeta, Lithic, and Adyen Issuing offer configurable card programmes for businesses operating in their supported markets.
- Market availability, compliance requirements, and implementation effort vary by provider and should be verified before choosing.
Why Are Businesses Looking for Bridgecard Alternatives?
Bridgecard built its name on easy-to-integrate APIs for issuing virtual and physical cards in Africa, which suited many early-stage fintechs.
The most immediate reason to compare providers is the platform move. Bridgecard's website now says its card issuing services have been upgraded and migrated to a new platform, and that new virtual card sign-ups must be completed through Anchor. The notice also says access to card issuing services will remain seamless, but it does not explain how the move affects existing integrations, pricing, or support. Confirm those details directly before you decide.
Other reasons are about growth. Teams often need more markets, more currencies, or services such as accounts, collections, and payouts alongside cards, and many want to compare terms before committing to a new platform. The providers below are compared on those points, starting with Miden.
Best Bridgecard Alternatives at a Glance
The best Bridgecard alternative depends on your card-issuing needs, target markets, and business requirements. The table below compares seven providers across key criteria to help you assess their suitability.
|
Provider |
Best for |
Supported markets |
Card capabilities |
Integration and controls |
Pricing model |
|
Miden |
Fintechs and platforms building retail or corporate card programmes |
Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, and Sierra Leone |
Virtual and physical cards; retail, corporate, and corporate lite programmes |
API-based issuance, cardholder KYC, spend limits, merchant controls, transaction tracking, and managed or customer-managed authorization |
Custom quote / Not publicly disclosed |
|
Marqeta |
Established fintechs and enterprises building configurable card programmes |
Certified to operate in 40+ countries; programme availability varies |
Virtual, physical, and tokenized cards; debit, prepaid, and credit programmes |
APIs, real-time authorization, spend controls, webhooks, funding controls, and reconciliation |
Custom quote / Not publicly disclosed |
|
Lithic |
Fintechs building consumer or commercial card programmes |
Domestic and international programmes advertised; specific eligible markets not publicly documented |
Virtual and physical cards; debit, prepaid, charge, and credit programmes |
APIs, webhooks, real-time authorization rules, spend controls, card lifecycle management, and digital wallet support |
Custom quote / Not publicly disclosed |
|
Adyen Issuing |
Businesses and platforms building card programmes for employee spending, supplier payments, and embedded financial services. |
European Economic Area (EEA), UK, and US. |
Customizable virtual and physical Visa and Mastercard cards. |
API-based integration; custom authorization logic, automated transaction rules, and shared or individual card balances. |
Custom quote / Not publicly disclosed. |
1. Miden
Best for: Fintechs and platforms that want card issuing together with accounts, collections, treasury, and payouts.
Miden provides API-based card-issuing infrastructure for businesses that want to issue and manage virtual and physical cards for customers, employees, vendors, and partners. Its programmes support retail, corporate, and corporate lite cards, which businesses can integrate into their own products and systems.
Cards run on the same ledger as Miden's accounts, collections, treasury, and disbursements, so issuing, funding, and payouts stay in one place.
Features
- Card programmes: Supports retail, corporate, and corporate lite cards for different business and customer needs.
- Spending limits and PIN management: Set spending limits and manage card PINs to help control card usage.
- Merchant controls: Use merchant allowlists and blocklists to restrict where cards can be used.
- Balance and transaction tracking: Monitor card balances and transactions throughout their lifecycle.
- Authorization models: Miden offers two options: Miden-managed, where Miden handles transaction decisions and card balances with less setup, and customer-managed, where the business controls approvals and funding but must build a hosted authorization endpoint that responds within 400ms.
- Treasury funding: Cards draw from a central multi-currency treasury account, so individual cards do not need to be prefunded.
Pricing
Custom quote / Not publicly disclosed.
Advantages
Miden's spending limits and merchant allowlists and blocklists give businesses control over card usage. Its transaction tracking supports visibility into card activity, while its business accounts, collections, disbursements, and wallet infrastructure provide access to financial services beyond card issuing.
Limitations
Miden operates in Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, and Sierra Leone, so confirm eligibility if you plan to issue cards elsewhere. Cardholders must complete the required verification before card issuance. Customer-managed authorization also requires a hosted endpoint and additional technical setup to manage transaction decisions and card funding.
2. Marqeta
Best for: Established fintechs and businesses building configurable card programmes across multiple markets.
Marqeta operates across the card programme lifecycle, covering everything from card creation to transaction processing and ongoing management. Its infrastructure supports debit, prepaid, and credit products for consumer and commercial use, with APIs and programme management services available to companies building payment solutions.
Features
- Multiple card types: Issue physical, virtual, and tokenized cards across debit, prepaid, and credit programmes.
- Real-time authorization: Approve, decline, or route transactions using rules that can be updated as business needs change.
- Dynamic spend controls: Set limits on where, when, and how much cardholders can spend.
- Just-in-time funding: Fund prepaid transactions at authorization instead of holding funds on cards before purchases occur.
- Digital wallet support: Enable tokenized cards for use in supported digital wallets.
- Programme management: Access support for bank connections, compliance, card fulfillment, disputes, and reconciliation.
Pricing
Custom quote / Not publicly disclosed.
Advantages
Marqeta combines card issuing and transaction processing on one platform, giving businesses control over card usage, authorization, and funding. Its additional programme management services can also reduce the need to coordinate separate providers for bank connections and card operations.
Limitations
Marqeta is not a bank, so card programmes rely on its banking partners for relevant banking services. Although it is certified to operate in 40+ countries, its published expansion announcements centre on North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America, so confirm it can serve your African markets and programme.
3. Lithic
Best for: Fintechs building configurable consumer and commercial card programmes.
Lithic covers several layers of payment infrastructure, from financial account setup and card administration to transaction processing. Businesses can integrate these capabilities through its APIs and choose between running their card programmes independently or relying on Lithic's programme management services.
Features
- Multiple card types: Issue virtual and physical debit, prepaid, charge, and credit cards for consumer or commercial use.
- Real-time authorization controls: Apply rules based on transaction amount, merchant category, time, and spending frequency.
- Digital wallet and token management: Provision cards to supported digital wallets and manage merchant tokens through APIs.
- Card lifecycle management: Issue, pause, resume, or cancel cards and manage cardholder spending limits.
- Money movement and ledgers: Use financial accounts, settlement APIs, and ACH or wire transfers to manage funds and reconcile transactions.
- Programme management: Access optional support for bank sponsorship, compliance, card manufacturing, disputes, and cardholder support.
Pricing
Custom quote / Not publicly disclosed.
Advantages
Lithic combines issuing, transaction controls, and money movement tools on one platform. Businesses can automate card decisions, monitor transactions through webhooks, and manage funds through its ledger and payment APIs. Its two service models also let businesses choose how much programme and compliance responsibility they retain.
Limitations
Lithic supports domestic and international programmes, but eligibility depends on the programme and market. Businesses using its processing-only model must provide their own bank partnership, BIN sponsorship, and compliance programme.
4. Adyen Issuing
Best for: Businesses and platforms building card programmes for employees, customers, or suppliers, particularly those focused on spend management and embedded payments.
Adyen Issuing provides API-based infrastructure for businesses to create and manage virtual and physical cards. Its platform connects card issuing with balance management and transaction processing, giving businesses control over card usage, funding, and authorization.
Features
- Virtual and physical cards: Issue customizable Visa and Mastercard cards for business and customer use.
- Real-time authorization: Approve or decline transactions through custom authorization logic and transaction rules.
- Spend controls: Set spending limits and restrict transactions based on business rules.
- Flexible balance management: Use a shared pool of funds for card payments or maintain separate balances for individual cards.
- API-based integration: Create accounts, manage balances, and issue cards through Adyen's Balance Platform APIs.
- Transaction visibility: Track card activity and integrate transaction data with reporting and reconciliation systems.
Pricing
Custom quote / Not publicly disclosed.
Advantages
Adyen Issuing combines card issuing, balance management, and transaction controls within its broader payments infrastructure. Its API-based approach gives businesses flexibility to build card programmes around employee spending, supplier payments, and embedded financial services.
Limitations
Adyen Issuing is currently available in the EEA, UK, and US, limiting access for businesses operating in other markets, including Africa.
What Should You Look for in a Bridgecard Alternative?
The right provider depends on how you plan to use card issuing, the resources available to your team, and the requirements of your business. Here’s what to look for when considering a Bridgecard alternative:
1. Market availability
Confirm that the provider can serve your business and intended cardholders in your target markets.
2. Card programme requirements
Check that it supports your required card types, currencies, and network, along with your intended use case.
3. Technical integration
Review the available APIs, webhooks, and authorization options to determine whether they fit your team's technical capabilities and existing systems.
4. Compliance and eligibility
Understand the verification, licensing, banking sponsorship, and programme requirements that apply, including which responsibilities fall to your business.
5. Implementation effort
Ask what onboarding, approvals, integration work, and other steps must be completed before you can issue your first card.
6. Total cost
Compare setup fees, monthly charges, card issuance, transactions, funding, and other applicable costs. The lowest advertised fee does not necessarily mean the lowest overall cost. Integration work, verification, and ongoing operational responsibilities can add to the expense.
7. Future requirements
Consider whether the provider can accommodate new markets, higher transaction volumes, additional card programmes, and broader financial services as your business expands.
Build Your Next Card Programme with Miden
Choosing a card-issuing provider involves a deep evaluation beyond the features on offer. Market availability, API capabilities, card controls, compliance requirements, integration work, and pricing all affect whether a provider fits your business.
Miden provides API-based card-issuing infrastructure for businesses issuing cards to customers, employees, vendors, and partners. It supports retail, corporate, and corporate lite programmes, with tools for setting spending limits, managing PINs, restricting merchant transactions, and tracking balances and transactions, on the same platform as its accounts, collections, treasury, and disbursements.
These capabilities suit teams moving a card programme off Bridgecard, building customer-facing card products, or managing spending across teams and partners.
Miden supports Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, and Sierra Leone. Cardholders complete verification before cards are issued, and customer-managed authorization needs additional engineering. Confirm programme eligibility and pricing during scoping.
Planning to launch or expand a card programme?
Contact the Miden Team to Book a Technical Consultation
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the best alternatives to Bridgecard for card issuing?
Options include Miden, Marqeta, Lithic, and Ayden Issuing. The best fit depends on your programme requirements, target markets, and budget.
2. Is Bridgecard still operational?
Bridgecard has been listed as inactive by Y Combinator, although its website and API documentation remain available.
3. What should businesses look for in a card-issuing API?
Check market availability, card types, currencies, spending controls, API capabilities, compliance requirements, and pricing.
4. Can businesses issue virtual and physical cards through Miden?
Yes. Miden supports virtual and physical cards across retail, corporate, and corporate lite programmes.
5. Which card-issuing providers support businesses in Nigeria?
Miden offers card-issuing infrastructure for businesses in Nigeria. Confirm eligibility, supported card types, and requirements based on your business needs.
6. How much does card-issuing infrastructure cost?
Costs vary by provider. Sudo Africa publishes its fees, while several alternatives require custom quotes.
7. How long does it take to integrate a card-issuing API?
Timelines depend on onboarding, verification, technical requirements, and approvals. Confirm estimated timelines with the provider.
8. What compliance requirements apply when issuing cards?
Requirements may include business and cardholder verification, banking sponsorship, licensing, and card-network rules, depending on the programme and market.
