Visa Card Program Management

Supporting issuers with managing cardholder programs

available for use by

Issuer Banks
Independent Developers
Issuer Banks for Small Business

Regional Availability

N. America
Asia-Pacific
Europe
CEMEA
LAC

Fees & Terms

Free to use in Sandbox. Contact for Production fees. Product terms located at end of the page.

Easily enroll and manage card programs in a digital, near real-time environment

Visa Card Program Management is a suite of APIs that enable issuers, processors, and issuer partners to manage card programs in a modern digital environment. There are two components: enrollment, which is done through the Visa Card Program Enrollment (VCPE) API, and inquiry, which is done through the Visa Credential Data Inquiry (VCDI) API (currently in restricted mode).

VCPE is an API that enables issuers and processors/issuer partners who want to offer instant/digital issuance or re-issuance; as well as allow their cardholders to upgrade and downgrade cards in their banking app and enjoy new rewards programs in near real-time without changing their 16-digit card number.

VCDI is an API that enables issuers, processors/issuer partners, and internal Visa applications to retrieve card program and product information, and also provides notification about successful card enrollment and current status of the card. It closes the loop for near real-time card program management, providing a way for clients to check eligibility, enrollment status, and other credential attributes.

Key Features

Card Enrollment in a Program

Issue multiple products within a licensed BIN range (in the same product category)

Card Upgrade and Downgrade

Maintain a single 16-digit card number for their cardholders while having the flexibility to upgrade and downgrade cards

Near real-time product-based interchange and benefits assignment

Optimize interchange and provide benefits to cardholders in near real time for digitally issued cards

Unique Benefits of Visa Card Program Management

Visa Card Program Enrollment (VCPE)

When issuers and processors utilize VCPE API, cardholders can begin benefiting from rewards when cards change portfolios or need to be replaced. Issuers can receive product-based interchange on transactions from instantly issued cards ensuring a seamless journey for both cardholders and issuers.
There is a significant opportunity to boost instant issuance, optimize interchange, and improve benefits for issuers using VCPE.
Instant issuance results in increased early usage and habituation resulting in 30% of cardholders using their card on the first day, and 70% of cardholders within five days. Over a 45-day period, instant issuance cards outperformed mailed cards by 53% (FIS, Credit Union Times, 2017).
VCPE API addresses the back-office considerations for instant issuance by enabling the issuer to enroll cards into their card programs in near real-time. VCPE can have important impacts on the issuer’s cardholder experience and financials removing the up to 72-hour barrier of cardholders being able to use their card.
Improved cardholder loyalty experience results in increased top of wallet, lower customer service calls, and higher retention. Meanwhile, product-based interchange assignment can be applied on the first transaction helping to ensure higher interchange revenue for premium cards. Traditionally, RPIN enrollment is done through a batch process. VCPE can help issuers improve their digital issuance experience through real-time card enrollment.

Visa Credential Data Inquiry (VCDI)

VCDE API helps enablers and fintechs better manage their portfolios (with issuer consent); allows issuers to understand and manage enrollments and changes in their card programs; and increases operational efficiency and reduces cost by replacing legacy and proprietary infrastructure with a self-service card program reporting capability.
There is a significant opportunity to boost instant issuance, reissuance, card program management enrollment, and eligibility for issuers using VCDI. VCDI also enables faster time-to-market by increasing operational efficiency and reducing cost for issuers. VCDI will help improve efficiency by providing near real-time updates on program and capability to fetch the latest/upgraded/downgraded product type for a particular PAN/Account.

APIs Included

Visa Card Program Enrollment API

Visa Card Program Enrollment (VCPE) is a suite of APIs that enable issuers and processors to enroll and manage cardholder programs in a digital, near real-time environment. VCPE supports issuers that want to offer instant/digital issuance or re-issuance; as well as allow their cardholders to upgrade and downgrade cards in their banking app and enjoy new rewards programs in near real-time without needing a physical card and without changing their 16-digit card number.

Visa Credential Data Inquiry API

Visa Credential Data Inquiry (VCDI) is an API that enables issuers, processors, fintechs, and cobrand merchants to retrieve card program, product, linking, and merchant cobrand information for business operations, promotional activities, and digital engagement with cardholders. Additionally, it offers notifications for successful card enrollment and updates on the card's current status.