Card Issuing API for Africa

Yes. Fyatu's card issuing API is designed to serve African fintechs directly. You can issue virtual Visa and Mastercard cards to users in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa, Morocco, and across the continent. Cards are issued in seconds via API call, support 3D Secure 2.0, and can be denominated in USD or EUR for international online spending — addressing the core need of African consumers who want reliable cards for SaaS, streaming, advertising, and e-commerce platforms.

Fyatu card programs are funded via stablecoin — specifically USDT and USDC on supported networks. African users send stablecoins from any compatible wallet or exchange to fund their card balance, which is then available for spending instantly. This removes the dependency on traditional banking infrastructure entirely — no bank account, no correspondent banking relationship, no SWIFT transfer required. For African fintechs building products for unbanked or underbanked users, stablecoin funding is a powerful equalizer that opens the global card economy to anyone with a crypto wallet.

Decline rates on African-issued international cards can exceed 30% on platforms like Meta Ads, Google Ads, or Shopify. Fyatu issues cards on well-maintained Visa and Mastercard BINs with strong international acceptance rates. Additionally, our JIT authorization system allows your platform to ensure sufficient funds exist before a transaction is approved, eliminating NSF declines. We also provide real-time transaction webhooks so your team can monitor and respond to decline patterns immediately.

Kulipa is an Africa-focused card issuing platform that serves the continent. The primary differentiators with Fyatu are stablecoin funding (USDT & USDC) as the core funding rail — removing traditional banking dependencies — transparent flat per-card pricing, full JIT authorization webhooks, and multi-region BIN coverage so your card program can expand beyond Africa under the same API contract. For African fintechs targeting users who hold stablecoins or want USD-denominated cards without a traditional bank account, Fyatu's stablecoin-native architecture is a significant advantage.

Fyatu handles the heavy lifting of card network compliance — PCI DSS, 3D Secure 2.0, and Visa/Mastercard program rules — at the platform level. Your business remains responsible for KYC/AML compliance for your end users under your local regulatory framework (e.g., CBN requirements in Nigeria, CBK regulations in Kenya). Fyatu's API supports programmatic cardholder creation with KYC status fields, so your compliance team can enforce identity verification before activating a cardholder's virtual or prepaid card.