Nium launches US domestic card issuance for businesses

Nium has launched domestic card issuance in the United States, extending its issuing platform into North America.

Businesses serving the US market can now issue local cards through the same platform they use to access Nium's payment network in more than 190 countries. The launch adds the US to a card issuing footprint that already spans Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East.

Over the past 12 months, Nium issued more than 41 million card credentials across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Europe. With the US addition, domestic and international businesses operating in the American market can issue cards locally, while existing users of Nium-issued cards in other regions can also access the programme there.

The expansion comes as companies with international operations look to reduce the number of payment providers, technical integrations and compliance processes they manage across markets. Nium is positioning a single issuing and payments platform as an alternative to separate local arrangements in each region.

Rob Regan, Executive Vice President of the Americas at Nium, pointed to the size of the North American market.

"The virtual cards market is projected to reach $15.14 trillion by 2031, with North America representing roughly 45 percent of that growth," Regan said.

"US card issuance gives businesses the infrastructure to capture that opportunity, pairing local economics with global scale."

Visa also backed the expansion. According to Nium, it is a principal member of card schemes including Visa, Mastercard, Discover and UATP.

"Nium delivers tremendous value to thousands of businesses around the world. With their card issuing platform's expansion into US domestic issuing, they're meaningfully simplifying how businesses scale and operate globally," said Bill Dobbins, Head of US Enablement at Visa.

Funding model

Nium's US card issuance includes a just-in-time funding model already used by clients in Asia-Pacific and Europe. Under that structure, businesses fund card transactions as needed rather than pre-funding large balances, which supports tighter cash management.

The platform supports single-use and multi-use credentials, as well as physical and virtual cards. That allows companies to design card programmes for different spending types and control frameworks, including supplier payments, staff expenses, loyalty rewards, tuition payments and employee incentives.

Travel focus

Travel is one of the sectors Nium highlighted as a major user of its issuing products. It has issued tens of millions of card credentials for travel businesses in Asia-Pacific and Europe, where operators often need to handle payments to hotels, airlines, ground transport providers and smaller accommodation groups through a mix of methods.

That fragmentation has made payments a persistent operational issue in travel, where one booking can involve several suppliers with different settlement preferences. Nium said its platform is designed to let travel companies issue virtual cards and manage payouts across regions without relying on a wide range of separate vendors.

Yael Klein, Senior Vice President of Travel at Nium, described the US rollout as an extension of that model for travel companies already using the platform elsewhere.

"We've built this platform for how travel actually moves money. A single booking can touch hotels, airlines, ground operators, and independent properties, and each one wants to be paid differently," Klein said.

"Bringing card issuance to the US is the natural next step for the travel businesses that already run on Nium across APAC and Europe."

Nium said its broader network supports the collection, conversion, sending and spending of funds across more than 100 currencies. It holds regulatory licences in more than 40 countries and operates a cross-border payout network across more than 190 markets, with more than 100 of those settling in real time.