Issuer processing

An issuer processing platform acts as the critical link between a card issuer (such as a bank or a fintech) and payment networks like Visa, Mastercard, and UnionPay. Its core function is to manage the entire lifecycle of a card, from initial issuance to every subsequent transaction authorization and final settlement. This includes issuing cards, processing all transactions, and communicating with the payment networks to ensure funds are moved correctly between parties. For example, when a cardholder makes a purchase, the issuer processor is the technology that determines whether to approve or decline the transaction in real-time based on the account's balance, card status, and custom rules.

Episode Six provides a modern, cloud-native platform that allows businesses to modernize their card issuing capabilities. Our platform is highly configurable, allowing businesses to adapt quickly to market shifts and competitive pressures.

For businesses using an existing legacy system, our platform is designed to be integrated as a "solution" that can run alongside, offering new functionalities and products without disrupting the core business operations. This approach helps customers avoid the high costs and complexity associated with migrating from outdated systems while still enabling them to offer innovative payment products that meet modern customer demands.

For businesses looking to launch on a new system, Episode Six offers a modern, API-first platform that empowers them to build, launch, and scale quickly. Our platform is designed with developers in mind, providing a vast and intuitive library of RESTful APIs that offer complete control over every feature and product. This allows customers to bypass the constraints of traditional providers and create differentiated card products for specific customer segments.

In the context of payments, a sidecar solution is a modular technology platform that operates in parallel with a legacy core system. It allows businesses to add modern features like card issuance and digital payments without a disruptive migration. This architecture is particularly beneficial for large financial institutions that want to innovate and scale new product offerings quickly while relying on their existing stable and secure infrastructure. This "sidecar" approach provides the best of both worlds: the flexibility of a startup's technology stack with the resilience of an enterprise-grade solution.

Episode Six's platform is designed to support multi-currency card issuance and FX conversions, which are essential for businesses with cross-border payments and global expansion goals. The Episode Six platform enables customers to issue both virtual and physical cards that can be used for transactions in different currencies. It can even perform real-time currency conversion at the point of sale, handling foreign currency exchange and fund transfers within the transaction time requirements of card schemes.

Our platform supports digital-first enablement by providing the tools for a modern, frictionless user experience. This includes instant issuance of virtual cards and seamless integration with digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay. The Episode Six platform's API-driven infrastructure allows you to embed payments directly into existing applications, which empowers customers to offer new digital banking products and stay ahead of the competition.

Cooperative Authorization is a key feature that allows businesses to use their own data and logic to determine whether to approve or decline a transaction in real-time. Instead of relying solely on a third-party processor's rules, our customers can leverage their own unique data sets for more customized authorization decisions. This provides a level of additional control in managing fraud and risk.

Our platform is designed for global expansion, with operations in over 45 countries and a presence in 16 cloud regions. This provides the infrastructure and expertise to help customers scale beyond their local borders without needing to build new technology from scratch for each jurisdiction. Our system is built with multi-currency support and localization options to help you meet the regulatory compliance requirements of target markets.

Episode Six's modular, API-first platform and intuitive dashboard allow businesses to configure and launch new card products in months, not years. This accelerates speed to market by eliminating the need for complex custom development cycles and rigid, outdated technology. Our platform is built for real-time agility, allowing you to make instant changes to product logic and rules without vendor involvement.

Yes! A cloud-native issuer processor offers:

• Seamless API integrations with ERP, treasury, and accounting platforms (e.g., SAP, Oracle, QuickBooks).
• Real-time data syncing for automatic reconciliation of payments, expenses, and invoices.
• Custom workflow automation for supplier payments, payroll, and expense tracking.

This allows businesses to connect payment processing directly to their financial systems, reducing manual work and improving efficiency.

A modern issuer processor enables businesses to:

• Issue multi-currency virtual and physical cards for cross-border transactions.
• Support local and international payment schemes (Visa, Mastercard, domestic networks).
• Enable FX conversions and dynamic currency control for seamless global transactions.
• Expand to new markets quickly with digital-first issuance and compliance-ready infrastructure.

By using cloud-native technology, businesses can process payments across regions without being tied to a single banking provider.

A multi-tenant platform is a software architecture that allows different customers, or "tenants," to share the same application and database. In our case, it means different customers can have their own space and control within a single platform, with logical data separation and configurable products. This model allows for more efficient management and deployment of services while providing each client with the tools to build their own unique offerings.