The Steps To Start A Card Programme With Crunch

04th January 2024

So, you are looking to start a card programme, but you’re not sure where to start.

The Prepaid Card Market size was valued at USD 1.8 trillion in 2022 and is anticipated to register a CAGR of over 15.5% between 2023 and 2032 (Global Market Insights). The market for prepaid card programmes is growing at a rapid pace, creating an exciting space in FinTech for innovation. Because of the growth of the sector, it is important to prepare for success accordingly.

By choosing Crunch, a large proportion of the steps you must undertake to start a card programme are covered as part of our innovative service!

Start a card programme: knowing your audience.


Knowing your audience and their needs is the most important step in the card programme process. Almost 20% of businesses fail within their first year (Luisa Zhou), so ensuring your customers will have a positive response to your newest product is paramount. 

Therefore, in order to understand your audience, be sure to get opinions using surveys, polls and comments. For existing customers, this is a simple and effective way to gauge their views, whilst engaging with them in a positive way. By acting on customers’ choices, they will be more inclined to purchase or use your prepaid cards. Increasing customer retention rates by 5% can increase profits by 25-95% (Survey Sparrow), so providing a product that they have asked for is a surefire way to grow your business.

When opening discussions with customers, consider some of the following questions:

  • Will customers use prepaid cards in-store, online or both?
  • What colours do customers associate with your brand?
  • Will customers give away their card purchase, or use it themselves?
  • Will customers purchase gift cards online, in-store or both?
  • Do customers care about eco-friendly packaging and materials?
  • What card totals will customers be most likely to purchase, or will they use a top-up card?

Issuing and processors.

Without Crunch as your partner, starting your card programme would involve navigating the card ecosystem to find the following services independently:

  • Find a Card Issuer
  • Find a Card Processor
  • Select a Card Scheme
  • Set up a BIN
  • Find a Payments Clearing Partner
  • Choose a Card Manufacturer
  • Find a 3D Secure Provider
  • Integrate Tokenisation Providers
  • Design your cards and packaging
The good news? When you start your card programme with Crunch, we handle these decisions on your behalf with our full-stack solution!

Partnering with Mastercard, we provide a fully integrated solution to suit your needs, meaning your card programme could be up and running in a couple of months. By handling the complexities of starting your card programme, you can focus on running your business and planning your strategy. 

By choosing to start a Crunch card programme, you can benefit from the following features:

Interested in learning more? Crunch the numbers with us by speaking to our passionate team today.