Modern card issuing doubles as banks shift from UX to cost

The number of cards issued this way is expected to be at 1.6 billion by 2030.

The number of cards issued using modern card issuing platforms is expected to double to 1.6 billion in 2030, from 756 million in 2025, according to a study by Juniper Research.

An estimated 45% of all credit cards will be issued via modern card issuing platforms by 2030, the highest for any individual card type, the report said.

Modern card issuing involves moving away from manual batch processing of cards to a fully API-driven approach, according to the report.

Meanwhile, 1 in 3 (32%) of all debit cards will be issued via a modern platform over the same time period.  

Reducing operational cost is the number one driver for banks in adopting modern card issuing platforms, the study found. This is a shift away from “user experience-focused thinking,” it said.

“Modern card issuing platforms appeal to every type of issuer— not just digital challengers. While competing on user experience matters, cost has become the real battleground, with issuers prioritising platforms that deliver measurable direct and indirect savings,” said Jawad Jahan, research analyst at Juniper Research.