Comparison · 2026 edition
Lithic vs Stripe Issuing: card issuing compared 2026.
Lithic and Stripe Issuing side by side in the Card Issuing Index 2026: scores, evidence, published facts and awards.
WhatsApp and Telegram +44 7563 115980
[email protected]
Lithic and Stripe Issuing side by side in the Card Issuing Index 2026: scores, evidence, published facts and awards.
In the Card Issuing Index, Stripe Issuing scores higher overall: 4.3 out of 5 (87 out of 100) against 2.9 (58), ranking 1 and 5 of 11. Stripe Issuing also scores higher in every segment.
Overall and segment scores out of 100, and the score out of 5.
| Score | Lithic | Stripe Issuing |
|---|---|---|
| Score out of 5 | 2.9 | 4.3 |
| Score out of 100 | 58 | 87 |
| Overall rank | 5 of 11 | 1 of 11 |
| For fintechs and e-money firms (out of 100) | 60, rank 4 | 87, rank 1 |
| For expense and B2B payment platforms (out of 100) | 54, rank 6 | 85, rank 1 |
| For banks and lenders (out of 100) | 60, rank 5 | 89, rank 1 |
| Type | Card issuing processor | Card issuing platform |
Each score with the evidence behind it.
| Criterion | Lithic | Stripe Issuing |
|---|---|---|
| Card range | 5/5 Credit, debit, prepaid, virtual and physical cards and digital wallet provisioning published. | 5/5 Virtual, physical, debit, prepaid, credit and charge cards and digital wallet support all published. |
| Published pricing | 1/5 Pricing described in words without figures. | 5/5 Per-card, per-dispute and cross-border transaction prices published on the pricing page. |
| Issuing countries | 0/5 Not published on the pages read. | 3/5 Local issuing in 22 listed countries published. |
| Integration | 4/5 API, sandbox and self-serve sign-up; no launch time published. | 4/5 API, self-serve sign-up and a stated time to go live; no test environment described on the pages read. |
| Regulatory standing | 2/5 SOC 2 Type 2 published; PCI DSS without level counts as half; sponsor banks not named. | 5/5 Named issuing banks and own UK and EU entities, PCI DSS Level 1 and SOC 2 Type II. |
| Programme support | 5/5 Bank sponsorship, programme management, KYC, fraud tools and dispute handling all published. | 4/5 Bank sponsorship, KYC, fraud tools and dispute handling published; programme management not described as a separate service. |
Each criterion is scored 0 to 5 against the best published offer in the Card Issuing Index. 0 means not offered or not published. How it is scored
What each provider publishes on its own pages, read on 26 October 2026.
| Fact | Lithic | Stripe Issuing |
|---|---|---|
| Card range | "Credit, debit, and prepaid cards for individuals and businesses"; virtual and physical cards with custom printing and instant issuance; digital wallet provisioning for Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. | Virtual and physical cards; commercial secured and charge cards; consumer revolving credit and prepaid debit cards with digital wallet support. US programmes support commercial and consumer debit cards. |
| Pricing | No pricing page. Launch post: "Create active cards for a few cents each, with no expensive monthly fees", with a share of interchange paid back. | $0.10 per virtual card; $3.50 per standard physical card (custom cards cost extra, shipping not included); $15.00 per dispute; 1% + 30¢ for cross-border transactions, plus 1% where currency conversion is needed. |
| Issuing countries | Not published on the pages read. | "Stripe Issuing is live with local Issuance in 22 countries", listed by country code; cards for subsidiaries of US multinationals "in over 40 countries"; homepage states "75+ global markets". |
| Integration | API, sandbox and self-serve sign-up at app.lithic.com/signup; no launch time published. | API and documentation; "Start now" self-serve dashboard registration; "Go from integration to live cards in minutes, not months." |
| Regulatory standing | Homepage lists "SOC 1 Type 1, SOC 2 Type 2, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001" (PCI DSS level not stated); Trust Center says the programme "aligns with" these frameworks. Sponsor banks not named: "can be shared during engagement". "Lithic is a fintech company, not a bank." | US issuing banks named: Celtic Bank, Lead Bank, Fifth Third Bank, Cross River Bank and Sutton Bank. UK and EU cards issued by Stripe Payments UK Limited and Stripe Technology Europe Limited. "PCI Service Provider Level 1"; "SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type II reports are produced annually". |
| Programme support | Program Management covers bank and network relationships, regulatory oversight, "AML, KYC/KYB, OFAC, and ongoing risk monitoring"; fraud and disputes as Program Services, with a stated "90% win rate" on eligible chargebacks. Named clients include Mercury, MoonPay and Novo. | Local issuance "meets local KYC and compliance requirements"; fraud tools "trained on data from trillions of transactions"; real-time spend controls; published dispute fee. Named clients include Ramp, Navan, Shopify and Emburse. |
| Date read | 26 October 2026 | 26 October 2026 |
Not published or not stated by Lithic: issuing countries, integration and regulatory standing.
Not published or not stated by Stripe Issuing: programme support.
Facts read on 26 October 2026 from: lithic.com, lithic.com/blog/introducing-lithic, lithic.com/services/program-management, trust.lithic.com/resources; and stripe.com/au/issuing, stripe.com/pricing, docs.stripe.com/issuing/global, docs.stripe.com/security.
Awards follow from the published scores and cannot be bought.
From each provider's strongest criteria and published terms.
Developers wanting a self-serve sandbox and full programme management.
Platforms wanting published prices and self-serve launch.
Tell us what you need and where you operate.