Processing vs. Program Managed

Lithic offers two main ways to build with our card issuing platform: Processing and Program Managed.
Both use the same core API and infrastructure, but differ in who manages the card program, how compliance and funding are handled, and how much flexibility you have in program design.

This guide will help you understand which model best fits your product’s needs.

Category	Processing	Program Managed
Ownership	You own and manage the card program	Lithic and partner bank manage the program
Speed to Market	Longer setup, more coordination	Faster launch, minimal compliance setup
Compliance	You handle KYC/KYB, fraud, and oversight	Lithic manages compliance and risk controls
Bank/BIN Relationship	You bring your own partner	Provided by Lithic
Ledgering & Settlement	Managed by your team	Handled by Lithic
Ideal For	Experienced fintechs or financial institutions	Startups and SaaS platforms launching cards quickly

Processing

The Processing model gives you maximum control and flexibility. Your company owns and operates its own card program, you bring your own bank partner, BIN sponsor, and compliance program. Lithic provides the processing infrastructure and APIs that power your cards, transactions, and controls.

Best for: mature fintechs or enterprises with compliance, banking relationships, and risk management already in place.

You control:

Bank sponsorship and BIN relationship
KYC/KYB and compliance programs
Ledgering
Card design, branding, and use cases

Lithic provides:

Core processing APIs
Card issuing and transaction management infrastructure
Fraud Controls
Transaction Monitoring
Developer tools, webhooks, and sandbox environments

Program Managed

The Program Managed model is a faster, lower-lift way to launch cards. Lithic (and our partner bank) handle the program sponsorship, compliance, and operational heavy lifting, while you focus on building the customer experience.

Best for: startups, SaaS platforms, and companies launching cards for the first time.

You control:

Spend logic and integrations via API
Business rules and card-level controls
Card design, branding, and use cases

Lithic provides:

Bank sponsorship and compliance
KYC/KYB and fraud management
AML/BSA and regulatory compliance
Ledgering
Card manufacturing
Card Network connectivity

Choosing Your Path

If you want to build more financial infrastructure with deep control and compliance ownership, the Processing model gives you the flexibility to do that.

If you want to focus on product and user experience, and let Lithic handle the operational and regulatory details, Program Managed will get you to market faster.

Either way, you’ll use the same Lithic API and developer tooling so you can start in one model and evolve into the other as your needs grow.