London, June 28, 2025 — Mastercard and Marqeta have announced a significant deepening of their long-standing partnership, aiming to empower fintech companies with more robust embedded finance capabilities spanning global markets.
The enhanced collaboration builds on their previous global alliance—initially announced in 2020—which focused on expanding into new geographies, opening access to Mastercard products, and scaling fintech card programmes together.
Key Goals of the Reinforced Partnership
- Optimised Go‑to‑Market Speed: Mastercard will streamline network certification for Marqeta-powered fintechs, facilitating faster market launches and smoother cross-border scaling.
- Expanded Product Integration: Joint efforts will focus on enhancing offerings such as virtual and physical card issuing, instant payout capabilities, and risk/rules engines—all tailored for embedded finance use cases.
- Access to Mastercard Accelerate: Fintech startups leveraging Marqeta will benefit from Mastercard’s Accelerate programs (including Fintech Express), offering go-to-market support, technical guidance, and regulatory assistance.
Voices from the Leaders
Jason Lane, EVP of Market Development Europe at Mastercard, stated, “Marqeta is an invaluable fintech partner. By widening our collaboration, we’re enabling fintechs to deploy innovative card programmes faster and more efficiently”.
Marqeta’s CEO Simon Khalaf added, “This evolved partnership validates Marqeta’s global card-issuing infrastructure. Joining forces with Mastercard ensures fintechs can embed finance, scale internationally, and accelerate growth.”
Why This Matters
- Market Momentum: Embedded finance is seeing exponential growth—Marqeta reported an 86% increase in European transaction volume from Q1 2023 to Q1 2024—driven by fintechs, neobanks, and commerce platforms seeking embedded solutions.
- Holistic Tech Stack: Combining Marqeta’s modern, open-API issuer processing with Mastercard’s payments network and developer support provides a powerful, end-to-end solution for emerging fintech platforms.
Looking Ahead
The partnership will roll out in phases, with enriched technical integrations expected later this year. Upcoming joint initiatives include white‑label card programmes, instant virtual payouts, and streamlined onboarding processes.
Analysts predict this move will significantly lower entry barriers to embedded finance, enabling new fintech players to launch globally with greater ease and speed.
