Union54

Union54 is a card-issuing infrastructure company founded in 2020 in Lusaka, Zambia, by Perseus Mlambo and Alessandra Martini. It provides an API that lets companies issue their own branded debit and credit cards without partnering with a bank or a separate third-party processor.

The platform covers virtual and physical card issuing, BIN sponsorship, authorization and processing, and card fulfillment, accessed through a developer-first REST API with webhooks and a sandbox environment. Clients include digital banking platforms, buy-now-pay-later providers, delivery companies, corporate expense-management tools, credit unions, and payment gateways across Africa.

1. Card issuing API: Businesses issue virtual and physical debit or credit cards under their own brand via API.

2. BIN sponsorship: Union54 provides BIN sponsorship so clients avoid direct card-network membership.

3. Authorization and processing: The platform handles real-time transaction authorization and processing.

4. Card controls: Spend limits, merchant controls, and team permissions are configurable per card.

5. Developer tooling: A REST API, webhooks, and sandbox environment support fast integration.

6. Card fulfillment: Union54 manages physical card production and delivery for issuing clients.