Fintech consulting: cards, payments & banking
Last updated August 20, 2026
I advise fintechs and banks on card issuing strategy, processor and network selection and payments product roadmaps. I work remotely and have shipped card programs for fintechs in Canada, the UK, the EU and MENAP, including leading the card program at Keep Technologies, a Toronto-based fintech, end to end.
What I help with
Card program strategy
Choosing a network, processor and sponsor bank, and scoping the build, informed by launching Keep's card program with Mastercard, PTC and i2c.
Processor & network selection
Structuring RFPs and evaluating processors and networks for a new card issuing or acquiring program.
Payments product roadmap
Prioritising what to ship next across issuing, multi-currency banking and expense management, with a go-to-market plan.
Program & vendor management
Running the cross-functional program once the build starts: network, processor, sponsor bank and internal engineering.
How we get your card program live
From first idea to first swipe. The path I take teams through, and where the real time and risk actually sit.
- 01
Design the program
Pick the use case and the economics first. Card type, virtual or physical, who holds the funds and how interchange pays for it. Get the unit economics right before a line of code.
- 02
License & BIN
Secure scheme membership with Visa or Mastercard, direct or through a BIN sponsor, and line up regulatory approval. This gates everything else, so it starts on day one.
- 03
Processor & integration
Choose the issuer-processor and wire it in: card lifecycle APIs, the ledger, authorization controls and settlement. This is where the program becomes software.
- 04
Compliance & risk
Stand up KYC and AML, scope PCI, set fraud and velocity rules, and design dispute and chargeback ops before any real money moves.
- 05
Cards & certification
Brand and produce the card, or go virtual first, clear scheme art approval, then certify and test end to end in the sandbox: auth, clearing, reversals, disputes.
- 06
Pilot, then live
Soft-launch to a small ring of real cardholders, watch approvals, declines and reconciliation, then open issuance with monitoring and support in place.
How it works
Discovery call
A short call to understand the problem: a new program, a stuck decision or a roadmap that needs prioritising.
Recommendation
A written recommendation: network/processor options, a roadmap or an RFP structure, with the trade-offs made explicit.
Execution support
Optional. Staying on as the program runs, working with your processor, network and engineering team to ship it.
Engagement types
Fractional / advisory
Ongoing input on strategy and roadmap, a few hours a week.
Project-based
A defined scope, like a processor RFP or a launch plan, start to finish.
One-off session
A single working session to unblock a specific decision.
Track record
- Led the card program at Keep Technologies (Toronto, Canada) end to end with Mastercard, PTC and i2c, growing it toward $2M ARR from a standing start.
- Ran processor and network integrations for ~10 startup and scale-up card programs across the UK, EU and MENAP as a Program Consultant at Hypefin.
- Shipped Crypto.com's prepaid card launch in the EU and Canada while at i2c.
- Rolled out a Cards-as-a-Service program across the Middle East and Pakistan for SimpliFi, and a new Visa corporate card for London-based Pomelo Pay.
Questions
Do you only work with large, scaled fintechs?
No. I've worked on both scale-ups (Keep) and earlier-stage startups (Hypefin's clients, including Pomelo Pay and SimpliFi), so engagements can be sized to a smaller team's budget and pace.
Are engagements remote?
Yes, remote-first. I'm based in Lahore, Pakistan, and have delivered card and payments programs for teams in Canada, the UK, the EU and MENAP without being on-site.
What if my problem doesn't fit neatly into one of the services above?
Most engagements start as a discovery call, not a fixed package. Describe the problem and I'll tell you honestly whether it's something I can help with.
Tell me about your project
Share a bit about what you're working on and I'll reply directly.