Comparison Guide
Card-on-File Solutions Compared
Card issuers have several options for getting their cards stored on merchant sites. Each approach has different strengths, coverage, and ROI characteristics. This guide compares the main approaches to help you choose the right strategy for your card program.
| Feature | Strivve CardSavr | Network Token Services | Manual Card Updates | Payment Method Switching |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Card-on-File Automation Platform | Card Network Infrastructure | No Technology | Account Switching Platforms |
| Approach | API-driven automation that places cards on 142+ merchant sites | Visa/Mastercard token services auto-update card credentials on file | Cardholder manually logs into each merchant site to update payment info | Automated switching of direct debits, bill pay, and deposit accounts |
| Target Audience | Banks, credit unions, fintechs | Card networks, large issuers | All issuers (default state) | Banks, neobanks, fintechs |
| Integration | REST API for digital banking, or no-code via CardLinks Engage/Emboss | Network-level integration via card processor | None | API integration |
| Merchant Coverage | 142+ merchant sites | Participating merchants only | Unlimited (manual effort) | Bill pay and direct debit merchants |
| Pricing | Pay per successful placement | Varies by network and processor | Free (but high opportunity cost) | Varies |
Understanding the Approaches
Card-on-File Automation (Strivve)
Card-on-file automation platforms like Strivve automate the process of placing an issuer's card as the stored payment method on merchant websites. The platform handles navigating each merchant's payment settings and updating the card credentials, eliminating the need for cardholders to do it manually.
Best for: Issuers looking for the fastest path to measurable interchange revenue growth with broad merchant coverage.
Network Token Services
Card networks like Visa and Mastercard offer tokenization services that can automatically update card credentials when a card is reissued. This is a powerful complement to card-on-file automation but only works for merchants that already have the card on file and support network tokens. The MRC's guide to stored credential mandate compliance outlines the evolving requirements for merchants and issuers.
Best for: Preserving existing card-on-file relationships during reissuance. Often used alongside active placement strategies.
Manual Card Updates
Without any automation, cardholders must visit each merchant site individually to update their stored payment method. This is the default state for most issuers and represents a significant opportunity cost: most cardholders will not proactively update their cards on more than one or two sites.
Best for: Issuers not yet ready to invest in automation. However, every day without a top-of-wallet strategy is a day of lost interchange revenue.
Payment Method Switching
Payment switching platforms focus on moving direct debits, bill pay relationships, and deposit accounts from one institution to another. While adjacent to card-on-file automation, these platforms serve a different use case: account-level switching rather than card-level placement.
Best for: Institutions focused on deposit acquisition and bill pay switching rather than card transaction volume.
Which Approach Is Right for You?
Many successful issuers use a combination of approaches. For example, Strivve's card-on-file automation for proactive placement combined with network tokens for credential lifecycle management covers both the offensive (new placements) and defensive (retention during reissuance) strategies.
The key factors to consider are your primary goal (new placements vs. retention), your technical resources (API integration vs. no-code), and your target merchant coverage.