On November 18, 2025, Visa announced that Beyond by RS2, a European fintech platform, has been granted principal issuing member status. The designation enables Beyond by RS2 to issue Visa‑branded debit, credit, prepaid, and corporate cards directly within the EU and EEA, and to manage full card‑program lifecycles under Visa’s global payment network.
The new status gives Beyond by RS2 the ability to launch both physical and digital cards, including Apple Pay and Google Pay‑enabled products, and to sponsor its own BINs. The partnership also provides access to Visa’s fraud‑prevention tools and regulatory expertise, allowing the fintech to accelerate the rollout of co‑branded and full‑service issuing solutions across Europe.
Visa’s move aligns with its strategy to deepen relationships with fintechs and diversify revenue streams beyond traditional processing fees. The announcement comes shortly after Visa reported Q3 2025 results that saw revenue rise 14% year‑over‑year to $10.2 billion and earnings per share climb to $2.98, a $0.24 beat over consensus. The strong earnings reflect disciplined cost management and a favorable mix of high‑margin card‑product sales, reinforcing confidence in Visa’s European expansion plan.
Beyond by RS2’s CEO, Jens Mahlke, said the status “marks another important milestone in our growth strategy. It allows us to deliver greater value to customers and partners by bringing innovative payment products to market faster, while operating under a regulated framework.” The fintech also recently secured principal issuing member status with Mastercard, underscoring its broader strategy to partner with major payment networks.
The partnership is expected to increase transaction volume and fee revenue for Visa, while expanding Beyond by RS2’s product portfolio and market reach. By empowering fintechs to issue cards directly, Visa strengthens its ecosystem of issuers and positions itself to capture a larger share of the growing European payments market.
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