How Marqeta Powers Trading 212's European Expansion

Trading 212, the zero-commission stock trading application with three million users, has partnered with Marqeta, using its infrastructure to facilitate its expansion across continental Europe. 

The partnership enables Trading 212 to issue debit cards in 20 markets through a single integration.

The collaboration utilises Marqeta's card issuing platform, which processed more than US$200bn in payment volume during 2023. 

The platform provides embedded finance infrastructure that enables companies to issue payment cards and develop financial products without building separate systems for each jurisdiction.

Technical Infrastructure

Marqeta's platform, which operates in more than 40 countries, provides Trading 212 with a unified system for multi-market card issuance. 

This eliminates the need to develop market-specific payment infrastructure, reducing the technical complexity of cross-border expansion.

The implementation includes Marqeta's fraud prevention system, which uses artificial intelligence to assess transaction risk in real-time. 

The platform's Real Time Decisioning feature alerts users to potential fraudulent activity as transactions occur. 

The system also incorporates 3D Secure authentication protocols, which require additional verification steps during payment processing to reduce unauthorised transactions.

Market Strategy

Trading 212's debit card programme includes zero foreign exchange fees and no account maintenance charges. 

Users receive 0.5% cashback on transactions, which can be automatically reinvested through the trading platform.

The programme forms part of Trading 212's broader strategy to increase user engagement. 

Since 2016, the firm has focused on reducing barriers to retail investment through its mobile application, which provides commission-free trading services to users in the UK and Europe.

“Marqeta simplified the process of launching in new countries, allowing Trading 212 to expand quickly and capitalise on our growing momentum in Europe,” says Mukid Chowdhury, CEO of Trading 212. 

“The Trading 212 card is an extension of our brand and helps keep Trading 212 top of mind for our customers in their day-to-day spending.”

Marcin Glogowski, SVP and Managing Director, Europe, and UK CEO at Marqeta, adds: “We aim to support our customers as they grow, whether adding new capabilities or entering new markets, Marqeta is a trusted partner that helps reduce the complexity of payments so customers like Trading 212 can focus on growing their business.”

Marqeta: Transforming the credit card space

At Money20/20 Europe 2024, FinTech Magazine spoke exclusively to Marcin on Marqeta’s ambitions for evolving the credit card industry, who believes the sector is ripe for change. 

He told us: “For years, credit card companies have employed a one-size-fits-all approach, offering identical rewards and promotions to every cardholder.

“Modern payment cards are not only faster to market, but offer the potential to provide considerable added value beyond basic transactional functions. Digital cards offer the potential for personalisation, interactivity, social engagement and so much more.

“To facilitate this transformation, digital card providers could learn a lot from social media platforms.

“Many retail brands are beginning to use the payment card as the new 'homepage' of the digital experience, offering a personalised and accessible connection point for customers.” 

Explore the latest edition of FinTech Magazine and be part of the conversation at our global conference series, FinTech LIVE. 

Discover all our upcoming events and secure your tickets today.

FinTech Magazine is a BizClik brand