For Customers Log in
Contact Us

Card Network Meaning

A card network is the infrastructure that facilitates electronic payment transactions between merchants and card issuers. Major card networks include Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. When a consumer uses a credit or debit card to make a purchase, the card network routes the transaction information from the merchant’s acquiring bank to the issuer and back, authorizing or declining the transaction.

Card networks establish the rules for transaction processing, set interchange fees and implement security standards such as EMV chips and tokenization. They also manage the settlement process, ensuring that funds move from the issuer to the acquiring bank and, ultimately, to the merchant.

In recent years, networks have expanded their services to include digital wallets, contactless payments and real‑time payment capabilities. Competition from fintech companies and blockchain networks is prompting traditional card networks to innovate and adapt.

← Back to Glossary

Explore our services
Providing liquidity in the cryptocurrency market?
Authorize on our platform and do it smarter with FM Pulse.
pic

FM Marketplace

A reliable and high-performance crypto liquidity marketplace for institutions and businesses.

Learn more
pic

FM White Label

Launch your fully branded B2B crypto trading platform in under one week.

Learn more
pic

FM Liquidity Match

Crypto OTC-as-a-Service infrastructure for enhanced monetization and trade control.

Learn more

Scale your business, leave the hard work of your trading needs to us

Reduce your integration costs and operational risk across multiple access points with our platform

Get started