Getting Started with CleverCardsAPI

The CleverCards API enables partners to integrate digital payments directly into their own platforms and applications. It provides a robust set of tools for the issuance, delivery, funding, and usage of digital-first prepaid Mastercards, allowing businesses to build seamless and secure payment experiences without requiring users to leave their environment.

This guide walks you through the essential building blocks of the CleverCards API and explains how to get started—from authenticating and creating card token drafts to issuing digital cards and managing card accounts.

Key Concepts

Card Token Draft

A Card Token Draft is a preparatory object that allows you to define the characteristics of a card token before it is issued. Drafts include configuration parameters such as the funding amount, cardholder information, and messaging content (e.g., email subject and body).

Drafts are especially useful in workflows that require conditional validation, delayed issuance, or pre-approval steps. Once finalized, a draft is transformed into an active Card Token that can be delivered to and redeemed by the recipient.

Think of it as setting up the details of a gift card before you actually send it.

Card Token

A Card Token is a secure, digital representation of value that can be redeemed on the CleverCards Platform. It is the result of finalizing a Card Token Draft and is typically delivered to the recipient via email or another digital channel.

When redeemed, a Card Token is used to create and fund a Card Account, enabling the recipient to activate and use a digital Mastercard. Card Tokens are flexible tools for distributing value at scale—for example, for incentives, customer payouts, or partner rewards.

A Card Token is like a digital voucher—issued by CleverCards, tied to a value, and redeemable for a digital payment card.

Card Account

A Card Account is the financial container associated with a card. It defines how much the cardholder can spend and under what rules. CleverCards supports different types of Card Accounts depending on the intended use:

Prepaid Account: Holds a specific monetary balance. Funds are stored directly in the account and can be spent until exhausted. Prepaid accounts can be single-load or reloadable.
Debit Account: Enforces a spending limit without storing funds directly. Tran