> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.lead.bank/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Launch a Debit Card Program

> Add debit cards to a deposit program: report issuance, keep lifecycle current, and reconcile network settlement.

This guide covers adding debit cards to a deposit program — cards your customers spend with against money they hold at Lead. It assumes the deposit chain from [Launch a deposit program](/guides/store/launch-a-deposit-program) is in place; what's new is the card layer, organized here by building block.

## **How it works**

Cards are created with your **issuer processor** — Lead's role is oversight, so you *report* each card to Lead as a **Card** object, keep its status current, and report card spend in your daily Transactions file like any other activity. Settlement with the networks runs through Lead's [network settlement](/products/network-settlement/overview) process; your job there is reconciliation.

## **Example scenario**

Nest Egg (from the deposit guide) adds a debit card offering. Priya orders one; Nest Egg's issuer processor creates it, Nest Egg reports it through the Cards API the same day and activates it when Priya confirms receipt. Her coffee purchase is authorized at the processor, settles through the networks, appears in Nest Egg's Transactions file, and reconciles against Lead's settlement report for that cycle.

## **Objects involved**

| **Object**          | **Surface** | **Role in this flow**                                  | **Reference**                                                                                                                                         |
| :------------------ | :---------- | :----------------------------------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Card                | user        | Your report of each card issued at your processor      | [Cards](/products/cards/overview)                                                                                                                     |
| Account             | user        | The deposit account the card spends against            | [Accounts](/products/accounts/overview)                                                                                                               |
| Transaction         | user        | Card spend in your daily reporting                     | [Balances](/file-reference/balances-and-transactions/balances-schema) & [Transactions](/file-reference/balances-and-transactions/transactions-schema) |
| Settlement accounts | core        | Lead-managed accounts network settlement moves through | [Network Settlement](/products/network-settlement/overview)                                                                                           |

## **Before you start**

* A working deposit integration [Launch a deposit program](/guides/store/launch-a-deposit-program) and an issuer-processor relationship.
* **Use the Cards API** (<kbd>Beta</kbd>) for new programs; the [card file schema](/file-reference/card/schema) remains the path for existing file-integrated programs.
* Card spend rides the same daily Transactions file as the rest of your activity — file-based today, with user transaction APIs as the planned successor ([Platform Evolution](/core-concepts/platform/platform-evolution)).

## **Reporting card issuance**

Report each card at creation:

`POST /v0/cards`

`{ "account_id": "...", "form": "physical | virtual", "...": "..." }`

**Decision point (physical cards):** report at creation and activate on customer confirmation — the report-then-activate pattern mirrors the card-in-hand reality; virtual cards typically report and activate together.

## **Keeping the lifecycle current**

Use the dedicated activate/deactivate/close endpoints as the card's real-world state changes. Statuses describe *your report*: a card closed in error is correctable back to active — you're fixing the record, not reopening a card. Promptness matters; Lead's compliance picture depends on your reports.

## **Settlement and reconciliation**

Spend settles at your processor and the networks; funds move through Lead's [network settlement](/products/network-settlement/overview) process. Consume the [network settlement reports](/file-reference/reports/network-settlement-reports) and reconcile each cycle against the card activity you reported — reconcile at least one full cycle end-to-end in test before launch. Please refer to [Network Settlement Reconciliation](/products/network-settlement/reconciliation) to understand expectations and methodology.

## **Reporting spend**

Card transactions flow through your daily Transactions file alongside everything else — same schemas, same 6:00 a.m. CT deadline, same validation.

## **Getting started**

With the deposit chain live in sandbox: report a card via the Cards API, round-trip its lifecycle (activate → deactivate → close → correct), include card transactions in a test Transactions file, and validate. Testing Network Settlement in sandbox is usually not feasible due to issuer processor and network limitations. Please reach out if you have questions

## **Handling exceptions**

| **What happens**             | **Signal**                                                                                                  | **What to do**                                                                                           |
| :--------------------------- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Card reported in error       | Your own reconciliation                                                                                     | Correct via the status endpoints — reports are correctable, including closed → active.                   |
| Settlement doesn't reconcile | [network settlement reports](/file-reference/reports/network-settlement-reports) vs. your reported activity | Investigate cycle-by-cycle; escalate to your Lead team with the report reference.                        |
| Spend on a deactivated card  | Your processor's controls                                                                                   | Authorization is your processor's domain — Lead's Card object is oversight, not an authorization switch. |

## **Testing this flow in sandbox**

Deposit-chain coverage per [Launch a deposit program](/guides/store/launch-a-deposit-program). Card-specific sandbox coverage: see above.

## **Related**

[Launch a deposit program](/guides/store/launch-a-deposit-program) · [Cards](/products/cards/overview) · [Network Settlement](/products/network-settlement/overview) · [Balances](/file-reference/balances-and-transactions/balances-schema) & [Transactions](/file-reference/balances-and-transactions/transactions-schema) · [Run a credit or charge card program](/guides/issue/credit-and-charge-card-program)

*If something in this guide doesn't match what you see, contact your Lead team.*