Account Link

The default activation path for virtual cards issued via the API.

Account link uses GiveCard's cardholder portal to deliver card details, so you don't have to build a card viewer or worry about PCI scope on your end. It's the right default when your program doesn't need custom verification or any whitelabeling.

How to use it

On the card issuance request, set the deliveryMethod field:

• activation_link - the response includes an activationLink URL that you're responsible for delivering to the cardholder (email, SMS, portal, whatever fits your workflow).
• email - GiveCard emails the activation link directly to the address on the request.

Both options work with the standard virtual card issuance endpoints. The email variant is convenient; the activation_link variant is what to use if you want to route the link through your own communication channels.

The cardholder’s experience:

1. They open the activation link.
2. They create a GiveCard account (email + password, or Google sign-in) or sign in if they already have one.
3. The card is linked to their account.
4. From then on, they use GiveCard's cardholder portal to view card details, lock/unlock, check balance, and see transaction history.

Adding verification or branding on top

If you want to add custom verification (DOB, applicant ID, etc.) or a branded informational page to this flow, publish an activation profile and assign it as your business's default. The profile is applied after the cardholder signs up but before the card becomes usable, so the sequence becomes: open link, sign up, satisfy profile, card is spendable.

See the Activation Profiles page for setup details and the required request-body changes.

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