Gemba · FCA FRN 804853  ·  Independent editorial · Introducer Partner
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Card Issuance · Gemba via financeb2b

Instant virtual cards. Physical Mastercards in five days. Per-card spend controls.

Issue cards directly from your Gemba account. Set limits per card, per category, or per employee. Freeze, unfreeze, and cancel from the dashboard without a phone call.

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Instant
virtual card issuance
5 days
physical card delivery
Mastercard
network — accepted globally
0.70%
FX on card spend abroad
§ 01 — Card types

Virtual vs physical: specifications

Both card types draw from the same Gemba account balance. Virtual cards are generated immediately; physical cards are dispatched by post.

Option A
Virtual Mastercard
  • Issuance timeInstant
  • Use casesOnline, subscriptions, API payments
  • Apple / Google PaySupported
  • ContactlessVia phone wallet only
  • Single-use optionAvailable — dispose after one transaction
  • Spend limitSet per card, per transaction, or daily
  • Freeze / cancelInstant via dashboard or API
  • FX rate0.70–0.90% over mid-rate
Option B
Physical Mastercard
  • Delivery time3–5 working days (UK)
  • Use casesIn-person, travel, hospitality, trade
  • Apple / Google PaySupported
  • ContactlessYes — up to £100 per tap
  • ATM withdrawalSupported — fee may apply
  • Spend limitSet per card, per transaction, or daily
  • Freeze / cancelInstant via dashboard
  • FX rate0.70–0.90% over mid-rate
§ 02 — Controls

Spend controls available per card

Unlike high-street business cards where controls are an afterthought, Gemba cards are designed for programmatic control from the outset.

Control type Available How it works
Transaction limit
Max per single transaction
 ✓ Per card Set a maximum amount per transaction. Any attempt above the limit is declined. Useful for supplier cards where you know the expected invoice range.
Daily spend limit
 ✓ Per card Rolling 24-hour spend cap. Resets at midnight UTC. Employee cannot overspend regardless of individual transaction size.
Monthly spend limit
 ✓ Per card Useful for recurring subscriptions or budget-capped departments. Card declines once monthly limit is reached.
MCC category restrictions
 ✓ Per card Restrict to specific Merchant Category Codes. Example: allow only petrol stations and motorway services for a field engineer card. Block gambling, entertainment, or other categories.
Geographic restrictions
 On request Limit card to UK-only or specific countries. Useful for domestic-only employee cards. Contact financeb2b to configure.
Freeze / unfreeze
 ✓ Instant Pause a card without cancelling it. Transactions are declined while frozen. Unfreeze instantly — no new card needed. Useful for lost cards that reappear.
Instant cancellation
 ✓ Instant Permanently cancel a card. Any attempt to use it is declined immediately. Cancelled cards cannot be reactivated — issue a new card if needed.
§ 03 — Use cases

Common card issuance patterns

Use case A
Employee expense cards
Issue one card per employee with a monthly limit. Set category restrictions to block non-business spend. Real-time notifications let you see spend as it happens. Eliminates expense claims, out-of-pocket advances, and reconciliation headaches at month end.
Use case B
Project or department cards
Create a dedicated virtual card per project or cost centre. Set a budget limit at creation. When the project closes, cancel the card. Spend reports pull by card, giving you clean project-level cost visibility without complex accounting codes.
Use case C
Vendor or subscription cards
Issue a single-use or recurring virtual card per vendor. If a vendor is compromised, cancel that card without touching any other payments. Useful for SaaS subscriptions, ad platforms, and procurement with suppliers you don't fully trust with your main card details.
§ 04 — Limitations to know

What Gemba cards don't do

01
No credit facility
Gemba cards are debit cards funded by your account balance. There is no credit line, overdraft, or charge card structure. Every card transaction draws directly from your GBP wallet balance. If you need credit — to smooth cash flow or fund purchases before invoice payment — you'll need a separate credit card product from a lender. Gemba doesn't offer credit.
02
ATM fees apply
ATM withdrawals are supported on physical cards but fees may apply per withdrawal, particularly overseas. Check current Gemba pricing for ATM fee schedules before issuing cards to employees who may need to withdraw cash. For cash-intensive roles, a business cash account at a high-street bank may be more economical alongside Gemba.
03
No named-employee embossing
Physical cards display the company name, not an individual employee name. This is standard for business debit cards in the e-money space. Most acceptance terminals don't check name embossing, but some hotel check-ins and car hire desks require a named card — particularly in North America. Virtual cards via Apple Pay typically bypass this issue.

Issue your first card in minutes.

Virtual cards are available immediately after your Gemba account is approved.

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