In today’s world, clients of private banks expect more than just traditional wealth management - they seek exclusive, seamless, and personalized experiences that match their lifestyle. One key element of that experience is having premium, flexible, and secure payment solutions - something that many private banks struggle to deliver being dependent on traditional card issuers and their “one-size-fits-all” card programs.

For our business customer, a Swiss private bank, meeting these expectations became a growing challenge. Their wealthy clients wanted high-end, globally accepted payment cards with all the premium benefits they were accustomed to, and the bank didn’t want to leave its valuable client relationships to a third-party card issuer any longer.

Traditional card issuing models left them facing a tough choice: either continue to have no control of an important part of the client experience, or embark on a costly, complex journey to become an issuer themselves - something that would require a much more flexible banking platform, substantial capital, and specialized expertise.

At the same time, existing solutions on the market were often rigid and outdated, preventing the bank from offering the tailored services and bespoke pricing that were core to their value proposition. The bank needed a modern, flexible way to offer premium cards, without losing sight of what mattered most - their clients.

By partnering with YAPEAL, our customer found a way to bring premium, personalized cards to market and to their wealthy clients - quickly, cost-effectively, and fully under its own brand.

Through our Cards-as-a-Service (CaaS) platform, our customer gained full control over the entire client journey, from card design to customer service.

With this solution, our customer could:

• Instantly issue and manage cards in real-time, customized to each client's needs — whether for daily spending or luxury travel.

• Offer bespoke premium benefits, including metal cards, emergency services, luxury travel perks, and more.

• Set their own pricing models for foreign exchange, overdrafts, and transaction fees — creating unique offers for their high-value clients.

• Access real-time, enriched transaction data, enabling personalized insights, spending analysis, and proactive client engagement.

• Seamlessly integrate card services into their existing banking systems - without complex infrastructure or compliance burdens.

• Keep their brand front and center, with all customer communication and service delivered under their name, supported 24/7 by YAPEAL’s expert team.

The results for our customer were transformative.

• Closer, deeper client relationships: By offering a truly personalized and branded card experience, the bank strengthened client loyalty and trust — ensuring that clients saw their bank as an integral part of their financial lives, not just an investment partner.

• Rapid time to market: Instead of taking a year or more to launch a bespoke card program, the bank was able to go live within weeks, thanks to Yapeal’s modular platform.

• Cost efficiency and flexibility: With a clear and transparent setup cost (CHF 75,000) and scalable monthly fees, the bank avoided heavy upfront investment while retaining the flexibility to grow and adapt the program over time.

• New revenue streams: By setting their own FX and overdraft fees, and keeping transaction revenues, the bank unlocked new, recurring income opportunities, aligned with their clients’ usage patterns.

• Operational simplicity: Yapeal took care of the complex licensing, issuing, and processing, so the bank could focus on what they do best — serving their clients.

• Real-time client insights: Access to live, enriched transaction data gave the bank an edge in understanding and anticipating client needs — opening the door to more personalized offers and deeper advisory conversations.

By working with us, our customer didn’t just solve a product gap - they future-proofed their client offering. With a flexible and modern card platform in place, the bank is now positioned to continuously adapt and elevate its services, staying ahead of evolving client expectations.

And perhaps most importantly, they did this without ever giving up control over the client relationship - maintaining the trust, privacy, and exclusivity their brand stands for.