Marqeta and Spendesk Financial Services Join Forces to Offer Modern and Efficient Expense Management for Over 4,000 SMBs Across Europe

Rhea-AI Summary

Marqeta (NASDAQ: MQ) has partnered with Spendesk Financial Services (SFS) as their issuer processor in Europe. This collaboration enhances Spendesk's spend management and procurement platform, serving over 4,000 SMBs across Europe.

Through Marqeta's open API platform, Spendesk now offers enhanced features including:

• Real-time card processing and secure transactions
• Customizable spend controls for both physical and virtual cards
• Dynamic expense screening and authorization
• Integration with existing accounting software
• AI-powered solution for procurement and expense management

The partnership enables businesses to implement time-specific spending restrictions, monitor unusual transactions, and approve/deny transactions in real-time, significantly reducing friction in expense management processes.

Positive

• Strategic partnership expanding Marqeta's presence in European B2B payments market
• Integration with over 4,000 SMBs through Spendesk platform
• New revenue stream through processing services for Spendesk Financial Services

Negative

• None.

Insights

Financial Analyst

Marqeta's new partnership with Spendesk Financial Services represents a strategic expansion of its European B2B payments footprint. As the designated issuer processor for SFS, Marqeta will power card payment capabilities for over 4,000 SMBs across Europe that use Spendesk's spend management platform.

The integration appears technically robust, with Marqeta's platform enabling both physical and virtual cards with dynamic spend controls that authorize transactions in real-time. This implementation demonstrates Marqeta's ability to deliver sophisticated issuer processing technology that integrates deeply with partner systems.

From a business development perspective, this partnership validates Marqeta's strategy of expanding through embedded finance integrations with specialized vertical platforms. The B2B expense management sector represents a valuable growth avenue, particularly in Europe where digital payment adoption continues to accelerate among SMBs.

While the partnership announcement lacks specific financial projections or contract values, the recurring nature of payment processing revenue makes this a potential long-term value driver. Each transaction processed on behalf of Spendesk's customers will generate fee income for Marqeta, creating a revenue stream that should grow alongside Spendesk's user base.

This deal contributes to Marqeta's European expansion strategy and strengthens its competitive positioning against traditional payment processors and newer fintech players targeting the B2B space. The focus on helping businesses manage employee spending with customizable controls addresses a specific pain point for medium-sized companies trying to maintain financial discipline while enabling employee purchasing flexibility.

Marqeta will be providing issuer processing services for customer Spendesk, helping Spendesk to boost efficiency and customise spend controls.

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Marqeta (NASDAQ: MQ), the global modern card issuing platform that enables embedded finance solutions for the world’s innovators, today announced that it has become the issuer processor for Spendesk Financial Services (SFS) in Europe, the payment institution powering and fully owned by Spendesk. Spendesk, Europe’s leading spend management and procurement solution, leverages this combined technology to enable its medium-sized business customers to monitor budgets, customise spend controls, and boost efficiency.

Spendesk is the leading spend management and procurement platform that transforms company spending. By simplifying procurement, payment cards, expense management, invoice processing, and accounting automation, its single, AI-powered solution makes efficient spending easy for employees and gives finance leaders the full visibility and control they need. Spendesk’s financial offerings are enabled by Spendesk Financial Services, offering real-time card processing, secure transactions, and spend controls (in collaboration with Marqeta), alongside expense management and a new procure-to-pay solution. Additionally, it seamlessly integrates with existing accounting and financial software through its APIs and native integrations.

“Expense management and procurement solutions are vital for medium-sized businesses looking to increase financial control, achieve consistent growth, and improve cash flow,” said Stephane Dehaies, CEO of Spendesk Financial Services. “Marqeta’s open API platform is the perfect fit for our business, and will support us as we continue to lead the industry with innovative, end-to-end spend management solutions, providing businesses with greater visibility and control, even as they scale.”

"In our work with Spendesk, we’re helping businesses take the hassle out of expense management and assist SMBs in accessing better financial tools for their business,” said Marcin Glogowski, SVP and Managing Director, Europe, and UK CEO at Marqeta. "Marqeta’s platform makes it simple for employees to make safe, policy-friendly purchases while keeping spending aligned with company goals. We’re a trusted ally for them, seamlessly embedded into Spendesk’s systems to help their customers scale, ultimately simplifying their spend management at a time of added competitive pressures.”

Through Marqeta's flexible, all-in-one platform, Spendesk Financial Services has easily integrated Marqeta’s card processing services into its Core Banking Platform, providing its customers with both physical and virtual cards that can be tailored to each business's needs. This integration enhances Spendesk’s complex B2B spend management by providing dynamic spend controls that efficiently and securely screen and authorise expenses in real time. Thanks to Marqeta’s platform, managers at companies using Spendesk can restrict card usage to specific times and spending categories, flagging any unusual transactions and allowing them to immediately approve or deny a transaction if necessary, resulting in significantly less friction.

About Marqeta

Marqeta makes it possible for companies to build and embed financial services into their branded experience—and unlock new ways to grow their business and delight users. The Marqeta platform puts businesses in control of building financial solutions, enabling them to turn real-time data into personalized, optimized solutions for everything from consumer loyalty to capital efficiency. With compliance and security built-in, Marqeta’s platform has been proven at scale, processing nearly $300 billion in annual payments volume in 2024. Marqeta is certified to operate in more than 40 countries worldwide. Visit www.marqeta.com to learn more.

About Spendesk

Spendesk is the complete spend management and procurement platform that saves businesses time and money by connecting company spend. With the integration of everyday technologies, built-in automation, procurement, and an easily adopted approval process, Spendesk’s single solution makes agile, efficient spending easy for employees and gives finance leaders complete visibility across entire company spend. Trusted by thousands of businesses from start-ups to established brands, and with offices in Paris, London, Berlin and Madrid, Spendesk puts community at the heart of spend management. Spendesk-backed CFO Connect is the fastest-growing global community of finance leaders with more than 12,000 members. For more information, visit: https://www.spendesk.com/en/press/

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements expressed or implied in this press release include, but are not limited to, quotations and statements relating to changing consumer preferences; increasing consumer adoption of certain digital payment methods, products, and solutions; which payment, banking, and financial services products and solutions may succeed; technological and market trends; Marqeta’s business; Marqeta’s products and services; and statements made by Marqeta’s senior leadership. Actual results may differ materially from the expectations contained in these statements due to risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the following: any factors creating issues with changes in domestic and international business, market, financial, political and legal conditions; and those risks and uncertainties included in the “Risk Factors” disclosed in Marqeta's Annual Report on Form 10-K, as may be updated from time to time in Marqeta’s periodic filings with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov and Marqeta’s website at http://investors.marqeta.com. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Marqeta as of the date hereof. Marqeta disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250310341981/en/

Jordan Fellows

press@marqeta.com

Source: Marqeta

FAQ

What new features does the Marqeta-Spendesk partnership bring to European SMBs?

The partnership brings real-time card processing, customizable spend controls, dynamic expense screening, and seamless integration with accounting software for over 4,000 European SMBs.

How does Marqeta's platform enhance spend control for Spendesk users?

Marqeta enables real-time transaction screening, time-specific spending restrictions, category-based controls, and immediate transaction approval/denial capabilities.

What types of cards does Spendesk offer through Marqeta's platform?

Spendesk offers both physical and virtual cards that can be customized to each business's specific needs through Marqeta's platform.

How does the MQ-Spendesk integration improve expense management efficiency?

The integration reduces friction by enabling real-time expense monitoring, automated controls, and seamless connection with existing accounting systems.