CPI Card Group Inc., a payments technology company, has announced a strategic partnership with Karta, an Australia-based prepaid program manager and payments technology firm. The collaboration includes a minority equity investment by CPI in Karta and aims to integrate Karta’s patent-pending SafeToBuy technology with CPI’s U.
S. prepaid solutions, enhancing security for prepaid cards by embedding data and security directly into an EMV chip.
The SafeToBuy technology eliminates printed card numbers and details from gift card packaging, mitigating the fraudulent draining of prepaid cards. This integration into CPI’s solutions supports its objective to reduce fraud and provide a more secure and streamlined payment experience for customers and cardholders.
John Lowe, President and CEO of CPI Card Group, stated, “Our clients want to deliver secure and engaging customer experiences, both physically and digitally. We are excited to partner with Karta to bring SafeToBuy technology together with CPI’s solutions. As a U.
S. leader in open-loop gift card production, chip-enabled payment cards, and digital issuance solutions, this collaboration allows us to help mitigate card fraud by connecting a secure digital experience in-store, online, and on mobile with our prepaid solutions.”
As Karta’s exclusive supplier in the U.
S., CPI will be responsible for producing and personalizing contactless gift cards equipped with EMV chips embedding Karta’s SafeToBuy applet. The process allows shoppers to select a gift card, tap it to their phone for validation, and after purchase, verify the transaction, add the card to a mobile wallet, or access details within the app for online or mobile use. Payment data on the prepaid gift card remains inaccessible prior to card activation.
Clare Kinsey, co-founder and co-CEO of Karta, commented, “Karta’s fraud prevention technology, purpose-built to safeguard prepaid, transit, credit, and debit cards, is amplified through our collaboration with CPI, a market leader in payment card services. By combining Karta’s innovation with CPI’s scale and reach, we are creating a new standard of security and trust that enables retailers, processors, and distribution partners to deliver safer, more reliable card programs while unlocking stronger growth opportunities across the ecosystem.”
This partnership positions CPI to potentially extend the secure approach to debit and credit cards, assisting retailers, distributors, program managers, and financial institutions in reducing fraud and connecting physical cards with mobile and online usage. The companies are currently adapting Karta’s prepaid program management platform for a U.
S. launch, targeted for early 2026, and are piloting the program in the U.
S. with a national retailer.
CPI Card Group Inc. specializes in payment cards and related digital solutions, serving clients across various industries in the United States through its production facilities and network of providers.
Karta, an Australian FinTech founded in 2021 and backed by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and CPI Card Group, focuses on redefining payment card security. Its SafeToBuy technology is operational in Australia and is being piloted in the U.
S. for gift cards, with plans to expand to debit, credit, and transport cards.
