Rebecca PY MALAYSIA, 24 JULY 2026 – Mastercard has announced a major upgrade to its In Control virtual card number platform, aiming to reinforce its position as a global leader in secure, scalable B2B payments. The enhancements introduce advanced virtual card controls designed to reduce risk across the entire payment lifecycle, alongside a single scalable connection to Mastercard’s expanding embedded partner network.
The company’s virtual card ecosystem now spans issuers, direct platforms and corporates operating across 43 countries and 174 currencies, reflecting its capacity to support international growth while maintaining consistent oversight and control.
Marc Pettican, Global Head of Corporate Solutions at Mastercard, said that as payments become increasingly digitized and embedded into business workflows, expectations around performance, security and control continue to rise. He noted that the expanded virtual card capabilities are intended to give partners a more unified and scalable way to implement and grow their programs.
Spencer Dunham, Vice President of Financial Services and Payments Practice at Kaiser Associates, added that virtual card providers are increasingly judged on operational maturity, configurable controls, ERP connectivity and smoother implementation paths. He said Mastercard’s In Control capabilities and its Commercial Connect API give banks a strong foundation for scaling virtual card programs with less integration friction.
Strengthening security across the payment lifecycle
Mastercard data shows fraud rates on virtual cards are less than one-fifth of those on non-virtual cards, with even lower rates recorded for cards issued through In Control. Building on this, Mastercard introduced two key capabilities:
Citi has already implemented both capabilities and is expected to become the first issuer to roll them out globally later this year. Scott Southall, global head of Citi Commercial Cards and Domestic Payments, said the collaboration positions Citi as the first issuer to bring these advanced security tools to market at global scale.
A more unified, scalable experience
Mastercard’s Commercial Connect API, described by Kaiser Associates as the market’s only single-API front door, is designed to simplify how businesses manage and scale virtual card capabilities. This addresses a common industry pain point, as 69% of companies report difficulty integrating payment and business systems.
New enhancements include expanded card controls that allow multiple control sets to be applied at the real card level, and simplified integration that enables virtual card creation and payment initiation in a single step.
Expanding the embedded payments ecosystem
Since launching its embedded virtual card program in March 2025, Mastercard has added dozens of partners across expense management, ERP, accounts payable, travel, hospitality, healthcare and e-commerce. SAP recently joined the program, marking a key step in scaling embedded virtual cards.
Thomas Mehlkopf of SAP said the partnership supports a shift toward autonomous finance by embedding virtual card payments directly into existing workflows and automating accounts payable processes.
Mastercard has also expanded through strategic partnerships, including a mobile virtual card solution launched with HSBC in the UAE that enables tokenized virtual card numbers in digital wallets. Saket Nailwal of HSBC said the collaboration combines the security of virtual cards with the convenience of mobile wallets.
Additionally, Mastercard was named Emburse’s Innovation Partner of the Year, and continues to expand travel-sector partnerships with companies including Juniper Travel, HBX Group and TravelSoft.
Reliable infrastructure for e-commerce
Mastercard says its In Control platform is built to support e-commerce transactions in real time with high availability, speed and resilience, offering businesses dependable payment experiences at scale.