Card Account Modes - UTGL Developer Portal

The Issuing API supports four card account modes: prepaid, asset-link, fixed-limit, and program-limit. Each mode operates differently and is suited for different use cases. Understanding these modes helps you choose the right option for your business needs.

Overview

Card account modes determine how funds are managed, how spending limits are set, and how repayments are handled. The mode is set when creating a card account and cannot be changed after creation.

Mode	Funding Method	Credit Limit	Repayment Method	Best For
Prepaid	Direct top-up	Balance-based	N/A (pre-funded)	Simple, quick setup
Asset-Link	Backing account assets	Asset value-based	Automatic asset liquidation	Multi-currency, flexible assets
Fixed-Limit	Credit account	Fixed predetermined limit	Settlement account	Credit products, predictable limits
Program-Limit	Shared program facility	Assigned per account, capped by the program	Settlement account	Card programs with one shared ceiling

Prepaid Mode

Prepaid mode is the simplest card account type. Cards are pre-funded with the card account currency, and spending is deducted directly from the card account balance until funds are depleted.

How It Works

Key Characteristics

Funding: Direct top-up using the /cardaccounts/topup endpoint
Credit Limit: Always zero (balance-based spending only)
Available Balance: Equal to the card account balance
Repayment: Not applicable (pre-funded model)
Currency: Single currency (matches card account currency)

Account Structure

Benefits

Simple Setup - No additional accounts or complex configurations required
Quick Implementation - Fastest way to issue cards
Predictable - Spending limited to available balance
No Credit Risk - No outstanding balances or repayments

Considerations

Manual Top-ups - Requires regular funding to maintain spending ability
Single Currency - Must match card account currency
No Credit Facility - Cannot spend beyond available balance

Use Cases

Prepaid mode is ideal for:

Gift cards - Fixed value cards for recipients
Expense management - Controlled spending with pre-allocated funds
Quick deployment - Fast card issuance without complex setup
Budget control - Strict spending limits based on available balance

API Example

{
  "accountType": "prepaid",
  "currency": "USD",
  "cardholder": {
    "firstName": "John",
    "lastName": "Doe"
  }
}

Top-up the account:

POST /cardaccounts/topup
{
  "accountId": "source-account-id",
  "cardAccountId": "card-account-id",
  "amount": 1000.00,
  "currency": "USD"
}

Asset-Link Mode

Asset-link mode provides a credit facility backed by assets in a linked account. The credit limit is determined by the value of assets in the backing account, and repayments are automatically settled through asset liquidation.

How It Works

Key Characteristics

Funding: Assets deposited into the backing account
Credit Limit: Dynamically calculated from asset value in backing account
Available Balance: Credit limit minus outstanding balance
Repayment: Automatic asset liquidation when repayment is triggered
Currency: Multi-currency support (assets can be in different currencies)

Account Structure

Benefits

Multi-Currency Assets - Support for various asset types and currencies
Automatic Repayment - Assets liquidated automatically when needed
Flexible Funding - Use diverse assets (crypto, fiat, etc.)
Deferred Liquidation - Assets remain in original form until repayment

Considerations

Complex Setup - Requires managing backing account and assets
Asset Volatility - Credit limit fluctuates with asset values
Monitoring Required - Track asset values to ensure sufficient backing
Liquidation Timing - Asset conversion happens at repayment time

Use Cases

Asset-link mode is ideal for:

Crypto-backed cards - Use cryptocurrency holdings as credit backing
Multi-currency portfolios - Leverage diverse asset holdings
Wealth management - Access credit without liquidating investments
Flexible repayment - Automatic settlement from asset portfolio

API Example

{
  "accountType": "asset-link",
  "currency": "USD",
  "assetLink": {
    "accountId": "backing-account-id"
  },
  "cardholder": {
    "firstName": "Jane",
    "lastName": "Smith"
  }
}

Fund the backing account:

POST /accounts/{accountId}/add-assets
{
  "assets": [
    {
      "currency": "BTC",
      "amount": "0.5"
    },
    {
      "currency": "USD",
      "amount": "10000"
    }
  ]
}

Fixed-Limit Mode

Fixed-limit mode provides a predetermined credit limit that remains unchanged regardless of asset values. Repayments are settled through a designated settlement account rather than automatic asset liquidation.

How It Works

Key Characteristics

Funding: Credit limit from credit account (not directly funded)
Credit Limit: Fixed predetermined amount (set at creation)
Available Balance: Credit limit minus outstanding balance
Repayment: Manual transfer from settlement account
Currency: Single currency (matches card account currency)

Account Structure

Benefits

Predictable Limits - Fixed credit limit doesn’t fluctuate
Stable Credit - Not affected by asset value changes
Control Repayment - Manual settlement timing and amount
Credit Products - Suitable for traditional credit card products

Considerations

Setup Complexity - Requires credit account and settlement account
Manual Repayment - Repayments must be initiated manually
Credit Account Limits - Total limits across all cards cannot exceed credit account balance
Settlement Management - Must maintain sufficient funds in settlement account

Use Cases

Fixed-limit mode is ideal for:

Traditional credit cards - Fixed credit limits like conventional cards
Credit products - Predictable credit facilities
Corporate cards - Controlled credit limits for employees
Stable credit lines - Credit unaffected by asset volatility

API Example

{
  "accountType": "fixed-limit",
  "currency": "USD",
  "limit": 10000,
  "creditAccount": ["credit-account-id"],
  "settlementAccount": "settlement-account-id",
  "cardholder": {
    "firstName": "Bob",
    "lastName": "Johnson"
  }
}

Repay outstanding balance:

POST /cardaccounts/{cardAccountId}/repay
{
  "amount": 3000.00,
  "currency": "USD",
  "fromAccountId": "settlement-account-id"
}

Program-Limit Mode

Program-limit mode gives each card account an assigned credit limit that is independent of collateral. Instead of backing every card account with its own credit account, all of your program-limit accounts draw on one shared program facility that the server manages. Each account spends up to its own assigned limit, and the program facility caps the total exposure across all accounts in the program. Repayments are settled through a designated settlement account, as in fixed-limit mode.

Approval Required: Program-limit must be set up for your account before you can create accounts of this type. Contact your solution manager. If your account is not approved for the type, creation fails with CREDIT_LINE_TYPE_INVALID_ERROR. Program assignment is managed server-side: you do not choose a program in the request, and a request that includes programId, programCreditLineId, or program_credit_line_id fails with INVALID_REQUEST.

How It Works

Key Characteristics

Funding: Shared program facility (no creditAccount required)
Credit Limit: Assigned per account at creation; must be a positive amount
Program Ceiling: Total exposure across all accounts in the program cannot exceed the program facility limit
Available Balance: Assigned limit minus balance (held plus captured)
Repayment: Transfer from the settlement account
Program Capacity Restoration: Depends on how your program is configured. Either cardholder repayments restore program capacity, or capacity is restored when the program itself is settled with UTGL. Your solution manager can confirm which applies
Currency: Single currency, matching the program’s currency

Account Structure

The Program Record

The program facility is itself a credit line, so Get Card Accounts returns it as one more record in the list, with accountType set to program. It carries the ordinary limit, balance, outstanding, and available fields plus two program-only fields:

Field	Meaning
`programBalance`	Program settlement exposure including reservations
`programOutstanding`	Captured program settlement exposure

Both fields are null until the program values are populated, and they are omitted for every other account type. Program-limit card accounts keep their own accountType and their own balance fields; the program fields are not repeated on them.

Use programBalance for remaining capacity. On the program record, available always equals limit, because the facility’s own balance stays at zero; do not use it for capacity. Authorizations are checked against limit minus programBalance, so that is the figure to use when estimating how much room the program has left.

The program record is read-only through the API. You cannot create it, update its limit, or issue cards against it. Filter it out when listing cardholder accounts.

Benefits

Shared Ceiling - One facility caps exposure across every card in the program
No Collateral per Card - Assigned limits do not depend on a credit account balance
Independent Limits - Each account keeps its own limit, updatable through the API
Familiar Settlement - Repayments work the same way as fixed-limit

Considerations

Approval Required - Your account must be approved for the program-limit type and assigned to a program
Program Capacity - Authorizations can be declined when the program facility is fully utilized, even if the account has room under its own limit
Single Currency - All accounts in a program share the program’s currency
Server-Managed Assignment - You cannot choose or change which program an account belongs to

Use Cases

Program-limit mode is ideal for:

Card programs - Many cardholders drawing on one facility you control
Corporate fleets - Per-employee limits under a company-wide ceiling
Partner-funded credit - Credit extended under a single facility rather than collateral per card
Tiered limits - Different assigned limits per cardholder, one pool of exposure

API Example

{
  "accountType": "program-limit",
  "currency": "USD",
  "limit": 10000,
  "settlementAccount": "settlement-account-id",
  "name": "Alice Wong",
  "identityType": "individual",
  "phoneNumber": "+85255551234",
  "individual": { "firstName": "Alice", "lastName": "Wong", "...": "remaining required identity fields, see Create Card Account" }
}

Do not pass creditAccount: the program facility backs the account, not collateral. Update the assigned limit:

POST /cardaccounts/fixed-limit
{
  "cardAccountId": "card-account-id",
  "limit": 15000
}

Limit updates on program-limit accounts skip the collateral check and never change the program facility limit. Do not mix program-limit and fixed-limit accounts in one request. A mixed request fails and no limit is changed.

Program Error Codes

Program checks fail with HTTP 400 and one of these code values:

Code	Returned by	Meaning
`PROGRAM_ASSIGNMENT_NOT_FOUND`	Create Card Account	No program matches your account, currency, or card product. Contact your solution manager
`PROGRAM_ASSIGNMENT_AMBIGUOUS`	Create Card Account	More than one program matched your account. Contact your solution manager
`PROGRAM_ASSIGNMENT_INVALID`	Create Card Account, Get Card Accounts	The program’s configuration is invalid, for example its accounts do not share one currency. Contact your solution manager
`PROGRAM_LIMIT_NOT_AVAILABLE`	Update Fixed Limit and card operations	The target is the program record itself, or an ordinary account that has been placed in a program. See below

PROGRAM_LIMIT_NOT_AVAILABLE can come from Update Fixed Limit, Create Card, Activate Card, Unlock Card, Unsuspend Card, Replace Card, and Simulate Authorization. Program-limit accounts themselves are never blocked by it. The message field is generic and never includes another cardholder’s details.

Mode Comparison

Quick Decision Guide

Choose Prepaid if:

You need the simplest setup
You want to avoid credit risk
You can manage regular top-ups
You’re issuing gift cards or prepaid cards

Choose Asset-Link if:

Your clients have diverse asset portfolios
You want automatic repayment from assets
You need multi-currency support
You want deferred asset liquidation

Choose Fixed-Limit if:

You need predictable credit limits
You’re building traditional credit products
You want manual control over repayments
You need stable credit unaffected by asset values

Choose Program-Limit if:

Many cardholders should draw on one facility you control
You want per-account limits without a credit account per card
You need a hard ceiling on total exposure across the program
Your account is approved for program-limit

Detailed Comparison

Feature	Prepaid	Asset-Link	Fixed-Limit	Program-Limit
Setup Complexity	Simple	Complex	Moderate	Moderate (approval required)
Credit Limit	Balance-based	Asset value-based	Fixed predetermined	Assigned per account
Funding Method	Direct top-up	Asset deposit	Credit account	Shared program facility
Repayment	N/A	Automatic liquidation	Manual settlement	Manual settlement
Multi-Currency	No	Yes	No	No
Asset Flexibility	No	Yes	No	No
Limit Stability	Stable	Volatile	Stable	Stable
Credit Risk	None	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate
Best For	Gift cards, prepaid	Crypto-backed, wealth	Traditional credit	Card programs, corporate fleets

Account Balance Fields

Understanding balance fields helps you work with each mode correctly:

Field	Prepaid	Asset-Link	Fixed-Limit	Program-Limit	Description
`balance`	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Current account balance (credit modes: positive = amount owed; prepaid: negative = funds held)
`limit`	Always `0`	Asset value	Fixed amount	Assigned amount	Credit limit assigned
`outstanding`	N/A	Yes	Yes	Yes	Amount owed (credit modes only)
`available`	Balance	Limit - Balance	Limit - Balance	Limit - Balance	Spendable amount; on the `program` record it always equals Limit

The program record returned alongside program-limit accounts additionally carries programBalance and programOutstanding. See The Program Record.

Balance Examples

Prepaid Account:

{
  "balance": -500.00,
  "limit": 0,
  "available": 500.00,
  "outstanding": null
}

Asset-Link Account:

{
  "balance": 2500.00,
  "limit": 40000.00,
  "available": 37500.00,
  "outstanding": 2500.00
}

Fixed-Limit Account:

{
  "balance": 3000.00,
  "limit": 10000.00,
  "available": 7000.00,
  "outstanding": 3000.00
}

Program-Limit Account:

{
  "accountType": "program-limit",
  "balance": 3000.00,
  "limit": 10000.00,
  "available": 7000.00,
  "outstanding": 3000.00
}

Program Record (shared facility):

{
  "accountType": "program",
  "limit": 100000.00,
  "balance": 0.00,
  "available": 100000.00,
  "programBalance": 12000.00,
  "programOutstanding": 11500.00
}

Mode Selection Workflow

Important Notes

Mode Cannot Be Changed: The accountType is set when creating the card account and cannot be modified after creation. Choose carefully based on your long-term needs.

Check Balance Fields: Use the available field to determine spendable amount. For prepaid accounts, available equals balance. For credit accounts, available = limit - outstanding.

Program Record Is Read-Only: The program record returned by Get Card Accounts is the shared facility, not a cardholder account. It cannot be created, updated, or used to issue cards through the API.

Next Steps

Review Creating Card Accounts for API details
Learn about Top-up Operations for prepaid accounts
Understand Balance Transfers for asset-link accounts
Adjust assigned limits with Update Fixed Limit for fixed-limit and program-limit accounts
Explore the API Reference for complete endpoint documentation

​Overview

​Prepaid Mode

​How It Works

​Key Characteristics

​Account Structure

​Benefits

​Considerations

​Use Cases

​API Example

​Asset-Link Mode

​How It Works

​Key Characteristics

​Account Structure

​Benefits

​Considerations

​Use Cases

​API Example

​Fixed-Limit Mode

​How It Works

​Key Characteristics

​Account Structure

​Benefits

​Considerations

​Use Cases

​API Example

​Program-Limit Mode

​How It Works

​Key Characteristics

​Account Structure

​The Program Record

​Benefits

​Considerations

​Use Cases

​API Example

​Program Error Codes

​Mode Comparison

​Quick Decision Guide

​Detailed Comparison

​Account Balance Fields

​Balance Examples

​Mode Selection Workflow

​Important Notes

​Next Steps

Overview

Prepaid Mode

How It Works

Key Characteristics

Account Structure

Benefits

Considerations

Use Cases

API Example

Asset-Link Mode

How It Works

Key Characteristics

Account Structure

Benefits

Considerations

Use Cases

API Example

Fixed-Limit Mode

How It Works

Key Characteristics

Account Structure

Benefits

Considerations

Use Cases

API Example

Program-Limit Mode

How It Works

Key Characteristics

Account Structure

The Program Record

Benefits

Considerations

Use Cases

API Example

Program Error Codes

Mode Comparison

Quick Decision Guide

Detailed Comparison

Account Balance Fields

Balance Examples

Mode Selection Workflow

Important Notes

Next Steps