Introducing Fintech Navigator^TM

I’m very excited to announce the launch of a new data product from Totavi: The Fintech Navigator. If you’ve ever tried to untangle which bank issues which card or who’s backing which program, this tool is built for you.

Since launching Totavi, we've shared two complimentary resources with you: the Fintech VC List and the U.S. Sponsor Bank List. Over the past few months, the Totavi team has been turning that set of spreadsheets into a real database and web app that connects banks, investors, programs, and providers that we use at Totavi to track who's working with whom and how the industry is growing and changing.

We carefully take note when companies have press releases, and we love to read the issuing footnote on a card’s website. (No NDAs were harmed in the making of this database.) And today, we're making the Totavi app and the Fintech Navigator available to you. You can log in and everything! 

The free version of the app still gives you access to search investors and banks, and our open source credit card financial model. To access the full Fintech Navigator database you’ll need a Totavi Pro subscription. With Totavi Pro you get unlimited access to all of our currently published market analyses and all of our new releases throughout the year.

Speaking of which, today we are also launching the 2025 updated version of our debit card program manager report with:

• Extensive side-by-side comparison of program management capabilities for nine platforms
• Projections on growth for the debit program management market
• Chart to help decide whether to create a debit card or credit card program
• Eleven charts and graphs over 26 pages

Mirror-Finished Amex

As promised, here's a photo of my shiny new Amex:

I'm wearing a green shirt in this photo - can you tell?

It is more mirror-like than I expected and, so far, pretty fingerprint-resistant. I'm curious to see how it lasts when living in a wallet. My wife is going to keep her Kehinde Wiley version for now.

New Airline Cards

Sun Country

Synchrony announced the launch of a new airline credit card: The Sun Country Visa Signature credit card. The card is a standard airline co-brand credit card. With an $89 annual fee, this card makes sense if you fly Sun Country frequently, but it would be a stretch for others. There is a 25,000 point signup bonus (worth $25) and you earn the usual 3 points per dollar when you purchase Sun Country tickets, 2 points per dollar on gas station and grocery store purchases and 1 point everywhere else. Yawn.

tiny planes, flying from box to box

You don’t even get a free checked bag! You get 50% off your first bag. Ouch. A 10,000-point anniversary bonus offsets the annual fee, but only if you spend $10,000. 

Southwest

Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines, one of the nation’s largest carriers, teased a new rewards debit card, which Sunrise Bank will issue, and program-managed by Galileo (Discovered via a leaky image URL).

Love this card design! I hope it has a nice finish IRL

It says “coming soon” on www.southwestdebit.com but you can try to apply at: app.southwestdebit.com/onboarding You probably shouldn’t though, because the legal terms links go back to the main website, which is a bit locked down.

Famous product mistakes in fintech: making your production version available before launch (and not including a robots.txt file). 

I do love this footnote: “*Southwest® is an airline and not a bank.” I get why Chime needs that, but Southwest? Seems obvious.

Go, Klarna, Go

Klarna Kards for Klara, Karla, and Karl

Klarna announced that its Klarna card has signed up more than 1 million cardholders in just 11 weeks. That’s more than 13,000 people a day. I covered this card during its trial back in CardsFTW #159. This is a Visa Flexible Credential card (and a hugely successful one), showing the continued blurred lines.

Me, Elsewhere

I was the guest on the September episode of the Lenders on Lenders podcast with Julie VerHage-Greenberg and Scott Johnson (who I’ve known since the Prepaid Expo, RIP). We chatted about how the fintech ecosystem is evolving, from the challenges of KYC and open banking to the rise of niche card programs.

CardsFTW

CardsFTW, released weekly on Wednesdays, offers insights and analysis on new credit and debit card industry products for consumers and providers. CardsFTW is authored and published by Matthew Goldman and the team at Totavi, a boutique consulting firm specializing in fintech product management & marketing. We bring real operational experience that varies from the earliest days of a startup to high-growth phases and public company leadership. Visit www.totavi.com to learn more.

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