To Own or Outsource? Directions in Payment Program Strategy

Launching a payment card program has never been more complex—or more consequential. Between compliance, partner coordination and customer-experience expectations, effective program management is now the linchpin of every successful financial product. As innovation accelerates and regulations evolve, companies face a pivotal decision: whether to run their programs in-house or rely on an experienced partner to accelerate readiness and reduce launch risk. This Tracker explores how organizations of every size can balance control, compliance and speed—and why the right approach can determine whether a card program scales or stalls.

• Payment Program Management: Where Strategy Meets Execution
• Own or Outsource? How to Choose Your Model
• How Outsourcing Can Win: Partnering for Performance
• Strategic Thinking Drives Program Management Direction

Payment Program Management: Where Strategy Meets Execution

Program management brings structure, speed and oversight to every stage of a card program’s life cycle—from compliance and integration to user experience and growth—turning operational complexity into a strategic advantage.

Program management turns strategy into execution.

Program managers keep all the gears turning in sync.

According to Galileo, program management is the operational engine room of a financial product. Program managers oversee the full life cycle of a payment card—from initial design and technical integration to post-launch optimization and cardholder support. Their remit spans consultative guidance, day-to-day oversight and key performance indicator (KPI) monitoring, ensuring that every component of the program is aligned, compliant and performing.

They also serve as relationship orchestrators, maintaining connections with the issuing bank, payment network, settlement partners, fraud-prevention vendors and other ecosystem players that make a card program run smoothly. This includes managing settlement flows, coordinating network selection, implementing fraud protocols and ensuring that regulatory requirements are consistently met. Program managers further help shape user experience, guiding mobile app development, activation strategies, marketing support and dispute-resolution processes that directly influence cardholder satisfaction and retention.

Explosive market growth is reshaping program-management demands.

As demand for embedded finance grows, the responsibilities placed on program management are expanding. A recent Totavi forecast estimates that the debit program-management market in the United States will grow from roughly $1 billion in 2025 to $4 billion by 2034, representing a 14% compound annual growth rate (CAGR). This is being driven by non-bank brands entering the payments space and by companies seeking faster, lower-friction ways to launch and scale financial products. This rising demand underscores the need for flexible, well-structured program-management models capable of adapting to new use cases, regulatory expectations and customer-experience standards.

Own or Outsource? How to Choose Your Model

Choosing whether to own or outsource a payment program hinges on a company’s scale, expertise and business model. The right approach can accelerate launch timelines, strengthen compliance and unlock sustainable economics.

Owning versus outsourcing is a strategic choice.

Organizational scale and maturity shape the ownership decision.

Galileo emphasizes that organizational size and maturity are two of the strongest indicators of which approach to adopt. Early-stage or smaller companies often lack the regulatory, operational or technical bandwidth to manage the full suite of responsibilities—making outsourcing a practical way for them to achieve scale without building an internal team. Trusted third-party partners can accelerate speed to market through pre-integrated solutions, pre-approved templates and embedded ecosystem relationships.

Larger enterprises, by contrast, may prefer to bring program management in-house, using established compliance teams, IT departments and operational structures. In these cases, outside partners may take a consultative role—advising on best practices while the business retains day-to-day control.

Business model and revenue priorities further determine the right fit.

Company type also plays a defining role. Non-financial brands using payments to enhance loyalty, expand customer engagement or unlock new commercial models typically find outsourcing more efficient, allowing them to focus on their core business. Financial institutions or FinTechs with mature operations may prefer a hybrid approach that preserves brand differentiation while offloading complex compliance and settlement tasks.

Economic considerations add another layer. Revenue models differ depending on whether program management is owned internally or handled by an external partner, and companies must weigh revenue-sharing implications, cost structures and timelines. The faster a program launches and activates cardholders, the sooner acquisition costs can be monetized—making time to market a meaningful strategic factor.

How Outsourcing Can Win: Partnering for Performance

The strongest partnerships blend in-house control with outsourced capability, helping companies pivot faster, mitigate risk and build flexible programs that grow with customer and market demands.

Linking up does not mean letting go.

Processor-led support offers a scalable path for hybrid programs.

Modern payment processors like Galileo increasingly offer program-management services as part of their platform capabilities. They can manage transaction flow, oversee fraud and risk mitigation, advise on network partnerships and help reduce operational friction for both new and expanding programs. This form of partnership allows brands to retain strategic ownership while offloading complex, resource-intensive components—an arrangement that is particularly valuable as companies move from pilot phases to full-scale operations.

Because program-management responsibilities are so interconnected, this flexible model allows companies to choose which components to keep in-house and which to delegate. Companies that want to maintain direct relationships with their issuing banks may serve as their own program managers, while those seeking a lower-touch model can allow the partner to manage that relationship entirely.

Real-world partnerships illustrate how outsourcing accelerates innovation.

Recent debit-card launches from major brands show how outsourced or hybrid program-management models can speed innovation while preserving the cardholder experience. United Airlines, for example, used Galileo’s modern platform to bring its MileagePlus Debit Rewards Card to market quickly—enabling members to earn miles on everyday spending and deepening loyalty without requiring United to build compliance or settlement infrastructure in-house. Similarly, Southwest Airlines expanded its Rapid Rewards Debit Card ecosystem through a Galileo-powered debit card that maintains brand control while relying on a partner for the technical, regulatory and operational foundations. With more than 90% of Americans using debit cards, these partnerships gave both airlines a fast path to capture a high-demand market opportunity. Together, these examples highlight how businesses can tap existing networks and modular capabilities to scale efficiently, reduce friction and meet rising customer expectations without compromising agility or oversight.

Across all models, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy. Each organization must evaluate its capabilities, revenue goals, risk appetite and growth plans to determine which structure best unlocks long-term performance.

Strategic Thinking Drives Program Management Direction

As payments innovation accelerates, businesses must decide what to build, what to buy and how to manage for long-term success. Leveraging trusted partners, proven frameworks and adaptive infrastructure helps organizations bring financial products to market faster, safer and smarter—turning the intricacies of program management into lasting advantage.

PYMNTS Intelligence offers the following actionable roadmap for companies considering whether to own or outsource a payment program:

• It takes a village. The payment card ecosystem has many players. Effective coordination is critical to success.
• One size does not fit all. Deciding whether to buy or build is critical, but many factors should influence the choice.
• Adopt a modular mentality. Many successful programs follow a modular construction plan, with some pieces outsourced and others kept in-house.
• Leverage connections. Whether outsourced or self-managed, tapping into networks of trusted partners is key to success.

Managing a successful payment card program is more than simply an administrative job. It requires understanding the many moving parts, building relationships with trusted partners, and knowing where and how it fits into the organization’s overall business plan. Done right, program management can turn a card program into a strategic and competitive asset.

Program management is the operational engine room of every successful payment card launch. As companies navigate whether to own or outsource, effective program management transforms operational complexity into strategic advantage. The organizations that win balance control with capability, leveraging trusted partnerships to accelerate time to market while maintaining compliance, confidence and brand integrity.”