Marketing Guide

Overview

Payment cards are regulated financial products. Marketing them involves financial regulators, card networks, issuing institutions, and consumer protection authorities, each with its own requirements.

This guide defines which marketing activities partners may run without review, which require notification, and which require prior approval from Wirex. Activities that follow the rules set out here may proceed as described. Anything outside the scope of this guide must be submitted to Wirex for review before publication or distribution.

The guide applies to all co-brand partners involved in the promotion, distribution, or marketing of the Wirex card program.

Before any campaign, confirm the target market in the Marketing Jurisdiction Matrix. Jurisdiction rules override every other rule on this page.

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Roles and Responsibilities

Wirex

Wirex acts as issuer and program operator and retains ultimate responsibility for regulatory compliance and adherence to card network rules:

• Acting as the issuing institution for the card program
• Ensuring compliance with applicable financial regulations
• Ensuring compliance with Visa and Mastercard scheme rules
• Defining marketing and brand usage standards for the card program
• Reviewing and approving marketing activities that require issuer approval
• Maintaining and providing approved marketing assets and program descriptions

Wirex retains the right to request modification, suspension, or removal of any marketing activity that may expose the card program to regulatory, legal, or scheme compliance risk.

Co-Brand Partner

Partners execute marketing and promotional activities within their distribution channels and are responsible for:

• Ensuring all marketing activities comply with this guide
• Ensuring marketing communications are accurate and not misleading
• Complying with local laws and regulations in the jurisdictions where activities are distributed
• Using only approved brand assets and product descriptions
• Notifying Wirex, or requesting approval, where required under this guide

Card Networks

Visa and Mastercard define scheme rules governing card issuance and acceptance, establish brand usage and marketing requirements, may review marketing activities related to card programs, and may take enforcement action where scheme rules are not followed.

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Compliance Principles

Why the Rules Exist

Card products operate inside a supervised ecosystem: financial regulators and consumer protection authorities, card networks, issuing institutions, and local laws governing financial promotions. The rules exist so consumers receive accurate information and programs operate responsibly.

Escalation Risk

Non-compliant marketing attracts regulatory attention or scheme inquiries, typically after a complaint from a competitor, consumer, or other market participant. A typical escalation path:

Competitor or consumer complaint
  → Local financial regulator review
    → Inquiry to Visa or Mastercard
      → Card network investigation
        → Issuer review and potential enforcement actions

Possible consequences include scheme penalties or fines up to revocation of the issuer's licence, suspension of marketing activities in specific jurisdictions, restrictions on card issuance, and mandatory corrective actions. A single non-compliant campaign is enough to trigger this process.

Core Principles

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Geographic Restrictions

Jurisdictions are classified as Prohibited, Reverse Solicitation Only, or Allowed. The full list is in the Marketing Jurisdiction Matrix.

Prohibited

No activity that promotes, advertises, or solicits users for the card program is permitted, including advertising campaigns, targeted digital marketing, influencer promotion, localized landing pages or content, customer acquisition campaigns, and press releases or public announcements.

Access by users located in these jurisdictions may be considered only in exceptional cases on a reverse solicitation basis, subject to prior Wirex approval. Such cases are reviewed individually and may be declined at Wirex's discretion.

Reverse Solicitation Only

Users may access the program only where their engagement is initiated independently, not as a result of targeted marketing or solicitation. Partners must not run targeted advertising campaigns, marketing communications specifically addressing users in the jurisdiction, influencer campaigns, or localized acquisition campaigns aimed at these markets.

Because of the regulatory sensitivity of these jurisdictions, any marketing activity that may reach users in these markets must be submitted to Wirex for review and approval before launch.

Allowed

Marketing is permitted provided it complies with this guide, applicable local laws and regulations, and Visa and Mastercard scheme rules. The approval framework below still applies.

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Activity Classification

Jurisdiction restrictions take precedence over this classification. If an activity targets or may reach a restricted jurisdiction, the geographic rules apply regardless of category.

Category A — No Approval Required

Examples:

• Promotion of the partner's platform or services without referencing the card program
• Educational content about digital payments or financial services with no mention of the Wirex card
• General product communications unrelated to the card program

If the Wirex card program, the Wirex brand, or card network brands are referenced in any form, the activity no longer qualifies for Category A.

Category B — Notification Required

Partner-owned channels include partner websites, partner mobile applications, email communications to existing customers, in-app notifications, and informational pages describing the card program.

These activities may proceed without formal approval provided that:

• Approved brand assets are used
• Product descriptions follow the standards in this guide
• The activity complies with the geographic restrictions

Partners notify Wirex before publication so Wirex maintains awareness of partner communications.

Pre-launch teasers. General announcements about the upcoming availability of a payment card may be published without prior approval, provided they do not reference Wirex, Visa, Mastercard, or the specific card program. Acceptable examples: "Payment card coming soon", "Card product launching soon", "Our platform will soon introduce a payment card". Such announcements must not include the Wirex name or logo, Visa or Mastercard logos or references, or identification of the issuer.

Category C — Approval Required

Rule of thumb: any marketing material that includes the name, logo, or branding of the issuer or the card networks must be submitted to Wirex for approval before publication.

Examples requiring approval:

• Paid advertising campaigns
• Social media advertising
• Influencer marketing
• Affiliate marketing campaigns
• Press releases or public announcements referencing the card program
• Media interviews referencing the card program
• Outdoor advertising
• Promotional campaigns targeting new customer acquisition

When in Doubt

If the classification of an activity or the need for approval is unclear, consult Wirex before launching. Wirex may request modifications to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, card network rules, or program policies.

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Product Description Standards

Partners must not represent themselves as the issuer of the card, and must not describe Wirex as a BIN sponsor or in any role other than "Issuer".

References to Card Networks

Partners must not:

• Suggest endorsement by a card network beyond standard acceptance statements
• Imply a partnership or relationship with Visa or Mastercard beyond the scope of the card program
• Imply a direct relationship with Visa or Mastercard
• Use wording such as "Approved by Visa", "Partnered with Mastercard", or similar phrasing implying direct involvement of the card networks
• Use card network names or logos inconsistently with scheme brand rules

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Claims and Messaging

Claims must be factually correct, supported by actual product functionality, and consistent with the product description standards above.

Prohibited Claims

• Guaranteed financial outcomes or profits
• Statements implying the card is an investment product
• Claims suggesting regulatory or card network endorsement or approval
• Statements implying the card network guarantees the product
• Claims that may mislead users regarding eligibility, fees, or availability
• Statements implying global availability of the card
• Statements implying guaranteed approval of a card application
• Statements that may undermine the card products of other issuers, domestically or globally
• Statements implying no or relaxed KYC or onboarding procedures
• Any statement that may breach local or international law, or draw the attention of a regulator or card network

Card Acceptance

Acceptance statements must reflect the standard acceptance rules of the relevant network — for example, that the card may be used where Visa or Mastercard are accepted, subject to the standard limitations of the payment network. Communications must not imply universal or unlimited acceptance.

Rewards and Incentives

Where communications reference rewards, cashback, incentives, or other benefits, partners must ensure the benefits reflect the actual program structure, that limitations and eligibility conditions are clearly disclosed, and that the value of benefits is not exaggerated. Promotional campaigns involving incentives or financial benefits require prior Wirex approval depending on structure and scope.

Clarity

Materials must not obscure product limitations, use language designed to mislead or confuse, or create the impression that the card provides services beyond its actual functionality.

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Channels

For paid advertising, confirm that targeting settings exclude jurisdictions where marketing is restricted or prohibited. For influencer and affiliate activity, the partner remains responsible for the third party's compliance with this guide.

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Approval Process

Submission

Submit materials requiring approval through the designated channel. A complete submission typically includes:

• The full marketing content or campaign materials
• Visual designs or artwork
• The channel where the material will be published
• The jurisdictions where the campaign will be distributed
• The planned launch date
• Any related promotional mechanics or incentives

Incomplete submissions delay review.

Review

Wirex evaluates materials against this guide, applicable regulatory considerations, card network brand rules and marketing requirements, and issuer identification and product description standards. Wirex may request modifications.

Post-Approval Modifications

Resubmit approved materials that change in any of the following ways:

• Marketing claims or messaging
• Visual design or branding
• Jurisdictions where the campaign is distributed
• Promotional mechanics or incentives
• Wirex or card network logo

Minor changes that do not affect substance — typographical corrections, minor layout adjustments that do not alter branding or messaging, campaign date updates, and similar administrative changes — require notification only.

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Monitoring and Enforcement

Wirex may periodically review marketing communications across partner websites and landing pages, mobile applications, email communications, public social media channels, advertising campaigns, and public announcements or press releases.

Any fines, penalties, or sanctions imposed by regulators or card networks as a result of non-compliant partner marketing are recovered from the partner. The partner may also be held responsible for damages suffered by Wirex, including reputational harm and any adverse impact on Wirex's ability to maintain its regulatory licences or card network memberships.

Partners remain responsible for ongoing compliance. Where regulatory requirements, scheme rules, or program conditions change, partners may be required to update their materials.

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Design Rules, Disclosures, and Assets

Promotional Design

Promotional designs must use only approved brand assets provided by Wirex, present the card program clearly and accurately, avoid confusion about the roles of the partner, Wirex as issuer, and the card networks, and leave official card imagery unaltered.

Partners must not:

• Modify the design of the card image or card artwork
• Recreate card imagery independently
• Alter logos, brand colors, or the proportions of brand elements
• Combine brand assets in a manner inconsistent with the approved co-brand presentation

Where materials include both partner branding and card program branding, the design must follow the structure approved during the co-brand program approval process. Card artwork itself is governed by Card Design Requirements.

Regulatory Disclosures

Where applicable, materials must include issuer identification and any disclaimers provided by Wirex. Disclosures may cover identification of Wirex as issuer, clarification of the relationship between partner and issuer, and any disclosures required by regulation or scheme rules. Partners must not modify disclosures or create alternative wording unless explicitly approved by Wirex, and disclosures must be clearly visible.

Marketing Asset Library

Wirex maintains an official marketing asset library, which may include approved card images, Wirex brand assets and logos, Visa and Mastercard logos where permitted, promotional design templates, approved product descriptions, and regulatory disclosure templates.

Use only assets provided through the official library. Do not source logos, card images, or other brand assets from unofficial sources. Wirex updates the library to reflect changes in branding, regulatory requirements, or scheme rules; always use the current version.

Detailed Visa brand usage rules — Visa Brand Mark colors and contrast, placement, visibility in imagery and video, and product naming structure — are supplied as an addendum to this guide by the Wirex delivery manager. Key points to design against:

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Contacts

Notifications should include a description of the activity, the distribution channels, the jurisdictions where it will be distributed, and the planned launch date.

Compliance questions may cover interpretation of jurisdiction restrictions, applicability of reverse solicitation rules, marketing claim compliance, and use of card network branding.

Wirex updates this guide to reflect regulatory developments, card network requirements, or program changes, and communicates material updates to partners. Partners are responsible for following the most recent version.