Remitly, the Seattle digital remittance startup built on sending money across borders, is now offering a debit card and account meant to hold that money, too.
The company on Thursday launched the Remitly Global Card, a Visa debit card and linked account aimed at customers whose lives span multiple countries — letting them get paid, spend, save, and send money home without switching between apps or accounts.
The launch aligns with Remitly’s broader strategy to expand beyond cross-border transfers into everyday financial services. By offering direct deposits, fee-free local spending, and global ATM access, the company is aiming to deepen customer loyalty and eliminate the banking friction faced by many underbanked or immigrant workers when trying to open traditional accounts.
“Our top goal for the Remitly Global Card was for it to disappear into people’s everyday lives, so sending money home feels as simple as buying a coffee,” CEO Sebastian Gunningham said in a news release, pointing to a unified balance that works across different currencies without requiring separate accounts or spending apps.
The Visa debit card is issued through Lead Bank, with the account wallet powered by Stripe and funds held at Fifth Third Bank, giving eligible customers pass-through FDIC insurance.
The card plan includes several targeted features for cross-border users:
Automatic rate perks: Cardholders receive Remitly’s preferred foreign exchange rates and default access to its fastest transfer options.
Flexible balances: Eligible customers can hold funds in U.S. dollars or USDC, a dollar-backed digital stablecoin, converting to local currencies as needed.
Peer-to-peer transfers: Cardholders can send money instantly to other Remitly cardholders globally.
Liquidity access: U.S. cardholders can access a 0% APR open-end line of credit with no credit history required to help bridge gaps before payday.
Founded in 2011 out of the Techstars Seattle accelerator (originally as Beamit Mobile), Remitly has grown into one of the region’s largest public fintech successes. The company now employs more than 2,800 people globally and reported $452.8 million in revenue for the first quarter of 2026, serving roughly 9.6 million quarterly active customers.
The product rollout comes just months after a major leadership transition for the company. Co-founder Matt Oppenheimer stepped into the board chairman role earlier this year after leading Remitly for nearly 15 years, handing the chief executive reins to Gunningham, a former Amazon executive who previously headed the tech giant’s marketplace and payments teams.
The Remitly Global Card begins a phased rollout to eligible, invited customers on Thursday. Initial international focus targets select markets across Latin America and Asia-Pacific, with plans to expand regional access over the coming quarters to the UK, Europe, Australia, Canada, and the UAE.
Over time, Remitly plans to broaden card access to more existing users and eventually prospective customers, positioning the tool as its primary engine for driving deeper customer loyalty across global borders.
