Canada-based credit card platform provider Brim Financial has agreed to a credit card portfolio transition and platform modernisation with Manulife Bank. Under the partnership, Manulife Bank's credit card business will move to Brim's platform, which brings issuing, processing, servicing, loyalty campaigns, and customer engagement together in a single operating model.
Cards embedded in the bank's digital channels
Brim's platform is designed to let banks embed cards and payments within their own digital channels instead of combining services from several separate vendors. For Manulife Bank, the deployment embeds credit and payments within its digital banking environment and supports customer engagement across the full card lifecycle. Brim says the integrated model is also intended to speed up product launches and reduce operational complexity. The deployment extends beyond retail customers. Brim's digital customer journeys will support Manulife Bank's independent advisors, mortgage specialists, and customer-facing teams, with the aim of deepening relationships across the bank's business.
Katy Boshart, President and CEO of Manulife Bank, said the partnership allows the bank to offer customers a more cohesive, transparent, and personalised digital experience, supported by insights that simplify everyday banking. She added that Brim's technology supports the bank's digital foundation and wider transformation.
Banks reassessing multi-vendor card stacks
The move reflects a broader shift among card issuers away from legacy issuer processing set-ups that combine multiple providers, towards integrated platforms that cover the full card lifecycle. Rasha Katabi, Founder and CEO of Brim Financial, said financial institutions worldwide are reassessing their modernisation strategies and recognising that relying on several vendors can slow innovation and increase costs. She added that the Manulife Bank partnership shows how institutions are moving towards an integrated, embedded platform that supports speed, control, and growth.
Brim has previously provided its platform to other Canadian institutions. In April 2021, it partnered with Canadian Western Bank to roll out its platform-as-a-service and credit card infrastructure. In December 2023, it formed a partnership with Mastercard to modernise credit card infrastructure for financial institutions in the US, embedding Mastercard's Open Banking capabilities across its platform.
