TabaPay has become a direct network participant of Discover Network, enabling Discover acceptance through its sponsor banks via one API.
The move builds on TabaPay’s existing role as a PULSE processor for disbursements. Through TabaPay’s unified API, clients such as fintechs, lenders, and digital platforms can access Discover acceptance through any of its sponsor banks without additional setup. TabaPay had established the direct connection by July 2026, when it began migrating clients from its existing connection to the new Discover Connect integration.
Fewer intermediaries in card acceptance
According to TabaPay, connecting directly to Discover Network removes intermediaries from the payment chain, supporting more efficient routing, lower latency, and higher authorisation rates. Fewer intermediaries also mean fewer potential points of failure, which the company says supports the reliability businesses need as they scale. For North American businesses already integrated with TabaPay, the change brings Discover acceptance into the same integration.
Discover Network’s network-to-network structure allows payments to be transmitted and settled between separate financial networks. Merchants that accept Discover can therefore also accept cards from its alliance partners, including JCB, UnionPay, Elo, RuPay, and Troy, giving them access to cardholders across these networks through a single connection.
Expanding TabaPay’s network role
Jennifer Cruz, Senior Vice President, US and Canadian Markets at Discover Network, stated that the partnership makes it easier for fintechs to access Discover Network and expands its domestic debit footprint. Rodney Robinson, Co-Founder and CEO of TabaPay, stated that becoming a direct participant reflects the strength and scale of TabaPay’s business and builds on its relationship with PULSE.
TabaPay works with more than 20 partner banks in the US and Canada and is on track to process more than USD 100 billion in payment volume in 2026. It has also raised USD 155 million in a round led by FTV Capital and plans to acquire Transact Bank, a federally chartered bank in Colorado, which it intends to rename TabaBank once the deal closes, expected in the fourth quarter of 2026.
