The Marqeta way: why we’re different than other platforms

Every business is ultimately defined by one thing. Culture.

Culture dictates an organisation’s ability to innovate, its productivity levels and team morale. But perhaps most importantly, it influences the way a firm engages with clients and markets.

At Marqeta, we like to think our culture is special.

I’ve been with the business for a couple of years now and the two most common questions I’m asked are what sets Marqeta apart and what attracted me to the company.

From the moment I joined Marqeta, it was clear to me that its culture was special and that its leadership team were holding in their hands a truly unique proposition. Namely, a platform with the potential to establish a better payments landscape through the democratisation of issuing.

In the past two years, I’ve learnt an incredible amount about exciting possibilities for card programmes, lenders and other digital finance businesses, thanks to the Marqeta way of doing things. To best explain this, I think there are four critical factors.

First, no matter where we are in the world, we are essentially one Marqeta. We’re able to achieve this because we recruit against two very simple benchmarks. The first is to ensure we employ the most talented people. Whilst many team members are payments and tech experts at the top of their game, we also hire from outside the industry to keep our horizons broad and thinking fresh. The second benchmark is about protecting our unique culture. It’s vital that anyone who joins us not only grasps this but also buys into it from day one. With the right people, this tends to come naturally and doesn’t have to be taught.

Second, it’s all about our clients. We’re incredibly privileged to work with some of the most innovative companies in the world. And this isn’t confined to groundbreaking startups; many established businesses are delivering unparalleled innovation in payments too. I firmly believe that clients succeed with Marqeta because of our open-minded approach to supporting new ideas, in addition to our modern card issuing platform, which allows developers to quickly build, test and launch products. What’s more, prospective clients love the fact that they are able to test the tech before making any financial commitment. And when they do, they find that our value-based pricing is transparent and without hidden fees. This allows partners of all sizes to make a reliable estimation of ongoing costs as they scale up and enter new markets. 

Third, we’re extremely proud of our world-class executive team who, between them, have substantive experience with globally-recognised brands that have redefined their categories. This combination of brilliant minds and hunger for success is responsible for delivering category-changing companies. The team’s unique skills and perspectives have resulted in Marqeta’s position as the global standard for modern card issuing. Heading up the UK team, it’s incredibly empowering and reassuring to know that I’m supported by a deeply passionate and high performing Exec team who remain committed to payments innovation and pushing the boundaries.  

Fourth, Marqeta has the guidance of some of the world’s most successful tech investors. They know how to build and sustain a technology business. Their unwavering belief in our vision gives Marqeta the resilience and stability to support clients long-term, along with the confidence to keep innovating. Having investors who are kindred tech spirits behind us brings both knowledge and resources and plays a vital role in shaping our journey. 

Culture defined

I can’t help but feel extraordinarily lucky to work for Marqeta. Without a shadow of a doubt our staff here in the UK, along with the support of our US colleagues and Exec team, as well as our investors, have empowered me to do the best work of my career. This is the greatest reward – and drives us to deliver a better payments landscape at an international level.

After all, our mission is to relentlessly drive innovation in a way that makes it possible for anyone with a fintech or banking vision to turn it into a reality – a reality that has all the ingredients needed to succeed. It’s what we’re doing or have done with businesses in Europe like Twisto, Capital on Tap (View video) and YAPEAL (View video). For these and many other firms, by helping to take concepts and make them work for millions of consumers, we become the engine of their innovation. Could we do this for your firm too? We know we could. Because that’s the culture at Marqeta.