Visa Flexible Credential Brings More Flexible Ways to Pay to Zilch Cardholders in the UK

Visa, Zilch and Thredd collaborate to help issuers deliver a simpler, more flexible card experience for users.

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Visa, a world leader in digital payments, Zilch and Thredd today announced the introduction of Visa Flexible Credential (VFC) on Zilch cards in the UK, enabling more flexible ways to pay through a single, familiar card experience.

Demand for flexible payment experiences continues to grow. Many people no longer think in fixed terms such as debit or credit, instead wanting the ability to choose what works best for a specific purchase in the moment. In the UK, 87% of people surveyed say flexible payment options support their financial or lifestyle goals¹. Visa Flexible Credential is designed to support this shift, helping issuers offer more choice through one familiar card that already works at more than 150 million merchant locations worldwide.

The new capability allows different payment options to sit behind one card or digital credential, giving cardholders greater choice and control while preserving the familiarity of tapping or paying as they always have.

Visa Flexible Credential is designed to support evolving expectations while preserving the simplicity, security and trust of card payments. By bringing together Visa’s network capabilities, Zilch’s customer-focused proposition and Thredd’s issuer processing platform, the collaboration demonstrates the power of partnerships to deliver new experiences at scale.

For Zilch users, the launch supports a smoother, more unified payment experience, with options handled seamlessly in the background and no need to manage multiple cards or credentials. Thredd plays a key role in enabling Visa Flexible Credential, supporting routing and processing behind the scenes and helping issuers and fintechs bring the capability to market efficiently.

“This is exactly the kind of innovation we aim to unlock for our clients,” said Jim McCarthy, CEO at Thredd. “By partnering with Zilch and Visa, we’re pushing the boundaries of what issuer processing can enable, bringing cutting-edge capabilities to market at speed and helping our clients scale into their next phase of growth.”

“Zilch’s promise is to provide everyone with a smarter way to spend. Visa’s Flexible Credential is a major capability in fulfilling that promise,” said Sean Hederman, Chief Technology Officer at Zilch. “Our work with Thredd and Visa creates better outcomes for users and merchants by intelligently routing backend processes that enhance the Zilch experience for customers, flexibly and seamlessly, and where every purchase is financed, optimised and rewarded in real time.”

“People increasingly want more flexibility and control over how they pay - particularly as their needs and circumstances change over time,” said Mathieu Altwegg, Head of Product and Solutions, Visa Europe. “Visa Flexible Credential gives issuers a simple way to offer that choice through one familiar card, while keeping the ease, security and global acceptance people already trust Visa for.”

The Visa Flexible Credential solution will initially be available for Zilch customers in the UK, with potential for broader expansion in the future.

About Visa

Visa is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.

About Zilch

Zilch is the London-headquartered consumer payments platform making money go further. Launched in 2020 with a mission to eliminate high-cost credit, Zilch offers a new type of payments experience combining flexible ways to pay with meaningful rewards, putting people in control of their finances while bringing them closer to the brands they love.

With nearly 6 million registered customers, Zilch uses its technology to connect its highly engaged user base with retailers and brands helping them acquire customers more efficiently whilst delivering personalised rewards, benefits and discounts. Backed by leading global firms including AWS, Deutsche Bank and Visa, the business has rapidly scaled to become the UK and EMEA’s fastest-growing fintech unicorn, harnessing the power of credit, AI technology and data to improve financial outcomes for consumers and drive growth through rewiring the economics of global commerce.

Learn more at www.zilch.com.

About Thredd

Thredd is the trusted, AI-first, cloud-enabled issuer processing platform powering the next generation of global payments. Through a single API, unified platform, Thredd delivers debit, credit, digital wallet and ledger capabilities to over 100 fintech, digital banks and embedded finance providers, across 50+ countries, processing billions of transactions annually. With a global operating footprint, local expertise, and AI integrated into every layer of its platform, Thredd has been purpose-built for speed, scale and modern issuance models, setting the standard for market entry, client experience, security, regulatory rigour and operational resilience. Learn more at www.thredd.ai.

¹ Visa Material+ Study, UK consumer research, 2025.