MIAMI, Oct. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Karta, the first and only U.S.-issued premium credit card designed for global non-residents with a U.S. bank account, announced today it has officially come out of stealth mode and launched its offering with more than a dozen U.S. financial institutions. The company has also raised a $5.4M seed round led by Canary with participation from Clocktower Ventures and FJ Labs. Karta will be using the funds to grow its team, build its credit card offering and expand its footprint with financial institutions across the U.S.
A common problem for high-net-worth non-resident individuals is that they may have millions in the bank but cannot get a premium credit card because they don’t have a Social Security number or other tax ID number.
Until now, high net-worth non-resident consumers have relied on debit cards, prepaid cards, cash, or a local credit card with high fees when traveling. Now, global non-residents with a U.S. bank account can apply for a Karta card and get approved in minutes and no SSN or ITIN is required. Karta customers can build their U.S. credit history and avoid costly fees when they travel, and the interest rates are the same as in the U.S.
Karta is a premium credit card with all of the benefits and insurance of a Visa premium card, including no FX fees, points, and access to exclusive events. The card can immediately be used on Apple Pay or Google Pay after approval.
Karta has partnered with more than a dozen financial institutions this year, including Bolton Global Capital, XP Investments, ProCapital Financial, and Global Wealth Management who are now able to issue Karta premium credit cards to their customers with a bank account or brokerage account and a minimum balance of $150,000 in assets.
Additionally, Karta is also the first credit card managed entirely through WhatsApp with AI agents to cater to clients 24/7. With the WhatsApp concierge, clients get real-time help with account inquiries, a personalized assistant and are notified of every spend and refund. Karta has a team of AI multi-agents that can assist customers with various card-related tasks, from consulting past expenses to reporting possible fraud, locking/unlocking your card, and more.
Karta’s founders are tech entrepreneurs Freddy Juez and Orlando Espinoza. They hired Fernando Dalceggio, the former head of acquisition and new business development from AMEX International Dollar Cards (IDC), to help build this offering. Dalceggio worked for AMEX IDC for nearly 25 years, managing multinational, multicultural teams providing high-impact service portfolios to a highly diverse customer base.
“We are thrilled to announce that our premium credit card is now widely available to global non-residents through our partnerships with leading U.S. financial institutions. Karta has been very popular with customers from LatAm countries and we’re expanding our reach worldwide,” said Freddy Juez, Founder and CEO of Karta. “Orlando and I are grateful to have Fernando’s expertise in building this offering and our investors, who will also help us expand our footprint with financial institutions in the U.S.”
Juez continues, “Advances in AI technology is helping us to really build out our customer service offering, and customers are blown away to have their booking requests, account queries and travel assistance so quickly and easily answered through WhatsApp. We are building the ultimate tech-forward premium credit card for the global traveler.”
“After our prior card issuer discontinued their program globally, we were exploring premium US-issued card options for our clients, and Karta delivered with a top-tier Visa card offering and robust AI-driven support platform,” said Matthew Beals, President and COO of Bolton Global Capital. “Karta provided Bolton a seamless transition with no service disruptions – allowing our network of advisors to offer their clients a premium Visa card product to broaden their scope of family office services and deepen their client relationships.”
About Karta
Karta provides the first and only U.S.-issued premium credit card designed for global nonresidents with a U.S. bank account. Karta partners with private financial institutions, including Bolton Global Capital, XP Investments, ProCapital Financial, and Global Wealth Management, and offers competitive lines of credit and Buy Now, Pay Later financing options with zero international transaction fees. High-net-worth individuals with assets in the United States can now have a U.S. credit card, pay locally, and build credit without needing a social security number and easily make purchases while traveling without having to withdraw cash or buy prepaid cards. Karta is also the first credit card managed entirely through WhatsApp concierge with AI agents to cater to clients 24/7 in real-time. Based in Miami and São Paulo, Brazil, Karta is backed by Canary, Clocktower and FJ Labs. Learn more at http://conkarta.com.
Media contact:
Kerry Metzdorf
Big Swing
978-463-2575
kerry@big-swing.com
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/22a5700e-bb9f-433b-a224-f9159934a578
