Knot

Embedded Payments

API platform that lets banks and fintechs automatically update card-on-file at hundreds of merchants.

Overview

Knot is a New York-based merchant connectivity platform that provides card issuers — banks, fintechs, and BaaS platforms — with APIs and SDKs to automatically update their cardholders' payment credentials at hundreds of online merchants. Its flagship product, CardSwitcher™, automates the entire card-on-file lifecycle: from initial card issuance through replacements and expirations, ensuring the issuer's card stays as the default payment method at merchants such as Amazon, Netflix, Uber, Walmart, and Starbucks. The company processes over 60 million API calls per month as of early 2026 and integrates with Plaid transaction data to surface personalized, relevant switching suggestions to cardholders. Knot's integration model combines a lightweight server-side API with a client-side SDK. Card issuers drop the SDK into their existing app in minutes; when a user authenticates to a merchant through the SDK, Knot securely provisions the card data — encrypted via AES-256 and handled in PCI-compliant environments (VGS, Basis Theory, or direct processor integrations with Unit and i2c) — to that merchant's account. Beyond card switching, Knot has expanded to TransactionLink™ (SKU-level transaction data retrieval from merchant accounts), MassSwitcher™ (bulk credential updates via password manager), Subscription Manager (viewing and managing subscriptions across merchants), and AgenticShopping (programmatic purchasing for AI agents). Knot targets personal banking, business banking, and BaaS providers seeking to increase cardholder engagement, reduce churn, and capture more spend. The company's go-to-market strategy leans on strategic partners and co-investors — Plaid (preferred referral partner), American Express Ventures, and processor integrations with Unit and i2c — to reach card issuers at scale. Notable recent partnerships include PayPal (April 2025) and Plaid (June 2024), expanding Knot's reach to tens of millions of end users.

Key features

• CardSwitcher: automated card-on-file updates across merchants
• TransactionLink: SKU-level transaction data from merchant accounts
• MassSwitcher: bulk card updates via password manager / keychain
• Subscription Manager: view and manage subscriptions across merchants
• AgenticShopping: programmatic checkout API for AI agents
• Webhooks + SDK for seamless issuer app integration

Vertical focus

banking, saas, ecommerce

Notable customers

Bilt Rewards, Benny, PayPal, Unit, Plaid

At a glance

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