Bulk card enrollment allows US and Canada-based companies to link all eligible Mastercard corporate cards to Payhawk with minimal involvement from employees. Instead of having each employee manually add their card, your company's Payhawk Administrator can complete the process by coordinating with the card Issuer and providing the required setup information.
This guide walks you through the steps needed to successfully set up Mastercard bulk card enrollment over the SmartData platform.
About Mastercard SmartData platform
Mastercard’s SmartData platform enables secure data sharing between issuers and partners like Payhawk by using the CDF3 (Common Data Format) to transfer transaction and cardholder data. This standardized platform serves as the foundation for enabling bulk card enrollment in Payhawk.
To activate your data feed, Payhawk needs your Company Number. You can usually find it in your online banking portal, or you can request it directly from your bank.
Eligibility requirements for bulk Mastercard enrollment
For your company's Mastercards to be linked in bulk, they need to meet the following eligibility criteria:
Only US and Canada-based companies are eligible for bulk card enrollment.
Cards must be part of a Mastercard SmartData program.
Only corporate cards issued in employees’ names can be linked to Payhawk.
Your card program must support the CDF3 feed format.
Step-by-step guide
The process for enrolling your corporate Mastercards to Payhawk includes the following steps:
Step 1: Request CDF3 feed setup
Now, you need to contact your bank:
Reach out to your bank relationship manager and request that a Mastercard SmartData CDF3 feed be sent to Payhawk.
Ask for the setup to be configured as an API endpoint subscription to Payhawk.
The bank may:
Ask for configuration details.
Send you a form (PDF or Excel) to complete.
Suggested email template to your Issuer
The following is a sample email you can readily copy-paste and send to your card issuer.
Subject: Setting up a SmartData Feed to Payhawk
Dear [Enter the name of the Issuer],
I'm writing to request the setup of a Mastercard SmartData CDF3 feed for our commercial card program with the BIN: [Enter the 6-8 digit BIN], to be sent to Payhawk.
Please configure the data feed as an API endpoint subscription to Payhawk. If there is a form to fill out, feel free to send it across.
For step-by-step instructions, please see the Issuer guide for Mastercard bulk enrollment. I would appreciate your guidance on the next steps for completing this setup. Let me know if you need any additional information.
Best regards,
[Enter Your Name]
SmartData instructions and configuration for your Issuer
To facilitate the setup of the Mastercard SmartData platform, you can share the Issuer guide for Mastercard bulk enrollment with your Issuer.
Step 2: Obtain the Company Number from your Issuer
You'll need your Company Number to activate the feed in Payhawk. You can usually find it in your online banking portal, or request it directly from your bank.
Some Issuers may require a data release waiver to be signed by an authorized company signatory. If required, this step must be completed directly with your Issuer, as Payhawk cannot assist with it.
Step 3: Enter the Company Number in Payhawk
To activate the feed, go back to the Payhawk portal and open Settings > Integrations > Mastercard. Complete the wizard by entering your Company Number, agree to Payhawk's Terms, and select Complete.
Once the feed is activated:
Cards will appear in Payhawk > Cards > Linked cards > Inactive.
No further action is needed from the Issuer.
Data sharing continues automatically.
Specifics
Mastercards added through bulk enrollment are marked clearly in Payhawk.
Payhawk Administrators can reassign linked Mastercards if needed.
You can switch between individual and bulk Mastercard enrollment by contacting Payhawk Support.