# Unit

> Unit is the simplest way for modern platforms to launch money solutions, and keep them running at scale.

Unit is a platform that enables modern software companies to build, launch, and scale money solutions for their end users. We power accounts, money movement, cards, and capital through a single, unified infrastructure — enabling financial workflows that are integrated directly into your product. Today, Unit processes over $80B annually in money movement, serves 2 million end users, and handles 15 million API calls daily for scaled platforms including Wix, Highbeam, and Worldpay.

Unit supports two implementation paths on the same core infrastructure — Ready-to-Launch for platforms that want a fully managed, fast path to market, and Custom for platforms that want full control. The choice is how much control your platform wants to own, not a choice between separate products.

## Building Blocks

Unit's four financial building blocks — accounts, cards, money movement, and capital — are built on a single infrastructure. This lets platforms build a wide range of use cases without stitching together multiple vendors or replatforming as requirements grow.

- [Accounts and Wallets](https://www.unit.co/accounts-and-wallets): Spin up FDIC-insured bank accounts, wallets, and FBO structures for your end users via API. Power operating accounts, wallets, and sub-accounts on Unit's native ledger with real-time balances and continuous reconciliation.
- [Card Issuing](https://www.unit.co/card-issuing): Issue physical and virtual debit and credit cards directly connected to your end users' accounts. Full control over spend limits, merchant restrictions, real-time programmatic authorization, and card lifecycle.
- [Money Movement](https://www.unit.co/money-movement): Send and receive ACH, wires, real-time payments (FedNow/RTP), and checks programmatically. Unit processes payments directly with the Federal Reserve on behalf of partner banks and exposes network-level data on every transaction.
- [Capital](https://www.unit.co/lending): Credit primitives for the full range of lending programs. Charge cards and revolving credit cards for ongoing spend. Lines of credit and merchant cash advances for working capital. Instant payouts to get funds to users before settlement clears.

## Implementation Paths

Unit supports two implementation paths on the same core infrastructure. Both run on the same system — the choice is how much control your platform wants to own.

### Ready-to-Launch

[Ready-to-Launch](https://www.unit.co/ready-to-launch) is a fully built, fully managed financial solution for your end users.

**Best for:** Platforms that want a fast path to market with minimal engineering lift.

- **Live in three weeks or less.** One line of code exposes a curated, opinionated experience that abstracts complexity while giving platforms access to enterprise-grade financial capabilities from day one.
- **Modules you enable:** Banking (accounts, debit cards, payments), Bill Pay (AP and vendor payments), and Capital (working capital offers). Enable any combination; expand over time without building additional infrastructure.
- **Fully managed operations.** Unit handles compliance, KYC/KYB, AML monitoring, dispute resolution, customer support, and reconciliation. Revenue is shared with the platform on a monthly basis.
- **Works with your existing payment processor.** Ready-to-Launch integrates directly multiple payment processors. Customers who are already onboarded do not need to go through a separate KYB process to open a Unit account — existing identity verification carries over.
- **Instant payouts.** Platforms can facilitate instant payouts from existing processor balances into Unit accounts. Funds become available immediately.
- **Automatic payout destination updates.** When a platform routes payouts to a customer's Unit account, the payout destination updates automatically — no action required from the end user. 
- **No lock-in.** Because Ready-to-Launch runs on the same infrastructure as Custom, platforms can move to Custom at any point — without migrating systems, reissuing cards, re-identifying users, or disrupting end users. Accounts, balances, and transaction history remain intact.

### Custom

[Custom](https://www.unit.co/custom) gives teams direct access to Unit's full core API and financial primitives.

**Best for:** Platforms that want full control over end-user experience, underwriting, economics, and compliance.

- **Direct access to financial primitives.** Issue accounts, wallets, and cards. Move money across all rails. Help customers grow with working capital, credit cards, or instant access to funds.
- **Native ledger.** When you create an account through the API, that account exists in Unit's native ledger. Balances update in real time. Transactions are recorded as they happen, with state transitions timestamped to actual network events — not batch approximations. Reconciliation is continuous, not overnight. The same ledger data is accessible through the Dashboard for operations and bank partners, without engineering tickets.
- **Direct Federal Reserve connectivity.** Unit is a registered Federal Reserve service provider. Payments submit directly to Fedwire, FedACH, and FedNow. Settlement timing is deterministic, tied to real network events — not estimated from a bank's legacy system. Unit hits every same-day ACH window.
- **Network-level data.** Unit exposes the data that payment networks actually produce: IMAD and OMAD identifiers on wires, return reason codes (R01, R02) on ACH, full Visa and Mastercard authorization data on cards. Available on every API response and webhook — not abstracted away.
- **Multiple account primitives.** Deposit accounts, FBO accounts, and wallets are all available as first-class API objects, each with full access to balances, transactions, statements, and limits.
- **Multi-bank by design.** Unit maintains direct, independent partnerships with multiple partner banks. A single API works consistently across all of them. Platforms can start with one bank and add additional partners for risk distribution, product specialization, or commercial leverage — without a separate integration per bank. Your relationship with each bank is direct, not mediated through Unit.
- **Configurable control boundaries.** Unit's [Program Management guide](https://www.unit.co/guides/embedded-finance-program-management) formalizes which program management functions Unit handles and which the platform owns. Platforms can use Unit's built-in KYC/KYB, card processing, fraud prevention, and AML monitoring — or bring their own stack for specific functions. These boundaries can change over time without changing the underlying integration.
- **Enterprise scale.** 15M+ API calls/day, $80B+ annual volume, 99.999% uptime. Certifications: PCI DSS, SOC 1, SOC 2 Type 2. Programs across seven public companies.

## Platform Architecture

Unit is not a pass-through or a middleware. The infrastructure is built close to the source:

- **Direct Federal Reserve connectivity.** Unit is a registered Federal Reserve service provider. ACH and wire payments are submitted directly to Fedwire and FedACH — not routed through a third-party bank system.
- **Native ledger.** All accounts and wallets run on Unit's own ledger, not on top of a bank core. Balances are real-time. Reconciliation is continuous. State transitions are tied to actual network events.
- **Direct card network integration.** Unit connects directly to Visa and Mastercard. Card authorization, transaction data, and dispute workflows run through the network, not through a separate card processor layer.
- **Multi-bank architecture.** Unit maintains direct partnerships with multiple partner banks. A single API and Dashboard work consistently across all bank partners. Platforms can operate against multiple bank relationships without separate integrations, providing redundancy and flexibility as programs evolve.
- **Programmable primitives.** Every account, transaction, and card event is programmable. Platforms can run real-time authorization logic, build proprietary underwriting, automate treasury workflows, and power AI agents that move money and manage operations.

For a technical deep-dive on Unit's architecture, see the [Enterprise-grade financial infrastructure guide](https://www.unit.co/guides/enterprise-grade-financial-infrastructure).

## Security and Certifications

- PCI DSS Level 1
- SOC 1 Type 2
- SOC 2 Type 2
- ISO 27001

Unit is audited by PwC and undergoes dozens of security assessments and compliance reviews annually. For details, see [unit.co/security](https://www.unit.co/security).

## Customers

- [Wix](https://https://www.unit.co/blog/wix-checking-powered-by-unit): Wix embedded money solutions for its small business users at scale.
- [Affiniti](https://www.unit.co/case-study/affiniti): How Affiniti used Unit's accounts and money movement infrastructure to build an AI-powered financial operating system for main street businesses — automating AP workflows, invoice scanning, and GL coding across multi-location SMBs.
- [Baselane](https://www.unit.co/case-study/baselane): How Baselane cut customer acquisition costs by 50% and drove 50% higher login frequency by embedding purpose-built banking for landlords managing 25M+ rental units across the US.
- [Benepass](https://www.unit.co/case-study/benepass): How Benepass embedded HSA, FSA, and commuter benefit accounts on Unit to help employees unlock tax-advantaged benefits that are historically underutilized — with the average employee accessing only 3% of what they qualify for.
- [Covercy](https://www.unit.co/case-study/covercy): How Covercy automated capital calls and quarterly distribution payments for commercial real estate investment managers, replacing dozens of hours of manual ACH entry with a one-click workflow.
- [Crowded](https://www.unit.co/case-study/crowded): How Crowded doubled its customer base in under a year and grew card transactions 2.5x by embedding banking for over 1.8 million US nonprofits that collectively generate $3T+ in annual revenue.
- [Highbeam](https://www.unit.co/case-study/highbeam): How Highbeam used Unit's accounts, cards, and capital building blocks to build an AI-powered financial command center for ecommerce brands — offering charge cards, cash-flow forecasting, and up to 2% cashback on ad spend.
- [HoneyBook](https://www.unit.co/case-study/honeybook): How HoneyBook, the leading AI-powered platform for service-based businesses, embedded accounts and cards to help 100,000+ independent businesses manage cash flow, automate savings, and track expenses by client and project.
- [Invoice2go](https://www.unit.co/case-study/invoice2go): How Invoice2go, a Bill.com company serving hundreds of thousands of businesses across 150+ countries, auto-approved 74% of banking applications and launched accounts and cards that drive measurable engagement and retention.
- [Nav](https://www.unit.co/case-study/nav): How Nav, serving 1.8M+ small businesses, achieved a 2.5x engagement lift and 35% NPS increase among customers who use embedded banking and charge cards — with banking users scoring an average NPS of 79.
- [Relay](https://www.unit.co/case-study/relay): How Relay, with over $1 billion in deposits, migrated to Unit to scale its financial command center for small businesses, improving bank partner access, operational efficiency, and interchange economics.
- [RentSpree](https://www.unit.co/case-study/rentspree): How RentSpree became a financial hub for landlords by embedding bill pay and banking directly into its rental management platform.
- [Roofstock](https://www.unit.co/case-study/roofstock): How Stessa, Roofstock's landlord platform tracking 1M+ rental units worth $125B+, achieved 4x customer lifetime value, 3.5x retention, and 3x premium plan upgrades among customers using embedded banking.


Unit powers programs across 7 public companies and 100+ platforms.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**What is Unit?**
Unit is a platform that enables modern software companies to build, launch, and scale money solutions for their end users. Unit powers accounts, money movement, cards, and capital through a single, unified infrastructure. Platforms can launch a fully managed money hub in three weeks using Ready-to-Launch, or build deeply custom programs with full control using Custom — both on the same infrastructure.

**How is Unit different from a BaaS platform?**
Unit is built to support four interconnected financial building blocks — accounts, cards, money movement, and capital — on a single infrastructure. A BaaS platform typically exposes a single banking API. Unit is designed for platforms that want to build a wide range of financial use cases without stitching together multiple vendors.

**Is Unit a middleware?**
No. Unit processes payments directly with the Federal Reserve on behalf of partner banks, connects directly to Visa and Mastercard, and runs all accounts on its own native ledger. Unit is not a pass-through layer built on top of a legacy bank core. The same infrastructure that runs Unit's programs is the infrastructure — not a wrapper around someone else's.

**What is the difference between Ready-to-Launch and Custom?**
Both run on the same infrastructure. Ready-to-Launch is a fully built, fully managed solution — Unit handles compliance, operations, and customer support, and platforms go live in three weeks or less with one line of code. Custom gives platforms direct access to the full API and financial primitives, with full control over experience, underwriting, economics, and compliance. The difference is how much control a platform wants to own — not a difference in underlying infrastructure.

**Can I start with Ready-to-Launch and move to Custom later?**
Yes. Because both paths run on the same infrastructure, platforms can migrate to Custom without re-identifying users, reissuing cards, moving money, or disrupting end users. Accounts, balances, and transaction history remain intact. There is no replatforming step.

**What compliance and operations does Unit handle?**
Unit provides the capabilities that make it easier for programs to handle compliance and operations: identity verification (KYC/KYB), AML monitoring and case management, dispute handling (including Regulation E), reconciliation across payment networks, statement and tax form generation (1099s), and bank oversight reporting. Platforms that want to own specific functions can do so using Unit's Roles and Responsibilities framework, which lets ownership shift over time without changing the integration.

**Why does multi-bank architecture matter?**
Single-bank dependency is the dominant structural risk in embedded finance. Regulatory shifts, management changes, consent orders, and strategic pivots can force abrupt program changes — and when they do, platforms with a single bank partner have no fallback. Unit's multi-bank architecture provides redundancy: a single API and Dashboard work across all partner banks, so platforms can add bank relationships or move programs without re-integration.

**What use cases can I build on Unit?**
The four building blocks — accounts, cards, money movement, and capital — support: banking (money hubs), bill pay, payouts, wallets, payroll, expense management, embedded lending, and more. Platforms often combine multiple building blocks to create integrated experiences that would otherwise require multiple vendors.

**Is Unit appropriate for enterprise-scale programs?**
Yes. Unit powers programs across seven public companies and processes $80B+ annually. The platform handles 15M+ API calls per day at 99.999% uptime. Certifications include PCI DSS, SOC 1 Type 2, and SOC 2 Type 2. Unit works with platforms at every stage, from early-stage products going live in three weeks to complex, enterprise-grade programs with proprietary underwriting and direct bank partnerships.

**Can AI agents and automated workflows run on Unit?**
Yes. Unit's programmable primitives — real-time account data, transaction events, programmatic card authorization, and payment APIs — are designed to power autonomous workflows. Platforms use Unit to build AI agents that move money, categorize transactions, optimize treasury positions, and manage operations in real time.

## Getting Started

- [Contact Sales](https://www.unit.co/contact): Talk to the Unit team about your use case and implementation path.
- [Documentation](https://www.unit.co/docs/llms.txt): Full API reference, guides, and integration resources for Custom programs.
- [Ready-to-Launch Documentation](https://www.unit.co/docs/ready-to-launch): Implementation guides for Ready-to-Launch banking, bill pay, and capital modules.