This guide describes which endpoint to use when creating a card.

### New customer

By far the most commonly used endpoint to create a card for a new customer is <a href="ref:post_createaccount" target="_blank">Create Account</a>. This endpoint creates a new customer record, a new account, and a new card. You can use this endpoint to create a physical card, a virtual card or a <a href="doc:choose-a-card-strategy#digital-first-cards" target="_blank">Digital First</a> card. With this endpoint you also have the option to load funds onto the card at the time of card creation. Do not use this endpoint for existing customers; instead, use Add Account (below).

See <a href="doc:create-account-procedure" target="_blank">Creating an Account</a> for instructions. Also see <a href="doc:customer-id-verification#create-account-and-create-virtual-card-account-process" target="_blank">Endpoints for performing ID verification</a> in the _Customer ID Verification_ guide for other enrollment strategies.

### Existing customer

To create an additional card for a customer who already exists in your system, use the <a href="ref:post_addaccount" target="_blank">Add Account</a> endpoint to create a secondary account with a separate card.

See <a href="doc:add-account-procedure" target="_blank">Adding an Account</a> for instructions on using the endpoint and <a href="doc:about-accounts#primary-and-secondary-account-scenarios" target="_blank">Primary and secondary account scenarios</a> in the _About Accounts_ guide to see how the account relationships are set up.

### Virtual-only cards

To onboard a new customer and create a virtual-only card (one that will never be embossed), use the <a href="ref:post_createvirtualcard" target="_blank">Create Virtual Card Account</a> endpoint. To use this endpoint you must be PCI compliant, because the full <<glossary:PAN>> is returned in the response. The value passed in `prodId` must be for a virtual card. The most common use case for this endpoint is to create cards for a business to pay its vendors. For most other virtual cards you can use Create Account with a virtual product ID for `prodId`.

### Instant-issue cards

To generate a batch of instant-issue cards, use <a href="ref:post_createbulkcardorder" target="_blank">Create Bulk Card Order</a>. To issue an instant-issue card to an individual, use the <a href="ref:post_createaccount" target="_blank">Create Account</a> endpoint. In the endpoint call you can omit parameters that control express delivery and ship-to addresses, because the card is already in the cardholder's hand. See <a href="doc:setup-for-instant-issue" target="_blank">Setup for Instant Issue</a> for the complete procedure.

### Temporary replacement cards

If you would like to issue a virtual card as a temporary replacement for a lost or stolen physical card, use the <a href="ref:post_addcard" target="_blank">Add Card</a> endpoint, which creates a new card record for the replacement card account. The `prodId` must be for a virtual card, not for a conventional physical card. See <a href="doc:lost-stolen-or-damaged-cards#temporarily-issue-cards" target="_blank">Temporarily issue cards</a> for more information.

### Lost or stolen cards

When a card is lost or stolen, it must be replaced, which means that a new account with a new card is created for the cardholder. Use the procedure in <a href="doc:lost-stolen-or-damaged-cards" target="_blank">Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Cards</a> to automatically create a physical replacement card. For lost or stolen virtual cards, use <a href="ref:post_addcard" target="_blank">Add Card</a> to create the new card.

### Damaged cards

When a physical card is damaged and needs replacement, you _reissue_ the card instead of creating a new card. See the <a href="doc:reissuing-cards" target="_blank">Reissuing Cards</a> guide for instructions.