# Issuing a Card
source: https://developer.mastercard.com/mastercard-processing-core/documentation/guides/issuing-card/index.md

The first step towards issuing a card is to create a new client and account contract. To learn more about CMS objects, refer to [client](https://developer.mastercard.com/mastercard-processing-core/documentation/guides/card-management-system/index.md#client) and [account contract](https://developer.mastercard.com/mastercard-processing-core/documentation/guides/card-management-system/index.md#account-contract).

## Virtual Card {#virtual-card}

Issuing virtual cards is quick, and new cards are ready to use once created.

![](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/mastercard-processing-core/uploads/virtual-card.png)

## Physical Card {#physical-card}

To issue a physical card, you must engage the personalization bureau. This bureau is responsible for assembling all card parts, preparing EMV chip applets, putting data into EMV chips, and embossing data. Mastercard Processing gives you two processing options for physical card production:

* Through the Mastercard Processing personalization bureau: For more information, see the [Order a physical card through the Mastercard Processing personalization bureau](https://developer.mastercard.com/mastercard-processing-core/documentation/use-cases/card-lifecycle/order-through-mc-pb/index.md) use case.
* Through a personalization bureau of your choice: For more information, see the [Order physical card through the issuer's personalization bureau](https://developer.mastercard.com/mastercard-processing-core/documentation/use-cases/card-lifecycle/order-through-is-pb/index.md) use case.

![](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/mastercard-processing-core/uploads/processing_20.png)

## Personalization Process {#personalization-process}

Mastercard Processing creates a personalization file that is the baseline for physical card production by the personalization bureau.

The personalization file contains card applications and other data that the personalization bureau requires for producing a physical card. This data includes the embossed data or delivery address data from the client creation request, such as `firstName`, `lastName`, `addressLine1`, `addressLine2`, `addressLine3`, `postalCode`, `city`, and `country`.

The personalization file is generated during a business day (Monday to Friday, but it might be also a weekend, if needed) for all card contracts marked to production (where `productionStatus` is `Marked`). Once the file is prepared, it is encrypted with a PGP key exchanged directly between Mastercard Processing and personalization bureau during your onboarding configuration.

Once the personalization bureau successfully processes a personalization file, it generates a report for the issuer. The report contains information about potentially rejected records from the personalization file as well as other data agreed to during your onboarding configuration (for example, expected shipment dates to cardholders and plastic stock reports). Each report is encrypted using RSA keys exchanged during the onboarding configuration.

## Issue a Physical Card to an Existing Virtual Card {#issue-a-physical-card-to-an-existing-virtual-card}

You can order a physical card to an existing virtual card. Virtual and physical cards are different forms of the same card. Both cards have the same data used to pay online. Virtual cards allow cardholders to pay online; activated physical cards allow both online and POS payments.

The plastic sequence number of a virtual card receives the number '1'. A physical card assigned to its virtual version receives the number '2'. By default, you can perform transactions with a virtual card until the activation of a physical card. To learn more about the relationship between virtual and physical cards attached to one card contract, refer to [Default and Customized Card Lifecycle Management](https://developer.mastercard.com/mastercard-processing-core/documentation/guides/default-management/index.md).

![](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/mastercard-processing-core/uploads/issue-phy-card-to-existing-vcard.png)
Note: When a new card has status `Locked`, the old card becomes `Closed`. For an old card, you can set:

* reject all transactions
* perform transactions until a new card will be activated despite the `Closed` status

To order a physical card to an existing virtual card, execute operationId `reissueCard` with the value `REISSUE` in the `reissueType` field.