When payments stop working — LinkPay’s honest case and path back to stability

Hi there! We’re the LinkPay team. Our service helps affiliates and anyone working with online payments easily create and manage virtual cards — whether it’s for ad spend, subscriptions, or everyday online purchases. Top-ups come in crypto, cards are issued instantly in fiat, and every payment can bring you up to 3% cashback — with no hidden fees.

In October 2024, we faced a serious disruption. Virtual cards stopped working, refunds were delayed, and many of you fairly asked: “What’s going on?” Instead of a dry report, we want to share openly how the situation developed and what we did to fix it.

In mid-October, our partner issuing bank ran into both technical and organizational issues. This caused payments via our cards to freeze and slowed down refunds. Unfortunately, the bank didn’t provide clear timelines for resolution, which created pressure for all of us.

Where are we now? 

For the past three months, we’ve been testing the service in closed mode and fully upgrading our infrastructure to guarantee maximum stability and security. Today, our virtual cards are running reliably again — and we’re ready to offer some of the lowest fees on the market, while keeping all the convenience and features you already value.

Bank Issues: how it happened

October 2024: service disruption

On October 3rd, all transactions through our virtual cards suddenly stopped going through. The situation came out of nowhere, leaving us in constant standby mode, searching for answers.

Communication with the bank was challenging — their team worked in the U.S. time zone, so most replies arrived late in the evening or at night European time. This slowed down problem-solving significantly. And even then, the bank provided no clear explanation: just vague statements with no details about the root cause of the outage.

At that point, we only had one active banking partner. Other options were still in contract negotiations and not yet integrated. That meant we were fully dependent on a single channel — the one that failed.

During that time, many of our clients requested withdrawals, and we processed all of them. If you still have any questions about refunds or unresolved situations, please reach out to us directly. We’re committed to reviewing each case carefully and making sure you get the support you need.

At first, it seemed like the situation was improving. On October 17th, the bank informed us that card operations had returned to normal and were as stable as before. Unfortunately, reality told a different story:

• Cards were unreliable — transactions still failed from time to time, disrupting normal use.
• Refunds were delayed — creating additional frustration for clients.
• No clear explanation — the partner bank never managed to clarify why a paid service was functioning with such instability.

And the most frustrating part: starting in November, things only got worse. Instead of timely answers or quick fixes, we were receiving sporadic responses from the partner — sometimes just once a month.

December 2024 — February 2025

Over the winter, we fully suspended card operations — but we never stopped support. Both on our website and in Telegram, our team stayed available every single day, answering client questions about card functionality and processing outstanding withdrawals.

From a technical standpoint, we don’t have the ability to block users from accessing the site — and we wouldn’t want to. We value every single client who interacts with us. During this period, our team’s main focus was on helping existing users resolve their issues as quickly and effectively as possible.

At the same time, we were actively working with new partners and rewriting our platform from the ground up. This is also why part of the transaction history was not preserved. With a complete backend infrastructure upgrade, not all historical data could be migrated.

March 2025: launching new cards and updating the platform

In March, we began integrating new card solutions and made the decision to completely end our relationship with the old provider (who, by the way, still hadn’t given any real updates on restoring operations). Unfortunately, instead of returning our funds and properly closing the contract, we faced another three months of delays — which ended with them suggesting we invest even more money.

LinkPay 2.0: where we are now

In our industry, where trust is everything, mistakes in choosing partners can be costly. That’s why, after running closed tests, we integrated multiple providers to ensure reliability. Of course, reputation isn’t restored by a single case study — it’s built through consistent, stable performance, and that’s exactly what we plan to deliver moving forward.

Here’s what’s new with LinkPay today:

• Lower fees, better conditions — we’ve secured strong agreements with new banking partners. Now, virtual cards can be issued with top-up fees starting at just 2%, and the cards themselves cost as little as $1.
• Subscription with cashback — for those who prefer the fastest start without manager approval, we kept our subscription option. On the Ultra plan with $10k+ monthly spend, the effective cost of top-ups and maintenance drops to under 2% total.
• More stability and flexibility — We’re expanding our pool of banking partners to give you wider choice across geographies and currencies, making sure cards fit any setup.
• More ways to top up — We’re adding new crypto and fiat options, so you can fund accounts quickly and conveniently in the way that suits you best.
• API access & exclusive product — We’ve launched full API integration and are preparing a special gift: a free collectible virtual card with zero top-up and maintenance fees.

All of these changes are aimed at making LinkPay more than “just another virtual card service.” Our goal is to be a reliable and profitable tool for your business — helping you manage payments, control costs, and grow profitability steadily.

In affiliate marketing, as in any business, there are no magic shortcuts — only a systematic approach and attention to detail. And we’re committed to walking that path with you, improving our service and supporting your growth along the way.