Forter and Marqeta Partner to Slash False Declines with Pre-Authorization Risk Intelligence

Forter and Marqeta have partnered to integrate pre-authorization risk intelligence directly into the card-issuing layer. By sharing real-time fraud data with issuers on Marqeta’s platform, the collaboration aims to reduce the 40% of fraud declines that affect legitimate customers, helping fintechs and marketplaces recover lost revenue and improve cardholder experiences.

What was announced

Forter's pre-authorization risk intelligence is now being integrated into Marqeta’s modern card issuing platform, targeting a specific friction point in the payment lifecycle. The collaboration allows issuers on the Marqeta platform to access Forter’s data directly through Marqeta’s Real-Time Decisioning offering and AI-powered Risk Score. This integration is designed to provide issuers and networks with more granular data at the moment of authorization, addressing the issue where legitimate transactions are blocked due to a lack of sufficient risk context.

According to Forter’s data, more than 40% of issuer fraud declines are actually legitimate customers, representing a significant loss in sales and customer lifetime value for merchants. To combat this, Forter’s Payment Optimization solution utilizes a direct API connection to share fraud decisions and transaction insights with card-issuing banks. By providing this pre-authorization intelligence, issuers can adjust their decline logic to be less restrictive for trusted users. The impact of this approach has already been documented in Forter’s existing network; one merchant reported a 53% reduction in false declines alongside a 7% increase in authorization rates over a recent three-month period. The service is aimed at Marqeta’s diverse client base, which includes fast-growing fintechs, global marketplaces, and embedded finance providers.

"By collaborating with Forter, Marqeta is bringing advanced fraud prevention directly into the payment decisioning layer, giving our customers a smarter defense against threats."

Eugenia Gibbons, Chief Product Officer at Marqeta

The companies involved

Forter is a Trust Intelligence platform that focuses on securing the commerce ecosystem through real-time, automated fraud prevention. The company specializes in distinguishing between fraudulent actors and legitimate customers by analyzing vast amounts of transaction data across its global network. Forter has established a significant presence in the fintech market, positioning itself as a critical layer for merchants and banks looking to optimize payment flows and reduce the financial impact of false declines.

Marqeta, Inc. provides a global modern card issuing platform that allows businesses to build and manage customized payment programs. The company’s infrastructure is a cornerstone for many of the world’s most prominent fintechs, marketplaces, and embedded finance platforms, offering the tools necessary for real-time transaction processing and card management. Marqeta has expanded its reach to provide sophisticated risk and decisioning tools to its issuers, allowing companies to control the entire payment experience. By integrating third-party intelligence into its core decisioning layer, Marqeta continues to position itself as a flexible infrastructure provider for companies that require high levels of control over their payment ecosystems.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has followed Forter’s expansion into AI-driven commerce, recently covering how the company Launches Agentic Commerce Engine to Secure AI Shopping Surge for Merchants. Earlier in 2026, the firm introduced its AI Agent Suite to Automate Fraud Prevention and Payment Decisions and strengthened its leadership by appointing Jennifer Howard as Chief Merchant. Marqeta has also been active in the partnership space, with FF News reporting on how Marqeta and Zero Hash Partner to Enable Global Stablecoin Spending via Card Networks. These developments highlight a broader trend of both companies integrating advanced automation and digital asset capabilities into the core payment stack.

What this means

This partnership highlights a critical shift in the fraud prevention landscape: the move from reactive merchant-side blocking to proactive, data-rich issuer decisioning. By bridging the information gap between the point of sale and the issuing bank, Forter and Marqeta are tackling the "false decline" problem that has long plagued the industry. For competitors in the legacy fraud detection space, the pressure is mounting to provide similar real-time, cross-platform intelligence. The success of this model raises questions about whether traditional siloed risk assessments can remain competitive as embedded finance platforms demand higher authorization rates to maintain customer loyalty.