BaaS Without the Bloat: How Enterprises Can Launch Branded Spend & Payout Programs in 90 Days 

Everyone wants in on embedded finance, but no one wants to build a bank.

From spend cards to instant payouts, more and more enterprises are looking for ways to offer financial features that keep customers engaged, make transactions seamless, and open up new revenue streams. It’s no longer just fintechs doing this - insurance companies, retailers, wealth managers, and even nonprofits are all stepping into the space.

With the global Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) market projected to hit $1.8 trillion by 2029, it’s clear that embedded finance is more than just a passing trend. 

If customers can receive instant payments, manage their finances through an app, and make purchases with a simple tap on their phone, they will expect the same level of convenience from your services.

But for many businesses, traditional BaaS solutions are a non-starter because they are just too expensive, too complicated, and too slow to launch.

So, how can enterprises tap into the benefits of BaaS without getting buried in compliance, tech debt, or multi-year builds? Read on to find out what lightweight BaaS really looks like, and how you can get a branded spend and payout program live in just 90 days.

The Enterprise Dilemma: Wanting the Benefits of BaaS Without the Complexity

Enterprises love what BaaS can do, but they’re not trying to become banks.

They want to:

• Offer branded spend cards to drive engagement, rewards, or disbursements
• Enable seamless payouts to users, customers, or contractors
• Build customer loyalty with more personalized and flexible financial touchpoints
  
• Improve user experience by embedding financial tools directly into their existing technology ecosystem

But they don’t want to:

• Hire compliance teams or KYC/AML specialists
• Build core banking infrastructure from scratch
• Manage card production, fraud prevention, and regulatory frameworks
• Spend millions and wait years to get something live

These organizations aren’t trying to disrupt the financial system. They want to deliver banking-like value inside the ecosystem they already own, without the baggage that comes with building a bank.

What “Lightweight BaaS” Looks Like in Practice

Choosing not to build full-stack banking infrastructure doesn’t mean settling for less. Lightweight BaaS gives enterprises the tools to deliver seamless, branded financial experiences, without the usual cost, complexity, or compliance drag.

Here’s what that looks like in action:

• Branded spend cards, configured to the use case
  Whether distributing customer incentives, issuing refunds, or providing clients with controlled access to funds, prepaid or reloadable cards offer the flexibility needed to support a range of financial touchpoints. Features such as ATM access, merchant restrictions, or reloadability can be switched on or off depending on the program’s design. With full branding, the user experience remains cohesive from onboarding to final transaction.
  
  
• Real-time payouts, no core banking integration required
  Tools like Direct Send make it possible to transfer funds instantly to existing bank accounts—no new accounts to open, no paperwork to process. It’s a fast, compliant solution ideal for industries like insurance, gig work, and aid distribution where speed makes a tangible difference.
  
  
• Banking-like experiences, without banking-level complexity
  From mobile wallets to ATM withdrawals, customers gain familiar, intuitive ways to access and manage funds, all without ever leaving the brand’s ecosystem. The experience feels seamless, even though the infrastructure behind it is handled by a third-party provider.
  
  
• White-labeled portals and apps
  Every touchpoint - from the card itself to dashboards and mobile apps - can be fully branded. Customers interact with a single, consistent brand identity throughout, even as the heavy lifting happens in the background.
  
  
• Compliance and risk, already built in
  PCI and SOC 2 certification, KYC and AML protocols, and fraud prevention are all managed by the BaaS provider. Enterprises avoid the need to build internal compliance teams or navigate complex regulatory frameworks. What’s left is a clean, enterprise-grade launch path with significantly less friction.

Use Cases: From Wealth Management to Insurance Payouts

Lightweight BaaS solutions aren’t just for fintechs. Enterprises across industries are finding creative, high-impact ways to integrate spend cards and real-time payments into their operations, without reinventing the wheel.

A few real-world examples:

• Wealth Management Firms: Traditionally, these firms haven't offered transactional accounts, but many now want to give clients a way to spend directly from managed funds. BaaS makes this possible with branded spend cards that allow controlled withdrawals, while maintaining oversight and preserving account integrity.
• Insurance Providers: Speed is everything when processing claims. With real-time payments, insurers can issue funds immediately upon approval, delivering a better customer experience while cutting down on back-office inefficiencies.
• Retailers and Loyalty Programs: Branded prepaid cards offer a more flexible, tangible alternative to traditional loyalty programs built on points and discounts. They can be issued instantly, used anywhere, and customized to reinforce brand loyalty, and they are being used throughout the retail value chain for seasonal promotions, cash-back-style incentives, or even handling refunds without relying on third-party systems. 
• Government Agencies and Nonprofits: When distributing aid - whether in the wake of a disaster or as part of an ongoing assistance program - speed is important. Prepaid cards and real-time disbursements allow funds to reach recipients quickly, even in the field, with usage restrictions that ensure money goes where it’s intended. From monthly stipends for housing or food to emergency cash relief, BaaS enables agencies to scale support efforts while maintaining oversight and compliance.

These examples all share a common theme: they embed financial capabilities into existing programs, and don’t absorb the cost and complexity of full-scale banking infrastructure.

How Berkeley Gets Enterprises Live in 90 Days

Bringing a branded financial product to market can sound like a multi-year, multi-million-dollar endeavor. But with Berkeley’s modular infrastructure and enterprise onboarding model, it doesn’t have to be.

Most clients can launch fully operational spend and payout programs in 90 days or less. Here’s how:

• Plug-and-play infrastructure that’s already built
  There’s no need to start from scratch. Berkeley’s platform comes with the core architecture - payment rails, card management systems, fraud tooling, and compliance frameworks - ready to go. That means teams can skip months of vendor negotiations, processor selection, and integration design. Simply start the process by identifying program goals and mapping them to existing products and tools that are already tested and live in the market.
  
  
• Over 400 customizable features to match business needs
  Unlike rigid out-of-the-box offerings, Berkeley’s platform is built for flexibility. Enterprises can configure everything from cardholder permissions and branding to spending limits, disbursement rules, and usage controls. Want to disable ATM access? Cap spending per day? Restrict usage to certain merchant categories? All of that is configurable, with no code rewrites or custom development required.
  
  
• Flexible integration options for every tech environment
  Not every enterprise wants a full API integration. Berkeley offers two pathways: a robust developer API for businesses that want to fully embed payments into their existing systems, or a secure, web-based portal that enables teams to manage payouts and card programs without writing a single line of code. This flexibility shortens timelines and reduces pressure on internal tech resources.
  
  
• End-to-end support
  Berkeley doesn’t just hand over the tech. Clients receive hands-on support at every stage, including program design, branding, compliance onboarding, training, and pilot launches. The result: a smoother path to market and fewer surprises along the way.

With Berkeley, enterprises can bypass the traditional BaaS bottlenecks and launch embedded financial features that feel fully integrated, secure, and on brand in a fraction of the time.

Stop Waiting to Innovate

Banking-as-a-Service doesn’t need to come with drawn-out timelines, endless integrations, or regulatory overwhelm.

For enterprises that want to offer faster payments, branded spend cards, and embedded financial experiences, there’s a smarter way forward - one that skips the bank-building and goes straight to delivering value.

With prepaid infrastructure and real-time payment tools, Berkeley makes it possible to launch modern, branded financial programs in just 90 days. Fully compliant. Fully customizable. Fully on brand.

Ready to embed payments without the engineering marathon?

Launch your payments program this quarter. Book a 30-minute discovery call to get started today!