Physical card statuses

Every physical card moves through the following statuses over its lifetime, from consent through activation, suspension, and cancelation.

Statuses

Physical card status	Explanation
ConsentPending	Request to print a physical card was received and is waiting for the cardholder's consent. Next steps: If you used the addCards mutation and the cardholder consents, the status moves to Processing. If you used the printPhysicalCard mutation and the cardholder consents, the status moves to ToActivate. If you cancel the card with the API before consent, the status moves to Canceling. If consent is refused or consent fails, the status moves directly to Canceled.
Processing	The card is in the process of being created with Swan's card issuing provider. Next steps: After the card is created successfully in the card issuing provider's system, the status moves to ToActivate. If you cancel the card with the API before the card issuing provider creates the card, the status moves to Canceling.
ToActivate	The card is being printed by Swan's card issuing provider, then delivered to the cardholder. After the cardholder receives the physical card, they need to activate it by performing a first transaction and entering the PIN. You can also activate the card with the activatePhysicalCard mutation. Next steps: If the cardholder performs the transaction successfully, or you activate the card with the API, the status moves to Activated. If the cardholder makes three incorrect attempts to enter their PIN, the status moves to Suspended.
Activated	Physical card is available for use. Next steps: Cards can retain the status Activated until the renewal period. Activated cards can also be Suspended and Canceled (example: if three incorrect attempts are made to enter the PIN, the card is automatically Suspended).
Suspended Also referred to as "blocked"	Physical card is suspended and not available for use. Cardholders can still view card information and use digital cards (not virtual cards) when a physical card is Suspended. Cards can be suspended for various reasons, including a request from you or the cardholder, or a Swan action in the case of suspicious activity. Next steps: Restore the card's previous status with the API. Cancel the card with the API.
Canceling	Card is in the process of being canceled. Next steps: Card is Canceled. After a card is assigned the Canceling status, the process can't be reversed.
Canceled	Card is canceled, no longer available for use, and can't be reactivated.

Renewal statuses

Two statuses exist that only apply to physical card renewal: ToRenew and Renewed.

This diagram illustrates how the two renewal statuses interact with the main physical card statuses. Renewal statuses are only accessed from the statuses ToActivate and Activated.

Card renewal status	Explanation
ToRenew	Triggered 10 weeks before the last day of the card's expiry month, at midnight Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). This status schedules the renewal. You can stop the process by canceling the card, which permanently ends the renewal, by calling the cancelPhysicalCardRenewal mutation, which lets the card stay active until it expires without being renewed, or by suspending it, which temporarily pauses the process. The card won't be renewed if it remains Suspended past 8 weeks.
Renewed	Triggered automatically 8 weeks before the last day of the expiry month, at midnight UTC. At this point, the new card is created and queued for printing. No updates to the delivery address can be made after this status is triggered. Once the status changes to Renewed, the previous card's information is automatically available in the previousPhysicalCards field, even if the new card hasn't yet arrived or expired.

Reference date for renewal checkpoints

Swan calculates the 10-week and 8-week checkpoints from the last day of the card's expiry month, not from the date printed on the card. For example, if a card's expiry date is 10/26, Swan uses 31 October 2026 as the reference date. Swan evaluates both checkpoints at midnight UTC. There is no grace period.

Suspended cards and renewal

The renewal process for a suspended physical card depends on when the card is resumed, compared to two renewal checkpoints. Swan evaluates both checkpoints at midnight UTC, calculated from the last day of the card's expiry month.

• 10 weeks before expiry: eligible cards move to ToRenew. If the card is Suspended at this checkpoint, it doesn't move to ToRenew, so it doesn't enter the renewal flow.
• 8 weeks before expiry: cards in ToRenew move to Renewed. Swan then creates and ships the new card. If the card is Suspended at this checkpoint, it doesn't move to Renewed.

Between these two checkpoints, you have a 2-week window to update the delivery address.

Renewal status requirement

If a physical card isn't in ToRenew by the 8-week checkpoint (midnight UTC), Swan won't issue a new card. The existing card is canceled when it expires. There's no way to manually trigger the renewal after this deadline passes.

Scenario	Physical card status at 10 weeks	Physical card status at 8 weeks	Physical card status at expiry
Suspended and resumed more than 10 weeks before expiry	ToRenew	Renewed	Renewed
Suspended and not resumed more than 10 weeks before expiry	Suspended	Suspended	Canceled
Suspended and resumed between 10 and 8 weeks before expiry	ToRenew	Renewed	Renewed
Suspended and not resumed between 10 and 8 weeks before expiry	ToRenew	Suspended	Canceled
Suspended between 10 and 8 weeks before expiry and resumed less than 8 weeks before expiry	ToRenew	Suspended	Canceled

If a card is already in Renewed and is then Suspended, both the existing and new card will be Suspended. This doesn't affect the shipping of the new card. It's still sent. You must resume the new card before it can be Activated.

Example scenario

Sofia Ramos has a physical card with an expiry date of 10/26. The reference date is 31 October 2026 (the last day of the expiry month).

What happens at each checkpoint:

1. 10-week checkpoint (22 August 2026, midnight UTC).
   • If the card is Activated or ToActivate, it moves to ToRenew.
   • If the card is Suspended, it stays Suspended and doesn't enter the renewal flow.
2. 8-week checkpoint (5 September 2026, midnight UTC).
   • If the card is ToRenew, it moves to Renewed. Swan creates the new card and starts shipping.
   • If the card is Suspended, it stays Suspended and doesn't renew. The card is canceled when it expires.

Delivery: The new card ships between 11-15 September 2026.

For the full renewal process, including delivery windows and address verification, refer to the renewal concept.