Card Issuing Support Officer job at KCB Bank

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Oversee the complete lifecycle of payment cards (Instant Issuance, Centralized Personalization, Renewals, Re-issuances, and Pin Mailers/e-PINs).

Monitor and manage daily bulk files sent to and received from card personalization vendors/bureaus.

Ensure strict adherence to dual control procedures for inventory management (unperso/blank plastics, HSM keys, and security collateral).

Conduct regular reconciliation of card inventory, damaged stock, and destroyed cards.

Perform configuration, parameter setups, and testing for card BINs, product types, limits, fee structures, and expiry rules.

Troubleshoot system errors between core banking application (CBS), card management system (CMS), and payment switches (e.g., Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, or local switches).

Support user acceptance testing (UAT) for card software upgrades, patch deployments, and new product launches.

Serve as Tier-2 support for branch networks, contact centers, and digital channels regarding card status queries, declines, and block/unblock requests.

Investigate and resolve card issuance transaction failures, failed print jobs, and cardholder configuration bugs within predefined SLAs.

Handle chargebacks, dispute intake, and account adjustments related to issuing operational errors.

Ensure full compliance with PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) and card scheme rules (Visa/Mastercard/Amex/Discover).

Maintain strict PIN security practices, cryptographic key handling protocols, and sensitive data protection measures.

Assist in internal, external, and card scheme compliance audits by gathering operational evidence and maintaining mandatory operational logs.

Generate daily, weekly, and monthly reports on card issuance volumes, failure rates, turnaround times (TAT), and active base stats.

Liaise with third-party vendors (Card Personalization Bureaus, Courier/Delivery partners, Switch Providers) to maintain service level agreements.

DAILY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Review, approve, and route personalized credit/debit card instant-issuance and batch-printing files to internal personalization bureaus or third-party card vendors.

Investigate and clear failed card authorizations, PIN reset failures, balance sync errors, and declined transactions across the core card management system (CMS) and payment switches (Visa/Mastercard).

Reconcile vault inventory for blank plastic stock, EMV chips, and PIN mailers, ensuring strict dual-custody audit controls and tracking branch delivery logistics.

Review automated fraud alerts, process first-level card block requests for compromised cards, and file initial dispute chargebacks through card scheme portals.

Reconcile card issuing transaction logs, interchange fees, and ATM/POS settlement files between the bank’s core system and international/national card networks.

CHALLENGES:

Managing settlement mismatches between internal bank accounts, card switches, and global networks (Visa/Mastercard) caused by time-zone differences, system outages, or currency conversion lags.

Handling disputes within rigid card network windows (e.g., Visa/Mastercard chargeback rules) while balancing customer expectations with fraud mitigation and loss controls.

Navigating fulfilment bottlenecks—such as personalized chip failures, courier delivery issues, or third-party card printing bureau downtime—without breaching SLAs.

• Oversee the complete lifecycle of payment cards (Instant Issuance, Centralized Personalization, Renewals, Re-issuances, and Pin Mailers/e-PINs).
• Monitor and manage daily bulk files sent to and received from card personalization vendors/bureaus.
• Ensure strict adherence to dual control procedures for inventory management (unperso/blank plastics, HSM keys, and security collateral).
• Conduct regular reconciliation of card inventory, damaged stock, and destroyed cards.
• Perform configuration, parameter setups, and testing for card BINs, product types, limits, fee structures, and expiry rules.
• Troubleshoot system errors between core banking application (CBS), card management system (CMS), and payment switches (e.g., Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, or local switches).
• Support user acceptance testing (UAT) for card software upgrades, patch deployments, and new product launches.
• Serve as Tier-2 support for branch networks, contact centers, and digital channels regarding card status queries, declines, and block/unblock requests.
• Investigate and resolve card issuance transaction failures, failed print jobs, and cardholder configuration bugs within predefined SLAs.
• Handle chargebacks, dispute intake, and account adjustments related to issuing operational errors.
• Ensure full compliance with PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) and card scheme rules (Visa/Mastercard/Amex/Discover).
• Maintain strict PIN security practices, cryptographic key handling protocols, and sensitive data protection measures.
• Assist in internal, external, and card scheme compliance audits by gathering operational evidence and maintaining mandatory operational logs.
• Generate daily, weekly, and monthly reports on card issuance volumes, failure rates, turnaround times (TAT), and active base stats.
• Liaise with third-party vendors (Card Personalization Bureaus, Courier/Delivery partners, Switch Providers) to maintain service level agreements.
• Review, approve, and route personalized credit/debit card instant-issuance and batch-printing files to internal personalization bureaus or third-party card vendors.
• Investigate and clear failed card authorizations, PIN reset failures, balance sync errors, and declined transactions across the core card management system (CMS) and payment switches (Visa/Mastercard).
• Reconcile vault inventory for blank plastic stock, EMV chips, and PIN mailers, ensuring strict dual-custody audit controls and tracking branch delivery logistics.
• Review automated fraud alerts, process first-level card block requests for compromised cards, and file initial dispute chargebacks through card scheme portals.
• Reconcile card issuing transaction logs, interchange fees, and ATM/POS settlement files between the bank’s core system and international/national card networks.

• Payment card lifecycle management
• Bulk file processing
• Inventory management
• Reconciliation
• Card BIN configuration
• System troubleshooting (CBS, CMS, payment switches)
• User Acceptance Testing (UAT)
• Tier-2 support
• Transaction failure investigation
• Chargeback handling
• PCI-DSS compliance
• Card scheme rules compliance
• PIN security
• Cryptographic key handling
• Data protection
• Audit assistance
• Reporting
• Vendor liaison
• Fraud alert review
• Dispute management
• Settlement reconciliation

• Experience with core banking systems (CBS)
• Experience with card management systems (CMS)
• Familiarity with payment switches (Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, local switches)
• Knowledge of PCI-DSS
• Understanding of card scheme rules (Visa/Mastercard/Amex/Discover)
• Experience with dual control procedures
• Experience with inventory management
• Experience with reconciliation
• Experience with troubleshooting system errors
• Experience with user acceptance testing (UAT)
• Experience in Tier-2 support
• Experience in handling chargebacks and disputes
• Experience in generating reports