> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://apidocs.seismic-cards.systems/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create a cardholder

> Turns an approved applicant into a cardholder who can be issued cards. Requires applicant status APPROVED and a provisioned issuer account (POST /v1/applicants/{id}/submit or kyc-share first).



## OpenAPI

````yaml /openapi.json post /v1/cardholders
openapi: 3.1.0
info:
  title: Seismic Card Issuance API
  version: 1.0.0
  description: >-
    The Seismic Card Issuance API is the integration surface for issuing and
    managing cards. Authenticate with your Seismic API key, onboard applicants,
    run KYC, and issue virtual or physical cards — all through one white-labeled
    API.
  contact:
    name: Seismic Support
    url: https://seismic.systems
servers:
  - url: https://api.seismic-cards.systems
    description: Production
  - url: http://localhost:4000
    description: Local development
security:
  - bearerAuth: []
tags:
  - name: Authentication
    description: Exchange Seismic API keys for a short-lived access token.
  - name: Applicants
    description: End-users and businesses, plus their identity verification (KYC).
  - name: KYC
    description: >-
      Identity verification settings, hosted sessions, BYOK share tokens, and
      issuer readiness.
    x-group: Identity verification (KYC)
  - name: Accounts
    description: Funding accounts that back issued cards.
  - name: Cardholders
    description: Approved applicants turned into cardholders.
  - name: Cards
    description: Issue and manage virtual and physical cards.
  - name: Transactions
    description: Card transaction history from the issuer or local ledger.
  - name: Widget SDK
    description: >-
      Public Seismic-hosted Widget.js for Method 1 card reveal (no auth).
      PAN/CVV render inside PCI iframes.
  - name: Card funding
    description: >-
      Fund prepaid cards with stablecoins: Seismic wallet service or
      bring-your-own (BYO) external wallet.
paths:
  /v1/cardholders:
    post:
      tags:
        - Cardholders
      summary: Create a cardholder
      description: >-
        Turns an approved applicant into a cardholder who can be issued cards.
        Requires applicant status APPROVED and a provisioned issuer account
        (POST /v1/applicants/{id}/submit or kyc-share first).
      operationId: createCardholders
      requestBody:
        required: true
        content:
          application/json:
            schema:
              type: object
              required:
                - applicant_id
              properties:
                applicant_id:
                  type: string
                display_name:
                  type: string
            example:
              applicant_id: app_abc123
              display_name: Jane Doe
      responses:
        '201':
          description: Cardholder created.
          content:
            application/json:
              schema:
                type: object
                properties:
                  data:
                    $ref: '#/components/schemas/Cardholder'
        '400':
          $ref: '#/components/responses/BadRequest'
components:
  schemas:
    Cardholder:
      type: object
      properties:
        id:
          type: string
        applicantId:
          type: string
        displayName:
          type: string
        createdAt:
          type: string
          format: date-time
    Error:
      type: object
      properties:
        error:
          type: object
          properties:
            code:
              type: string
              description: Stable, machine-readable error code.
            message:
              type: string
              description: Human-readable explanation.
  responses:
    BadRequest:
      description: The request was invalid.
      content:
        application/json:
          schema:
            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Error'
          example:
            error:
              code: INVALID_REQUEST
              message: Applicant must be approved
  securitySchemes:
    bearerAuth:
      type: http
      scheme: bearer
      bearerFormat: JWT
      description: >-
        Bearer access token obtained from `POST /v1/oauth/token` using your
        Seismic API key.

````