Dark portrait card headed THE BOARD QUESTION, with BOARD and the numeral 06 in blue. Below it in small gray capitals: ASK THIS ONE AT YOUR NEXT BOARD MEETING. The question reads, "Who picked the networks our debit cards run on — and when did anyone last look?" with "look?" in blue. On the right, an empty leather chair sits at the end of a long, dark boardroom table in low blue light. THE POINT reads, "It doesn't take a number to answer. It takes a name and a date." The PDEX Payment Data Exchange logo appears at bottom left and pdex.com at bottom right.

Here's a quick test for your next board meeting: who picked the networks our debit cards run on — and when did anyone last look at that choice?

Every debit card runs on a lineup of networks: the brand on the front of the card, plus the debit networks behind it. That lineup is a business decision. It affects what the bank earns on each transaction, what it pays in network fees, and which networks a merchant can choose from when it routes a purchase.

Someone at the bank made that decision. If the answer is "it came with our last processor conversion," or "nobody here is sure," that's worth knowing. A choice that made sense years ago may not fit how cardholders pay today.

This week's board question:

"Who picked the networks our debit cards run on — and when did anyone last look?"

It doesn't take a number to answer. It takes a name and a date.

Knowing who made that decision, and when it was last looked at, is part of what PDEX helps a bank see.

Originally posted on LinkedIn, October 15, 2026.