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Marqeta, Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 24 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 6 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net revenue grew 27% in quarter: Net revenue was $172 million, up $36 million or 27% year-over-year, the company reported. Source
  • Gross profit rose on volume: Gross profit was $120 million, up 22%, which the company attributed primarily to growth in total processing volume. Source
  • Net loss narrowed to $1 million: GAAP net loss was $1 million, down $26 million, which the company attributed to gross profit growth and improved operating efficiency. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose $18 million: Adjusted EBITDA was $31 million in the quarter, an increase of $18 million year-over-year. Source
  • Full-year swing to net loss: Full-year net loss was $14 million, against net income of $27 million in 2024; the company tied the change mainly to a 2024 reversal of share-based compensation. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin rose to 18%: Adjusted EBITDA margin was 18% of net revenue in the quarter, up 9 points, and 18% for the year, up 12 points. Source
  • First-quarter 2026 ranges given: Management gave first-quarter 2026 growth ranges for net revenue, gross profit and Adjusted EBITDA. Source

“In 2025, the business delivered outstanding growth and increased EBITDA by deepening existing customer relationships and developing new ones through geographic, use case, and solution expansion,”

Mike Milotich, CEO at Marqeta

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net revenue growth SourceFirst quarter 202617 - 19%New
Gross profit growth SourceFirst quarter 202617 - 19%New
Adjusted EBITDA growth SourceFirst quarter 202645 - 50%New
Net revenue growth SourceFull year 202612 - 14%New
Gross profit growth SourceFull year 202610 - 12%New
Adjusted EBITDA growth SourceFull year 2026Mid 20sNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: First-quarter and full-year 2026 guidance was given for net revenue, gross profit and Adjusted EBITDA growth. Source
  • New: Marqeta enabled a UK driver program for Uber, a long-standing customer, giving free instant access to funds. Source
  • New: Four Technologies, a BNPL provider, was named as a customer moving to Marqeta from another processor. Source
  • New: The company onboarded its first customer to an enhanced Real-Time Decisioning product using AI and machine learning. Source
  • New: Restructuring and one-time costs tied to the CEO transition were recorded in 2025. Source

Quarter results and growth

  • Net revenue grew 27% in quarter: Net revenue was $172 million, up $36 million or 27% year-over-year, the company reported. Source
  • Gross profit rose on volume: Gross profit was $120 million, up 22%, which the company attributed primarily to growth in total processing volume. Source
  • Net loss narrowed to $1 million: GAAP net loss was $1 million, down $26 million, which the company attributed to gross profit growth and improved operating efficiency. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA rose $18 million: Adjusted EBITDA was $31 million in the quarter, an increase of $18 million year-over-year. Source

Full-year 2025 results

  • Full-year net revenue rose 23%: Full-year net revenue was $625 million, up $118 million or 23%, with the company citing increased volumes as the main driver. Source
  • Full-year gross profit rose 24%: Full-year gross profit was $437 million, up 24%, primarily due to TPV growth. Source
  • Full-year swing to net loss: Full-year net loss was $14 million, against net income of $27 million in 2024; the company tied the change mainly to a 2024 reversal of share-based compensation. Source
  • Full-year Adjusted EBITDA improved $80 million: Full-year Adjusted EBITDA was $110 million, an $80 million year-over-year improvement. Source

“As we start 2026, our leadership and expertise in powering innovative offerings with our differentiated end-to-end platform positions us well to expand our reach”

Mike Milotich, CEO at Marqeta

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Gross margin eased two points: Gross margin was 70% in the quarter, versus 72% a year earlier. Source
  • Operating expenses fell 5%: Total operating expenses were $128 million, down 5%; compensation and benefits were down 11% year-over-year. Source
  • Adjusted operating expenses rose 4%: Adjusted operating expenses were $89 million, up 4% year-over-year, after excluding depreciation, share-based compensation and acquisition-related items. Source
  • Marketing spend rose 131%: Marketing and advertising costs rose 131% year-over-year to $3.0 million in the quarter. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin rose to 18%: Adjusted EBITDA margin was 18% of net revenue in the quarter, up 9 points, and 18% for the year, up 12 points. Source

Customers and products

  • Uber UK driver funds access: Marqeta enabled a UK driver program for Uber, a long-standing customer, giving free and instant access to funds, with a high-yield savings account and rewards. Source
  • Four Technologies selects Marqeta: Four Technologies, a buy-now-pay-later provider, selected Marqeta and will move from another processor. Source
  • AI real-time decisioning first customer: The company onboarded its first customer to an enhanced Real-Time Decisioning product that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning. Source

Cash, capital and buybacks

  • Cash and equivalents declined: Cash and cash equivalents were $709 million at year-end, against $923 million at December 31, 2024. Source
  • Share repurchases increased: Repurchases of common stock were $391 million in 2025, against $154 million in 2024. Source
  • Operating cash flow increased: Net cash from operating activities was $163 million in 2025, against $58 million in 2024. Source
  • Acquisition and software spending: Cash paid for business acquisition, net of cash acquired, was $45.7 million; capitalized internal-use software was $28.4 million in 2025. Source

Program management and customer funds

  • Restricted cash held for TransactPay: Restricted cash of $307.6 million was mostly customer funds TransactPay holds in segregated accounts for program management. Source
  • Customer funds rose from September: Customer funds for card and e-money wallet programs were $306.9 million at year-end, against $233.9 million at September 30, 2025. Source
  • Customer funds in financing activities: The change in funds payable and amounts due to customers was shown as a $77.3 million item in financing activities for 2025. Source

2026 guidance

  • First-quarter 2026 ranges given: Management gave first-quarter 2026 growth ranges for net revenue, gross profit and Adjusted EBITDA. Source
  • Full-year 2026 ranges given: Full-year 2026 growth ranges were given for net revenue and gross profit, with Adjusted EBITDA growth given as mid 20s percent. Source
  • No Adjusted EBITDA forward reconciliation: The company said reconciliations of forward Adjusted EBITDA growth to GAAP are not available, because some items cannot be reasonably predicted. Source

Leadership and one-time costs

  • CEO transition costs recorded: Restructuring and other one-time costs included costs of the CEO transition and one-time retention bonuses for other key employees. Source
  • Title given as CEO: The prior release described Mike Milotich as CEO and CFO; this release gives his title as CEO.
  • Retention bonuses for key employees: One-time retention bonuses for key employees were expensed over the requisite service period, with service requirements attached. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total Processing Volume (TPV) Source$108,694 million in Q4 2025; $382,513 million for 2025

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Gross profit growth was net of 5 percentage points of headwind from a revised accounting policy for Card Network Incentives. Source
  • Demand: Revenue growth was partly offset by mix, as card programs with minimal or no program management grew faster. Source
  • Regulatory: A legal contingency for a class action securities case was recognized as a non-recurring expense in the third quarter of 2025. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.