In the US card industry, Discover is one of the rare companies that operates both a network and card issuing, and Pulse is the PIN debit network within that group that has long handled ATM and debit routing (the group was restructured after being acquired by Capital One in 2025). Debit cards from thousands of financial institutions connect to the Pulse network, but there is no checkout flow where a consumer selects "Pulse"; it is involved only through PINless routing for online transactions.

For Korean merchants, Pulse isn't something to integrate directly — it's simply one of the routing paths that may sit behind the scenes when accepting US debit cards. The consumer-facing product in this same ecosystem is Discover card payments, and US debit demand is best covered through the standard combination of general card payments and wallets.

When a US consumer makes an online debit card payment, the transaction is routed to a card network or a PIN debit network such as Pulse to obtain issuer approval, and this choice is made automatically at the acquiring and routing layer. Neither the merchant nor the consumer needs to be aware of which network is used, and the approved proceeds are collected by Hecto Financial in USD, converted, and paid out in the contract currency.

It's unlikely that Pulse can be contracted as a standalone payment method through a Hecto Financial integration. General card payment integration, including Discover cards, is the practical path for covering US debit and credit demand, and routing through Pulse is handled automatically within that. Your overall US card acceptance strategy can be designed together with the sales team.

• Business registration country

  Confirm contract eligibility for businesses registered in Korea

• Sales channels

  Integration method and priority vary depending on your mix of online sales channels — owned site, marketplace, mobile app, and so on

• Product categories

  Advance confirmation is needed on whether your category falls under PULSE's merchant restrictions

• Local regulatory compliance

  Confirmation is needed on compliance with US payment and foreign exchange regulations, including federal and state consumer protection rules and card network rules (see official sources below)

Whether a transaction is routed through the Pulse network makes no difference to settlement. Hecto Financial collects the USD paid by the US consumer, converts it, and pays out in USD, KRW, or JPY as previously selected under the contract — the same structure applies regardless of the network. Refunds return to the original card, and the processing deadline follows the contract terms.

• Federal ReserveOfficial information on US payment systems and electronic funds transfer regulation (Regulation E). If this page's content differs from actual regulations, the official source takes precedence.
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)Official information from the federal oversight body for US consumer finance and payment disputes.