> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://next-developers.opencard.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Card holder

> The OpenCard Card holder model — an individual in an organization, linking cards to identities and driving transaction and receipt webhooks to your EMS.

A **card holder** is one person in one [organization](/ems/model/organization) whose card transactions you want in your EMS.

You create the record via API. OpenCard links it to a real person (identity) and, once identified, starts delivering that person's card events to the organization's webhook. You set `reference_id` to your internal user ID — it appears on every transaction webhook for that person.

***

## What it represents

| Concept               | Meaning                                                                       |
| --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Who**               | An employee or card user at your client's company                             |
| **`reference_id`**    | Your string ID for that person — in every webhook                             |
| **`organization_id`** | Which client they belong to                                                   |
| **`identity_id`**     | Link to the person in OpenCard (after eID, or immediately on instant onboard) |
| **PDPC**              | Individual GDPR consent — required unless onboarded via `identity_id`         |

A card holder is not the physical card. Cards are managed by the [card issuer](/ems/model/tpa) and appear on the identity once the TPA is activated.

***

## When transactions start

| Path              | How                               | Transactions begin             |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------- | ------------------------------ |
| 🅰️ Email + eID   | You send `email`, user signs PDPC | After `card_holder.identified` |
| 🅱️ `identity_id` | Person already known to OpenCard  | Immediately on create          |

On identification, OpenCard replays transaction states since the latest card invoice for that person's cards, then continues in real time.

→ [Card holder onboarding](/ems/card-holders)

***

## Key fields

| Field                          | Purpose                                              |
| ------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| `id`                           | OpenCard card holder ID                              |
| `reference_id`                 | **Your** user ID (required, unique per organization) |
| `organization_id`              | Parent organization                                  |
| `identity_id`                  | Linked person (null until eID on Path 🅰️)           |
| `email`                        | For PDPC signing link (Path 🅰️)                     |
| `meta.signed`, `meta.pdpc_url` | PDPC status and signing URL                          |

***

## Webhook signal

Subscribe to **`card_holder.identified`** — that is when you should expect transactions (including any retroactive batch) for that person.

```
POST /accounts/{accountId}/organizations/{organizationId}/cardholders
Scope: card-holders-write
```

→ [Card holder onboarding — paths and API](/ems/card-holders) · [Current card issuer integration](/ems/current-card-issuer-integration)