> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.slash.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Card lifecycle

> How a card moves between statuses.

<Frame>
  <img className="block dark:hidden" src="https://mintcdn.com/slash-9da6c7e7/KwXjTdmmheHJpWG3/images/charts/card-lifecycle.light.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=KwXjTdmmheHJpWG3&q=85&s=7598a2a2aee51966848603778c745382" alt="Card lifecycle" width="1158" height="954" data-path="images/charts/card-lifecycle.light.svg" />

  <img className="hidden dark:block" src="https://mintcdn.com/slash-9da6c7e7/KwXjTdmmheHJpWG3/images/charts/card-lifecycle.dark.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=KwXjTdmmheHJpWG3&q=85&s=c8eb41dbe8f240f691f612f14701f731" alt="Card lifecycle" width="1158" height="954" data-path="images/charts/card-lifecycle.dark.svg" />
</Frame>

Virtual cards start `active`. Physical cards start `pending`, move to
`awaiting_activation` once issued, and become `active` when their holder
activates them in Slash.

[`POST /v2/cards/{cardId}/pause`](/api-reference/cards/pause) declines every authorization until
[`POST /v2/cards/{cardId}/unpause`](/api-reference/cards/unpause).

[`POST /v2/cards/{cardId}/close`](/api-reference/cards/close) is permanent. Any card
that is not closed can be closed. [`GET /v2/cards`](/api-reference/cards/list) leaves closed cards out
unless you ask for `status=closed`.

A virtual card that has never been used can't be closed, and each account can
close a limited number of virtual cards a month. Pause a card instead when you
may need it again.


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