<!-- x-generated: Generated by the Hyperscale artifact pipeline; do not edit by hand -->

# Cardholder

> Customer approved to hold cards in a product.

A cardholder links one first-party customer to the card program, becomes active after approval, may be suspended and resumed, and closes permanently when card access ends.

- Instrument id: `cardholder`
- Initial state: `pending`
- Terminal states: `closed`
- Composed by: [smb_expense_card](../programs/smb_expense_card.md)

## Lifecycle

The diagram draws only the transitions a composing Product exposes as an action. A cell reading "no step any Product exposes" means no drawn edge enters or leaves that state, so the move belongs to a lifecycle step none of the composing Products exposes. Terminal states read "none" under Left by, because stopping there is the declared design rather than a missing step. Where an unexposed step carries a price it is listed under Steps no Product exposes, below.

```mermaid
stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> pending: create
    pending --> active: activate
    closed --> [*]
```

| State | Kind | Entered by | Left by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `pending` | initial | create | activate |
| `active` | intermediate | activate | no step any Product exposes |
| `suspended` | intermediate | no step any Product exposes | no step any Product exposes |
| `closed` | terminal | no step any Product exposes | none |

## Fields

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `displayName` | text | yes |  |
| `email` | text | no |  |
| `phoneNumber` | text | no |  |

## References

- `customerId`: `customer`, required

## Actions

### activate

Approves the customer to hold and use cards.

- From: `pending`
- To: `active`
- Hints: readOnly=false, destructive=false, idempotent=true, moneyMovement=false
- Handle key: `cardholderId`

Exposed as:

| Program | Public action | Route |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [smb_expense_card](../programs/smb_expense_card.md) | `activateEmployeeCardholder` | `POST /v1/operations/cardholder.activateEmployeeCardholder`, scopes cardholder:write, idempotency required, receipt yes |

Input:

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `cardholderId` | ref<cardholder> | yes | Cardholder instance ID |

This action records no effect rows.

Errors beyond the 18 shared with every action on this instrument:

| Code | HTTP | Cause | Action | Remediation | Retryable | Idempotency safe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `instrument_instance_not_found` | 404 | No Instrument instance matches the `instrumentInstanceId` this request referenced (`instrument instance not found`). | List Instrument instances in the same tenant, product, and environment, then retry with the `instrumentInstanceId` that read returns. | Create or select the Instrument instance in the environment the call runs against; ids never carry across tenants, or across sandbox and live. | no | yes |
| `invalid_instrument_transition` | 409 | The request contradicts the resource the platform has already durably recorded (`invalid instrument transition`). | Re-read the resource this request referenced and compare the submitted ids, currency, product, tenant, and expected state against what comes back. | Rebuild the request from the resource as it now stands, then retry under a NEW idempotency key -- reuse the original key only when you are deliberately replaying the original mutation. | no | yes |

### create

Creates a pending cardholder for one verified first-party customer.

- From: none
- To: no state change
- Hints: readOnly=false, destructive=false, idempotent=true, moneyMovement=false

Exposed as:

| Program | Public action | Route |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [smb_expense_card](../programs/smb_expense_card.md) | `createEmployeeCardholder` | `POST /v1/operations/cardholder.createEmployeeCardholder`, scopes cardholder:write, idempotency required, receipt yes |

Input:

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `customerId` | ref<customer> | yes | Tenant-local customer ID |
| `displayName` | text | yes |  |
| `email` | text | no |  |
| `phoneNumber` | text | no |  |

This action records no effect rows.

Errors beyond the 18 shared with every action on this instrument:

| Code | HTTP | Cause | Action | Remediation | Retryable | Idempotency safe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `instrument_retired` | 409 | The request contradicts the resource the platform has already durably recorded (`instrument retired`). | Re-read the resource this request referenced and compare the submitted ids, currency, product, tenant, and expected state against what comes back. | Rebuild the request from the resource as it now stands, then retry under a NEW idempotency key -- reuse the original key only when you are deliberately replaying the original mutation. | no | yes |

## Reads

- `cardholder.list` as `cardholder_list`: List cardholders
  - Route: `GET /v1/cardholders`, scopes cardholder:read, idempotency not_required, receipt yes
  - Output: items, nextCursor, statusCounts
- `cardholder.retrieve` as `cardholder_retrieve`: Retrieve a cardholder
  - Route: `GET /v1/cardholders/{cardholderId}`, scopes cardholder:read, idempotency not_required, receipt yes
  - Output: cardholderId, tenantId, productId, instrumentId, status, fields, refs, createdAt, updatedAt

## Cost

This instrument carries no priced effect.

## Errors on every action

The 18 errors every action on this instrument declares. An action's own section lists only what it adds beyond these.

| Code | HTTP | Cause | Action | Remediation | Retryable | Idempotency safe |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `invalid_credentials` | 401 | Hyperscale could not accept the account or credential request. Signup, login, and bearer authentication use one 401 for every case they reject, so the response exposes no credential-specific reason or registered-email verdict. The single exception is a key that is real but homed in the other environment: because the presented secret already matched a stored key, the message names the mismatch instead of leaving a working credential looking unknown. | For signup or login, re-check the submitted account details. For API calls, re-check the `Authorization: Bearer <key>` API key and whether it matches the target environment (sandbox vs live). | For signup, verify the submitted details or use login or password reset for an existing account. For login, re-enter the credentials or reset the password. For API or MCP calls, use an active key for the target environment, set HYPERSCALE_API_KEY, and retry. When the message reports an environment mismatch, `details.keyEnvironment` names where the key does work: send that environment's key, or set `X-Hyperscale-Environment` to it. | no | yes |
| `local_evidence_output_key_missing` | 500 | The platform could not durably complete the `local evidence output key missing` step, so the resource may or may not have been written. | Capture the request id and the receipt or operation id before retrying or escalating; do not re-send under a fresh key until you know whether the resource was written. | Treat the resource's side effects as unknown unless a terminal receipt says otherwise; retry only operations documented as retryable, and replay them with the SAME idempotency key. | no | no |
| `local_evidence_reference_missing` | 500 | The platform could not durably complete the `local evidence reference missing` step, so the resource may or may not have been written. | Capture the request id and the receipt or operation id before retrying or escalating; do not re-send under a fresh key until you know whether the resource was written. | Treat the resource's side effects as unknown unless a terminal receipt says otherwise; retry only operations documented as retryable, and replay them with the SAME idempotency key. | no | no |
| `local_evidence_resource_missing` | 500 | The platform could not durably complete the `local evidence resource missing` step, so the resource may or may not have been written. | Capture the request id and the receipt or operation id before retrying or escalating; do not re-send under a fresh key until you know whether the resource was written. | Treat the resource's side effects as unknown unless a terminal receipt says otherwise; retry only operations documented as retryable, and replay them with the SAME idempotency key. | no | no |
| `mfa_verification_required` | 403 | This tenant surface requires a session that completed TOTP at login. Tenant operations demand it while the organization's require-MFA policy (tenant.security.configure) is on; user.mfa.totp.disable demands it unconditionally, because removing a factor is the act that factor exists to guard. | Enroll and confirm a TOTP factor (user.mfa.totp.enrollment.begin, then user.mfa.totp.enrollment.confirm), then log in again and complete user.login.mfa.verify before retrying. | MFA verification is a mint-time session fact, so enrolling a factor mid-session never upgrades the current session. After the factor is active, a fresh login returns an MFA challenge; completing it mints the verified session this surface demands. Identity self-operations (logout, TOTP enrollment) stay open to a password-only session, so a factorless member is never locked out of enrolling. Disabling a factor is the exception: sign in again and complete the challenge first. | no | yes |
| `operation_insert_failed` | 500 | The platform could not durably complete the `operation insert failed` step, so the Operation may or may not have been written. | Capture the request id and the receipt or operation id before retrying or escalating; do not re-send under a fresh key until you know whether the Operation was written. | Treat the Operation's side effects as unknown unless a terminal receipt says otherwise; retry only operations documented as retryable, and replay them with the SAME idempotency key. | no | no |
| `operation_not_finalized` | 409 | The request contradicts the Operation the platform has already durably recorded (`operation not finalized`). | Re-read the Operation with `operation.retrieve` and compare the submitted ids, currency, product, tenant, and expected state against what comes back. | Rebuild the request from the Operation as it now stands, then retry under a NEW idempotency key -- reuse the original key only when you are deliberately replaying the original mutation. | no | yes |
| `product_not_found` | 404 | No Product matches the `productId` this request referenced (`product not found`). | List Products in the same tenant, product, and environment, then retry with the `productId` that read returns. | Create or select the Product in the environment the call runs against; ids never carry across tenants, or across sandbox and live. | no | yes |
| `session_expired` | 401 | The operation refused the request on its `session expired` contract condition. | Read the error details, then the operation reference for this resource, before retrying. | Correct the request against the generated SDK models and a fresh read of the resource; if the shape is already right, the product may be missing the capability this operation needs. | no | yes |
| `session_required` | 401 | The operation cannot run against this resource until the `session required` prerequisite exists. | Supply the field, capability, evidence, or configuration the error details name for this resource, then call the operation again. | Complete the prerequisite through the surface that owns it -- the operation reference for this resource names it -- and the same call then succeeds unchanged. | no | yes |
| `session_revoked` | 401 | The operation refused the request on its `session revoked` contract condition. | Read the error details, then the operation reference for this resource, before retrying. | Correct the request against the generated SDK models and a fresh read of the resource; if the shape is already right, the product may be missing the capability this operation needs. | no | yes |
| `tenant_code_missing` | 500 | The platform could not durably complete the `tenant code missing` step, so the Company may or may not have been written. | Capture the request id and the receipt or operation id before retrying or escalating; do not re-send under a fresh key until you know whether the Company was written. | Treat the Company's side effects as unknown unless a terminal receipt says otherwise; retry only operations documented as retryable, and replay them with the SAME idempotency key. | no | no |
| `usage_amount_missing` | 500 | The platform could not durably complete the `usage amount missing` step, so the resource may or may not have been written. | Capture the request id and the receipt or operation id before retrying or escalating; do not re-send under a fresh key until you know whether the resource was written. | Treat the resource's side effects as unknown unless a terminal receipt says otherwise; retry only operations documented as retryable, and replay them with the SAME idempotency key. | no | no |
| `usage_currency_mismatch` | 500 | The platform could not durably complete the `usage currency mismatch` step, so the resource may or may not have been written. | Capture the request id and the receipt or operation id before retrying or escalating; do not re-send under a fresh key until you know whether the resource was written. | Treat the resource's side effects as unknown unless a terminal receipt says otherwise; retry only operations documented as retryable, and replay them with the SAME idempotency key. | no | no |
| `usage_meter_missing` | 500 | The platform could not durably complete the `usage meter missing` step, so the resource may or may not have been written. | Capture the request id and the receipt or operation id before retrying or escalating; do not re-send under a fresh key until you know whether the resource was written. | Treat the resource's side effects as unknown unless a terminal receipt says otherwise; retry only operations documented as retryable, and replay them with the SAME idempotency key. | no | no |
| `usage_source_conflict` | 409 | The request contradicts the resource the platform has already durably recorded (`usage source conflict`). | Re-read the resource this request referenced and compare the submitted ids, currency, product, tenant, and expected state against what comes back. | Rebuild the request from the resource as it now stands, then retry under a NEW idempotency key -- reuse the original key only when you are deliberately replaying the original mutation. | no | yes |
| `usage_tenant_missing` | 500 | The platform could not durably complete the `usage tenant missing` step, so the resource may or may not have been written. | Capture the request id and the receipt or operation id before retrying or escalating; do not re-send under a fresh key until you know whether the resource was written. | Treat the resource's side effects as unknown unless a terminal receipt says otherwise; retry only operations documented as retryable, and replay them with the SAME idempotency key. | no | no |
| `usage_transfer_missing` | 500 | The platform could not durably complete the `usage transfer missing` step, so the resource may or may not have been written. | Capture the request id and the receipt or operation id before retrying or escalating; do not re-send under a fresh key until you know whether the resource was written. | Treat the resource's side effects as unknown unless a terminal receipt says otherwise; retry only operations documented as retryable, and replay them with the SAME idempotency key. | no | no |