diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/Card/Card.module.css b/packages/ui/src/components/Card/Card.module.css
index 85ae86901b..e6e5758e67 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/Card/Card.module.css
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/Card/Card.module.css
@@ -21,16 +21,42 @@
     display: flex;
     flex-direction: column;
     gap: var(--bui-space-3);
-    background-color: var(--bui-bg-surface-1);
     border-radius: var(--bui-radius-3);
     padding-block: var(--bui-space-3);
     color: var(--bui-fg-primary);
-    border: 1px solid var(--bui-border);
     overflow: hidden;
     min-height: 0;
     width: 100%;
   }
 
+  .bui-Card[data-surface='0'] {
+    background-color: var(--bui-bg-surface-0);
+  }
+
+  .bui-Card[data-surface='1'] {
+    background-color: var(--bui-bg-surface-1);
+  }
+
+  .bui-Card[data-surface='2'] {
+    background-color: var(--bui-bg-surface-2);
+  }
+
+  .bui-Card[data-surface='3'] {
+    background-color: var(--bui-bg-surface-3);
+  }
+
+  .bui-Card[data-surface='danger'] {
+    background-color: var(--bui-bg-danger);
+  }
+
+  .bui-Card[data-surface='warning'] {
+    background-color: var(--bui-bg-warning);
+  }
+
+  .bui-Card[data-surface='success'] {
+    background-color: var(--bui-bg-success);
+  }
+
   .bui-CardBody {
     flex: 1;
     min-height: 0;
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/Card/Card.stories.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/Card/Card.stories.tsx
index 438dd0e353..d1d6c43327 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/Card/Card.stories.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/Card/Card.stories.tsx
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
 import preview from '../../../../../.storybook/preview';
 import { Card, CardHeader, CardBody, CardFooter } from './Card';
 import { Text } from '../..';
+import { Flex } from '../Flex';
+import { Box } from '../Box';
+import { Button } from '../Button';
 
 const meta = preview.meta({
   title: 'Backstage UI/Card',
@@ -124,3 +127,121 @@ export const WithListRow = meta.story({
     </Card>
   ),
 });
+
+export const Surfaces = meta.story({
+  render: args => (
+    <Flex align="start" style={{ flexWrap: 'wrap' }} gap="4">
+      <Card {...args} style={{ width: '200px' }}>
+        <CardHeader>Default</CardHeader>
+        <CardBody>No surface prop</CardBody>
+      </Card>
+      <Card {...args} surface="0" style={{ width: '200px' }}>
+        <CardHeader>Surface 0</CardHeader>
+        <CardBody>Explicit surface 0</CardBody>
+      </Card>
+      <Card {...args} surface="1" style={{ width: '200px' }}>
+        <CardHeader>Surface 1</CardHeader>
+        <CardBody>Explicit surface 1</CardBody>
+      </Card>
+      <Card {...args} surface="2" style={{ width: '200px' }}>
+        <CardHeader>Surface 2</CardHeader>
+        <CardBody>Explicit surface 2</CardBody>
+      </Card>
+      <Card {...args} surface="3" style={{ width: '200px' }}>
+        <CardHeader>Surface 3</CardHeader>
+        <CardBody>Explicit surface 3</CardBody>
+      </Card>
+      <Card
+        {...args}
+        surface={{ initial: '0', sm: '1' }}
+        style={{ width: '200px' }}
+      >
+        <CardHeader>Responsive</CardHeader>
+        <CardBody>Surface 0 → 1</CardBody>
+      </Card>
+      <Card {...args} surface="danger" style={{ width: '200px' }}>
+        <CardHeader>Danger</CardHeader>
+        <CardBody>Surface danger</CardBody>
+      </Card>
+      <Card {...args} surface="warning" style={{ width: '200px' }}>
+        <CardHeader>Warning</CardHeader>
+        <CardBody>Surface warning</CardBody>
+      </Card>
+      <Card {...args} surface="success" style={{ width: '200px' }}>
+        <CardHeader>Success</CardHeader>
+        <CardBody>Surface success</CardBody>
+      </Card>
+    </Flex>
+  ),
+});
+
+export const SurfacesNested = meta.story({
+  render: args => (
+    <Flex direction="column">
+      <Box style={{ maxWidth: '600px' }} mb="4">
+        In this test, we are nesting cards on different surfaces to ensure that
+        the correct surface is applied to each element. If a Button is placed on
+        a surface that doesn't have the surface prop set, it will inherit the
+        surface from the parent.
+      </Box>
+      <Card {...args} surface="1" style={{ width: '500px' }}>
+        <CardHeader>Surface 1</CardHeader>
+        <CardBody>
+          <Button variant="secondary">Button</Button>
+          <Card {...args} surface="2" style={{ marginTop: '16px' }}>
+            <CardHeader>Surface 2</CardHeader>
+            <CardBody>
+              <Button variant="secondary">Button</Button>
+              <Card {...args} style={{ marginTop: '16px' }}>
+                <CardHeader>Inherited</CardHeader>
+                <CardBody>
+                  <Button variant="secondary">Button</Button>
+                </CardBody>
+              </Card>
+            </CardBody>
+          </Card>
+        </CardBody>
+      </Card>
+    </Flex>
+  ),
+});
+
+export const SurfacesAutoIncrement = meta.story({
+  render: args => (
+    <Flex direction="column">
+      <Box style={{ maxWidth: '600px' }} mb="4">
+        Using surface="auto" automatically increments from the parent surface
+        level. This makes components more reusable as they don't need to know
+        their absolute surface level. Notice how each nested Card with
+        surface="auto" automatically increments: 0 → 1 → 2 → 3 (capped at 3).
+      </Box>
+      <Card {...args} surface="0" style={{ width: '500px' }}>
+        <CardHeader>Surface 0 (explicit)</CardHeader>
+        <CardBody>
+          <Card {...args} surface="auto">
+            <CardHeader>Surface auto (becomes 1)</CardHeader>
+            <CardBody>
+              <Button variant="secondary" onSurface="auto">
+                Button auto
+              </Button>
+              <Card {...args} surface="auto" style={{ marginTop: '16px' }}>
+                <CardHeader>Surface auto (becomes 2)</CardHeader>
+                <CardBody>
+                  <Card {...args} surface="auto">
+                    <CardHeader>Surface auto (becomes 3)</CardHeader>
+                    <CardBody>
+                      <Card {...args} surface="auto">
+                        <CardHeader>Surface auto (stays 3 - capped)</CardHeader>
+                        <CardBody>Capped at max surface level</CardBody>
+                      </Card>
+                    </CardBody>
+                  </Card>
+                </CardBody>
+              </Card>
+            </CardBody>
+          </Card>
+        </CardBody>
+      </Card>
+    </Flex>
+  ),
+});
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/Card/Card.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/Card/Card.tsx
index a3f4995588..b9ff308784 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/Card/Card.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/Card/Card.tsx
@@ -15,16 +15,19 @@
  */
 
 import { forwardRef } from 'react';
-import clsx from 'clsx';
-import { useStyles } from '../../hooks/useStyles';
-import { CardDefinition } from './definition';
+import { useDefinition } from '../../hooks/useDefinition';
+import {
+  CardDefinition,
+  CardHeaderDefinition,
+  CardBodyDefinition,
+  CardFooterDefinition,
+} from './definition';
 import type {
   CardProps,
   CardHeaderProps,
   CardBodyProps,
   CardFooterProps,
 } from './types';
-import styles from './Card.module.css';
 
 /**
  * Card component.
@@ -32,18 +35,21 @@ import styles from './Card.module.css';
  * @public
  */
 export const Card = forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, CardProps>((props, ref) => {
-  const { classNames, cleanedProps } = useStyles(CardDefinition, props);
-  const { className, ...rest } = cleanedProps;
+  const { ownProps, restProps, dataAttributes } = useDefinition(
+    CardDefinition,
+    props,
+  );
+  const { classes, surfaceChildren } = ownProps;
 
   return (
-    <div
-      ref={ref}
-      className={clsx(classNames.root, styles[classNames.root], className)}
-      {...rest}
-    />
+    <div ref={ref} className={classes.root} {...dataAttributes} {...restProps}>
+      {surfaceChildren}
+    </div>
   );
 });
 
+Card.displayName = 'Card';
+
 /**
  * CardHeader component.
  *
@@ -51,23 +57,19 @@ export const Card = forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, CardProps>((props, ref) => {
  */
 export const CardHeader = forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, CardHeaderProps>(
   (props, ref) => {
-    const { classNames, cleanedProps } = useStyles(CardDefinition, props);
-    const { className, ...rest } = cleanedProps;
+    const { ownProps, restProps } = useDefinition(CardHeaderDefinition, props);
+    const { classes, children } = ownProps;
 
     return (
-      <div
-        ref={ref}
-        className={clsx(
-          classNames.header,
-          styles[classNames.header],
-          className,
-        )}
-        {...rest}
-      />
+      <div ref={ref} className={classes.root} {...restProps}>
+        {children}
+      </div>
     );
   },
 );
 
+CardHeader.displayName = 'CardHeader';
+
 /**
  * CardBody component.
  *
@@ -75,19 +77,19 @@ export const CardHeader = forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, CardHeaderProps>(
  */
 export const CardBody = forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, CardBodyProps>(
   (props, ref) => {
-    const { classNames, cleanedProps } = useStyles(CardDefinition, props);
-    const { className, ...rest } = cleanedProps;
+    const { ownProps, restProps } = useDefinition(CardBodyDefinition, props);
+    const { classes, children } = ownProps;
 
     return (
-      <div
-        ref={ref}
-        className={clsx(classNames.body, styles[classNames.body], className)}
-        {...rest}
-      />
+      <div ref={ref} className={classes.root} {...restProps}>
+        {children}
+      </div>
     );
   },
 );
 
+CardBody.displayName = 'CardBody';
+
 /**
  * CardFooter component.
  *
@@ -95,19 +97,15 @@ export const CardBody = forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, CardBodyProps>(
  */
 export const CardFooter = forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, CardFooterProps>(
   (props, ref) => {
-    const { classNames, cleanedProps } = useStyles(CardDefinition, props);
-    const { className, ...rest } = cleanedProps;
+    const { ownProps, restProps } = useDefinition(CardFooterDefinition, props);
+    const { classes, children } = ownProps;
 
     return (
-      <div
-        ref={ref}
-        className={clsx(
-          classNames.footer,
-          styles[classNames.footer],
-          className,
-        )}
-        {...rest}
-      />
+      <div ref={ref} className={classes.root} {...restProps}>
+        {children}
+      </div>
     );
   },
 );
+
+CardFooter.displayName = 'CardFooter';
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/Card/definition.ts b/packages/ui/src/components/Card/definition.ts
index cd0c5f634b..ec05494391 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/Card/definition.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/Card/definition.ts
@@ -14,17 +14,73 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
-import type { ComponentDefinition } from '../../types';
+import { defineComponent } from '../../hooks/useDefinition';
+import type {
+  CardOwnProps,
+  CardHeaderOwnProps,
+  CardBodyOwnProps,
+  CardFooterOwnProps,
+} from './types';
+import styles from './Card.module.css';
 
 /**
  * Component definition for Card
  * @public
  */
-export const CardDefinition = {
+export const CardDefinition = defineComponent<CardOwnProps>()({
+  styles,
   classNames: {
     root: 'bui-Card',
-    header: 'bui-CardHeader',
-    body: 'bui-CardBody',
-    footer: 'bui-CardFooter',
   },
-} as const satisfies ComponentDefinition;
+  surface: 'container',
+  propDefs: {
+    surface: { dataAttribute: true, default: '1' },
+    children: {},
+    className: {},
+  },
+});
+
+/**
+ * Component definition for CardHeader
+ * @public
+ */
+export const CardHeaderDefinition = defineComponent<CardHeaderOwnProps>()({
+  styles,
+  classNames: {
+    root: 'bui-CardHeader',
+  },
+  propDefs: {
+    children: {},
+    className: {},
+  },
+});
+
+/**
+ * Component definition for CardBody
+ * @public
+ */
+export const CardBodyDefinition = defineComponent<CardBodyOwnProps>()({
+  styles,
+  classNames: {
+    root: 'bui-CardBody',
+  },
+  propDefs: {
+    children: {},
+    className: {},
+  },
+});
+
+/**
+ * Component definition for CardFooter
+ * @public
+ */
+export const CardFooterDefinition = defineComponent<CardFooterOwnProps>()({
+  styles,
+  classNames: {
+    root: 'bui-CardFooter',
+  },
+  propDefs: {
+    children: {},
+    className: {},
+  },
+});
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/Card/index.ts b/packages/ui/src/components/Card/index.ts
index dc7dbd4ead..f5596a717a 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/Card/index.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/Card/index.ts
@@ -15,11 +15,10 @@
  */
 
 export { Card, CardHeader, CardBody, CardFooter } from './Card';
-export { CardDefinition } from './definition';
-
-export type {
-  CardProps,
-  CardHeaderProps,
-  CardBodyProps,
-  CardFooterProps,
-} from './types';
+export {
+  CardDefinition,
+  CardHeaderDefinition,
+  CardBodyDefinition,
+  CardFooterDefinition,
+} from './definition';
+export type * from './types';
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/Card/types.ts b/packages/ui/src/components/Card/types.ts
index 8b3419f6a2..50a94683e2 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/Card/types.ts
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/Card/types.ts
@@ -14,38 +14,66 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+import type { ReactNode } from 'react';
+import type { Responsive, Surface } from '../../types';
+
+/** @public */
+export type CardOwnProps = {
+  surface?: Responsive<Surface>;
+  children?: ReactNode;
+  className?: string;
+};
+
 /**
  * Props for the Card component.
  *
  * @public
  */
-export interface CardProps extends React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement> {
-  children?: React.ReactNode;
-}
+export interface CardProps
+  extends CardOwnProps,
+    React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement> {}
+
+/** @public */
+export type CardHeaderOwnProps = {
+  children?: ReactNode;
+  className?: string;
+};
 
 /**
  * Props for the CardHeader component.
  *
  * @public
  */
-export interface CardHeaderProps extends React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement> {
-  children?: React.ReactNode;
-}
+export interface CardHeaderProps
+  extends CardHeaderOwnProps,
+    React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement> {}
+
+/** @public */
+export type CardBodyOwnProps = {
+  children?: ReactNode;
+  className?: string;
+};
 
 /**
  * Props for the CardBody component.
  *
  * @public
  */
-export interface CardBodyProps extends React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement> {
-  children?: React.ReactNode;
-}
+export interface CardBodyProps
+  extends CardBodyOwnProps,
+    React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement> {}
+
+/** @public */
+export type CardFooterOwnProps = {
+  children?: ReactNode;
+  className?: string;
+};
 
 /**
  * Props for the CardFooter component.
  *
  * @public
  */
-export interface CardFooterProps extends React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement> {
-  children?: React.ReactNode;
-}
+export interface CardFooterProps
+  extends CardFooterOwnProps,
+    React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement> {}
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/hooks/useDefinition/useDefinition.tsx b/packages/ui/src/hooks/useDefinition/useDefinition.tsx
index 0de2eb8358..c8bd3853dd 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/hooks/useDefinition/useDefinition.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/hooks/useDefinition/useDefinition.tsx
@@ -77,6 +77,22 @@ export function useDefinition<
     }
   }
 
+  // Override data-surface for container components with the resolved value
+  // This ensures 'auto' is replaced with the actual computed surface level
+  if (
+    definition.surface === 'container' &&
+    resolvedSurface !== undefined &&
+    dataAttributes['data-surface'] !== undefined
+  ) {
+    const surfaceValue =
+      typeof resolvedSurface === 'object'
+        ? resolveResponsiveValue(resolvedSurface as any, breakpoint)
+        : resolvedSurface;
+    if (surfaceValue !== undefined) {
+      dataAttributes['data-surface'] = String(surfaceValue);
+    }
+  }
+
   // Add data-on-surface for leaf components
   if (definition.surface === 'leaf' && resolvedSurface !== undefined) {
     // Handle responsive surface values - for data attributes, use the resolved string