Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing message flow control in a signal transfer point are described. One method includes receiving, at a source card in a signaling message routing platform having a distributed internal processing architecture, a message requiring a service. The method also includes maintaining, on the source card, a local memory table containing a list of service cards and corresponding flow control status of each service card. The local memory table on the source card is also queried to select a service card capable of performing the service. The message is transmitted to one of the service cards with an available flow control status.