Virtual Card
A virtual card is a digital debit card/credit card that performs the same functions as a physical card, with greater versatility, utility, and security. Virtual cards mirror traditional bank cards in many ways, with the exception that these are digital cards, not physical cards.
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Virtual cards are a safer alternative to physical cards, since all virtual cards contain a unique set of 16-digits. In addition, they have many useful applications. These include making online payments, shopping online with Google Pay, Apple Pay or PayPal, easy virtual card management direct from the app, and instant notifications once transactions are posted. Additionally, it’s much quicker to process virtual card transactions than physical card transactions. With virtual cards you can shop 24/7, at your convenience. In the event of third-party interception of your virtual card number, these can easily be deleted and recreated. There is no unnecessary wait time for replacement cards, making this ideal option for clients. Clients can also have multiple virtual cards simultaneously, as opposed to just 1 physical card at the time.
Each of our recommended mobile banks provides feature-rich virtual cards for enhanced safety, usability, and convenience.
Bunq is a leader in online banking services, thanks largely to virtual cards. These virtual cards can be set up instantly, and used for all online purchases. The cards can be used in tandem with many different bank accounts, to facilitate easy budgeting. With Bunq, clients will receive a total of 5 virtual cards with easyGreen and easyMoney plans, and 1 virtual card in the easyTravel plan. The 5 virtual cards are in addition to 3 complimentary physical cards.
As soon as the 5 virtual cards have been activated, clients can purchase additional cards. Read a full review.
As one of the leading mobile banks, Monese prioritises virtual cards as the safer, and more convenient way to transact online. The virtual cards from Monese can easily be created from the app, and within seconds, clients will have virtual card numbers ready for transactions. Monese virtual cards speed up transactions processing, and can be linked to Google Pay, Apple Pay, and PayPal accounts for added convenience.
Presently, Monese requires that account holders have a physical card in their possession before setting up virtual cards. You can set up 1X virtual card for each currency account that you have at Monese. Read a full review.
N26 features virtual debit cards and virtual credit cards for clients. Virtual cards can be locked from your phone, at any time. The N26 debit MasterCard can be used within minutes of opening your account. Enhanced security at N26 limits users to one smartphone per account at any time. The app requires either fingerprint ID, or a password, and all transactions must be fully verified by a PIN number. This provides the added benefit of real-time updates whenever virtual cards are used. Additional benefits of this mobile banking solution include permission requests for online payments and cash withdrawals.
N26 virtual cards feature MasterCard SecureCode – the 3DS technology that safeguards your virtual cards at all times. This further protects your transactions, and authenticates your ID. The benefits of using N26 virtual debit cards include seamless transactions, secure purchases, and instant setups. The N26 virtual card can be linked with Google Pay and Apple Pay instantly. This allows for contactless payments. Certain virtual cards allow cash withdrawals from ATMs too. Read a full review.