When making transactions, you can conceal your real card details using virtual debit card services. You may use a fake debit card number, for instance, so that anything weird that occurs with that card won't effect your real debit card, rather than using your regular card number to make a purchase from a suspicious website.
With the best virtual card services, you can expect some cool features like the ability to prevent a card from being used anywhere other than the places you specify, cancel or pause a card at any time, set spending limits, make purchases with bank account descriptions that are hidden, create cards in seconds with no activation necessary, and have your cards automatically expire after a certain amount of time.
Virtual card services are not very prevalent. The majority of them are actually connected to current banks, however below is a list of the top freestanding virtual payment systems, including one that is totally free (the other two have free trials).
Why Would You Use a Virtual Debit Card?
The two most popular justifications for using a virtual debit card are identity concealment and protection against fraudulent charges. However, there are a number of situations in which one might be useful.
A virtual payment card could be used if:
- Do not rely on the webpage.
- Would prefer not to cancel a subscription in the proper manner
- Can't make an internet purchase because there isn't a plastic card nearby.
- Are you allowing a buddy to use your phone number to make a purchase?
- Would you like to prevent the genuine merchant name from appearing on your bank statement?
- No real card available to use for online transactions (but you do have a bank)
- Because your physical card number is invalid or expired, you were denied a purchase.
- Want to set a spending ceiling on a specific website?
Privacy
Privacy is a fitting moniker for a fantastic business focused on protecting your privacy. Like a real virtual debit card, it protects your information and has some truly incredible features.
- It is entirely free (absolutely no charges or fees)
- Create reusable or single-use debit cards.
- One can only use a card that has been locked to a specific retailer.
- Set a spending cap (per charge, overall, or monthly/yearly).
- Specify the bank each credit card is issued by.
- Pause and continue cards whenever you like.
- Cancel cards to remove the number forever.
- Make cards instantly in Chrome
- Give your virtual credit cards names so you can remember where you've used them.
- Utilize it on the web or with the Android or iOS app
Virtual cards from Privacy have a ton of really fantastic applications. One is to create a merchant-locked card and set the spending limit to the precise amount you need it for when you're doing your shopping in an unreliable or unsafe location.
Another ideal use case is signing up for trials that demand financial information. Use your card to join up without being concerned that it will be charged by setting a spending cap of $1 or anything lower than the first payment amount. Alternately, create the card, add its information to the product you're testing, and then cancel your card!
Your account displays every transaction from every one of your virtual cards as if it were one giant bank statement, which
In order to make it far more difficult for someone to access your cards, even if they know your password, Privacy supports two-factor authentication.
Another useful security feature is the "private payments" option, which will have Privacy's transactions appear on your bank statement as those from Privacy.com, H&H Hardware, Smileys Corner Store, or NSA Gift Shop (instead of the actual retailer from which you made the purchase).
The features just keep coming! Additionally, Privacy offers cashback; 1% is given back on each and every purchase made using the card. To use it, though, you'll need a Cashback Key.
Blur
Blur is another service that enables you to generate fake cards so that you can shop online without ever giving out your real card number. When you're ready to make a purchase, it buys prepaid gift cards on your behalf so that you can use the gift card number rather than your own when making the purchase. All of this takes place in the background and on the go.
Your virtual cards are really simple to use. You have the option to create a new disguised card when entering your credit card details. When you ask Blur how much you want to spend, it will immediately buy a card to cover the fees and provide you the number to use it to make an anonymous purchase.
You can use Blur through the desktop Chrome extension or via the Blur mobile app.
You get Blur Premium Free for the first 30 days, after which you must pay either the $40 USD annual basic plan fee or the $15 monthly unlimited plan fee (or less if you choose the $100 annual plan option).
Recall that Blur is more than just a platform for virtual debit cards. Additionally, you may use it to prevent online trackers, masked your email and phone number, and store passwords.
Skrill
Skrill allows you to send money to pals, buy bitcoin, and shop online in addition to using a virtual card online., and even play poker. You can create a virtual card to use anywhere online that accepts Mastercard after you have money in your Skrill account.
Only your first virtual card is free, but it allows you to safeguard your finances and protect your privacy by hiding your real information from websites. At Skrill, a virtual card can be issued in any of the following currencies: USD, EUR, GBP, or PLN.
You can cancel the card whenever you choose, and you can even specify how long it should be valid before it automatically expires and loses all of its value to anyone who has the number.