What Credit Cards Offer a Virtual Account?
It used to be that having a credit card meant you had to carry a physical piece of plastic in your wallet or purse. But times have changed and credit cards now come in both physical and virtual forms. Virtual credit cards are an excellent way to make secure purchases online, providing cardholders with more privacy and reducing the risk of credit card fraud.
Benefits of a Virtual Credit Card
- More Secure: Virtual credit cards provide an extra layer of security for online purchases. Since virtual cards use a temporary one-time-only number, they’re not connected to a user’s real card number, so any fraud associated with the number is limited.
- Greater Privacy: Since virtual credit cards use a randomly generated number to make purchases, it makes it more difficult for companies to track and target you with advertising.
- More Convenient: Making a purchase online with a virtual credit card is quick and easy, eliminating the need to fill out your personal credit card information on multiple websites.
Which Credit Cards Offer Virtual Accounts?
Many of the major credit card companies offer virtual account options for their customers, including:
- American Express: American Express offers virtual account numbers for its members. The numbers are valid for a specified amount of time so the user doesn’t need to worry about saving and documenting them.
- Bank of America: Bank of America offers virtual account numbers that can be used with any merchant that accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express.
- Capital One: Capital One also offers virtual account numbers for added security when shopping online. The numbers are valid for up to six months.
- Discover: Discover offers its customers virtual accounts as well. The numbers are valid for one year and can be used at any merchant that accepts Discover.
- CitiBank: CitiBank also provides virtual account numbers to its customers. The numbers are valid for two years and can also be used with any merchant that accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express.
Virtual credit cards make online shopping more secure and protect credit card holders from fraudulent purchases. Now that you know which credit cards offer virtual accounts, you can make more secure purchases without worrying about the safety of your financial information.