Shop safer online with virtual cards
Scammers love to dupe you with fake deals, get you to pay for subscriptions you don’t need, or grab your payment info on a spoof checkout page that looks just like the real deal.
On the other hand, I want to keep you safe and save you money. One of my go-to tricks for secure online shopping might be one you’ve never even heard of.
A credit card you can switch off
Virtual cards use a randomized 16-digit number, a three-digit CVV code and an expiration date that you can enter for online or in-store purchases. They connect to your real accounts, but retailers can’t see your actual card details.
That means an extra layer of protection against fraudsters. Plus, you can easily “turn off cards” for subscriptions without the hassle of canceling through the merchant (who wants you to keep paying).
Three virtual cards that are worth your time
If you’re lucky enough to have a credit card with a virtual number built-in (cough cough, Capital One), you’re already set. If not, no problem — I found two other free options worth considering.
Best built-in: Capital One
Price: Free
- The good: Capital One is one of the only legacy credit card providers offering free virtual cards for all its customers. I can’t believe Visa and Mastercard haven’t jumped on this yet. You accrue the same cashback and points as your regular card! Bonus: you can even create virtual cards for individual merchants.
- The bad: You’ll need a browser extension to set up numbers for individual merchants. If you just want a single virtual number, log into your account!
- Log in to the Capital One Mobile app or account online.
- Under your credit card balance, tap “Get Your Virtual Card.”
You can only use your number online and can’t set spending limits on virtual cards.
A starter option: Revolut
Price: One card free, then $5 per card (or $10/mo for unlimited)
- The good: You can use your virtual number online or in-store with Apple Pay or Google Wallet, set spending limits and cancel them anytime.
- The bad: It works more like a pre-paid debit card. The free plan only offers one card number, so you can’t “turn off” your card for a single subscription or merchant.
All the bells and whistles: Privacy
Price: Free for up to 12 cards per month ($10/mo for pro plans)
- The good: You can set up cards for specific merchants, get one-time use cards that expire after a payment, set spending limits and add cards to your Apple Pay or Google Wallet for in-store use.
- The bad: Privacy doesn’t let you link credit card accounts or accrue points (though its paid options do offer 1% cashback).
Always practice safe shopping
- Don’t use debit cards. It’s a fact that credit cards are safer for online transactions. They come with more protection against fraud and card theft.
- Don’t save your info. Password managers and browsers want to save your payment info. Don’t let them. It means your data is more vulnerable to being swiped.
- Do use a VPN. A Virtual Private Network hides your location and web browsing from snoopers. My pick: Our sponsor, ExpressVPN.
- Do get alerts: Head into your banking app and look for the notification settings. See the one for purchases over a certain amount? Turn that on to get warnings about any foul play.
- Don’t click promo links. Don’t get fooled by the spammy links inside promotional emails — they’re keen to track your email and browsing habits. Head to web storefronts directly.
- Do use unique logins for loyalty accounts: Always set up different logins for loyalty accounts with changeable email aliases and save them in a password manager.
- Do stick to recognized apps: Only download shopping apps from the official Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Otherwise, you’re putting yourself at risk for imitators.
You don’t need to be paranoid about shopping online — you just need to be smart.
😶🌫️ Ugh, I wish I could focus more when buying stuff online — I keep checking out.
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