Virtual Debit Cards: 9 Options and How They Work

Most places let you add a copy of your card to a digital wallet, and some also offer temporary virtual cards, virtual cards for employees or separate virtual cards for each of your subaccounts. Learn how virtual cards work and see top places to get them.

What is a virtual debit or credit card?

A virtual debit or credit card can only be used for digital payments. As the name suggests, virtual cards aren’t physical — you can’t hold a virtual card in your hand, but you can use them for online or tap-to-pay/contactless transactions.

Virtual cards will have the same amount of information as traditional, physical cards, including the cardholder’s name, a unique card number, expiration date and a card verification value (CVV) number. To use a virtual card, you can add it to digital wallets, like Apple Wallet on an iPhone, or Google Pay for online transactions.

Three common types of virtual debit and credit cards include:

• (Most common) A virtual copy of your physical card that you can add to a digital wallet. These are popular for regular purchases, like tap-to-pay, paying bills or online shopping. While the details are the same as your physical card, the card’s details are encrypted in a digital wallet for secure transactions.
• A separate virtual card that’s tied to your account but has different details from your physical debit or credit card. These are popular for budgeting, automatic payments, or for business accounts needing to give multiple employees access to a business account.
• A temporary/disposable virtual card with unique and randomly generated card details that are different from your physical debit or credit card. With temporary cards, they are ‘destroyed’ after a set period of time or after so many transactions. Disposable virtual cards are popular for things like free trials, travel or making purchases at unfamiliar places.

9 top places to get instant virtual debit or credit cards

• For second-chance banking: Chime® Checking Account
• For digital banking: SoFi Checking and Savings
• For global virtual debit cards: Revolut
• For multi-currency support: Wise Multi-currency
• For families: Current
• For business virtual cards: Grasshopper Innovator Business Checking
• For high-security virtual debit cards: Privacy Cards
• For temporary virtual credit cards: Cred.ai
• For instant virtual prepaid cards: Skrill

Finder Score	Fee	Minimum deposit to open	Annual Percentage Yield (APY)
For second-chance banking
Finder Rewards Exclusive Finder score 9.6 Excellent Chime® Checking Account	Finder score 9.6 Excellent	$0 per month	$0	N/A	ENDS SOON! $300 Visa Card Reward 1 Join Finder 2 Open a Chime® Checking account and receive a first payroll deposit of $200 or more 3 Receive card from Finder Ends by. T&Cs and limits apply.	Go to site View details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it Chime is a fintech company with bank partners. It doesn’t review your ChexSystems report when you apply for an account, which is helpful if you have a less-than-ideal banking history. Chime’s Checking Account offers a physical and virtual debit card, Chime Visa® Debit Card. The virtual debit card is available for immediate use after account approval and you don’t have to wait for your physical card to arrive before you can spend. The virtual card’s details are also different from your physical debit card, but are still linked to your Chime account. On top of all that, Chime’s checking account has no monthly or inactivity fees. Chime offers tons of other services, too, such as the overdraft service Chime SpotMe®, cash advance alternative MyPay® and Chime Card™. But like other fintechs with banking services, you’ll have no access to physical branches, and Chime doesn’t offer joint accounts. Pros & cons Pros No monthly fees Instant virtual debit card No ChexSystems review Various products and services Cons No joint accounts Direct deposit requirements for some perks No physical branches
For digital banking
Finder score 9 Excellent SoFi Checking and Savings	Finder score 9 Excellent	$0 per month	$0	Up to 3.30%	Earn up to 4.00% APY on savings and $50 or $400 with direct deposit. Open a new SoFi Checking and Savings account by 31 December 2026, set up eligible direct deposit within 60 days, and maintain direct deposit for six months. T&Cs apply.	Go to site View details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it While SoFi doesn't offer extra virtual cards like Revolut, if you just need debit cards compatible with digital wallets, SoFi is worth checking out. It's hybrid checking and savings account has no monthly fees and high APYs. The checking account's debit cards are compatible with Apple and Google digital wallets, letting you add your SoFi debit card to your wallet for contactless payments. You can also add the SoFi credit card to your digital wallet instantly after approval. Both checking and savings earn APY, up to 3.30% APY on savings by meeting deposit requirements or being a Plus member. SoFi accepts cash deposits at Green Dot retail locations, costing up to $4.95 fee per deposit, but as an online bank it doesn't have physical branches. Pros & cons Pros No monthly fees Up to 3.30% APY on savings 0.50% APY on checking Cards compatible with digital wallets Cons $4.95 cash deposit fee No physical branches Deposit or subscription fee for best savings APY
For global virtual debit cards
Finder score 9.6 Excellent Revolut	Finder score 9.6 Excellent	From $0 per month	$0	5.50% on balances of $0+ 4.50% on balances of $0+ 4.00% on balances of $0+	Join Revolut and get $20. Make your first virtual or physical Revolut card payment to receive $20 credited to your Revolut account. T&Cs apply.	Go to site View details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it The personal Revolut Account lets you create unlimited disposable virtual prepaid debit cards and multi-use virtual cards right in the Revolut app. The disposable virtual cards refresh their details every time you use them. The multi-use virtual cards keep the same details, so they're useful for paying recurring bills and adding to digital wallets. And since you can create unlimited virtual cards, you can make different ones for different expenses to track your spending and budget. On top of all that, Revolut is a borderless account, letting you exchange over 25 currencies in the app, spend in over 150 currencies and make overseas purchases with your cards. But, as an online banking option, Revolut doesn't accept cash or check deposits, and there are no physical branches. Pros & cons Pros $0 Standard plan Unlimited disposable and multi-use virtual cards Spend in over 150 currencies Exchange over 25 currencies in app $1,000 monthly allowance for free currency exchange with Standard plan Cons No physical branches Doesn't support cash or check deposits
For multi-currency support
Finder score 7.4 Great Wise Multi-currency	Finder score 7.4 Great	$0 per month	$0	3.14%	Go to site View details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it Wise is known for its money transfer services, but it also offers multi-currency physical and virtual debit cards. For extra security, your virtual Wise card has different details from your physical card. You can also freeze your virtual card after each purchase. The Wise card is designed for those who travel abroad, charging the real, mid-market exchange rate during currency conversion and a small flat fee starting at 0.43%. Wise cards support over 40 currencies, you can convert over 140 currencies and you can use the card in more than 160 countries. However, the Wise card isn’t a checking account replacement, since you must link an external account. Pros & cons Pros Physical and virtual debit cards Multi-currency support Competitive currency exchange rates Cons Requires linking existing account $9 first-card purchase fee
For families
Finder score 9.2 Excellent Current	Finder score 9.2 Excellent	$0 per month	$0	4.00% on balances of $0.01 to $2,000	Get a $100 referral bonus by inviting your friends to join Current. Once the person receives the invite link, applies your unique referral code, and makes qualifying Eligible Payroll Deposits of at least $200 within 45 days of opening the account, you and the referred friend each earn $100. T&Cs apply.	Go to site View details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it Current is a fintech with a bank partner. It offers a Current Account and a teen account, both of which offer virtual debit cards that you can use immediately before the physical debit card arrives. Just like the physical debit cards, the virtual cards can be paused anytime, added to virtual wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay, and used for in-store or online purchases. Also, Current doesn't charge any monthly maintenance or overdraft fees on its main account or the teen account. With the regular Current Account, you can create savings pods and earn up to 4% savings bonus on up to $2,000 per pod, and the teen account has strong parental controls and allowance features. However, Current's virtual cards can't be used to withdraw cash from ATMs, and Current doesn't offer joint accounts. Pros & cons Pros No monthly or overdraft fees Teen banking option Instant virtual debit card Saving bonus on pods Parental controls and allowance features on teen account Cons No joint accounts No physical branches Virtual cards can't be used at ATMs
For business virtual cards
Finder score 9 Excellent Grasshopper Innovator Business Checking	Finder score 9 Excellent	$0 per month	$100	1.80% on balances of $25,000 to $250,000 1.00% on balances of $0.01 to $24,999.99 1.00% on balances of $250,000.01+	Earn unlimited 1% cash back on online and signature-based purchases with your free physical Visa debit card or instant-issue virtual cards. T&Cs apply.	View details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it Grasshopper is a digital bank offering high-yield business checking and savings accounts. It offers virtual and instant-issue debit cards with the Innovator Business Checking Account. You can issue unlimited virtual cards, and have up to five active at one time. The account also has no monthly fees, 1% unlimited cash back and up to 1.8% APY based on your balance. The virtual and physical cards both earn the cashback rate. On top of all that, the account is fully loaded with features like digital invoicing, automated bookkeeping, cash flow tools, software syncing and unlimited transactions. However, Grasshopper is an online bank and doesn’t accept cash deposits, and you’ll need a $100 opening deposit. Pros & cons Pros Unlimited virtual card issuing Up to 5 active virtual cards No monthly fees Earn APY and cashback rewards Cons No cash deposits Online only $100 opening deposit requirement
For high-security virtual debit cards
Finder score Not scored yet Privacy Cards	Finder score Not scored yet	From $0 per month		N/A	View details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it Privacy Cards are virtual cards with strong controls that mask your debit and credit card details. With the $0 Personal Privacy plan, you can create Single-Use cards and Merchant Cards, totaling up to 12 new cards each month. Each virtual card gets unique numbers, and you can set nicknames and logos for tracking. The Single-Use cards expire after one use and are designed for merchants you don't plan on shopping with again. Merchant Cards can only be used at the first merchant they're used with and are automatically declined anywhere else. With paid plans, you can create other cards, such as Category Cards and Shared Cards, and get the ability to create more virtual cards per month. With all the plans, you can set spending limits for each card, track spending in the app and cancel a virtual card if you no longer need it. There are no fees on domestic transactions, but you need to be a US citizen, have a US bank account and be at least 18 years of age. Pros & cons Pros $0 Privacy Personal Create multiple virtual cards Strong controls and custom spending limits Nickname cards for tracking Cons 3% fee on foreign transactions with Personal Privacy plan Requires US bank account and citizenship
For temporary virtual credit cards
Finder score 9 Excellent Cred.ai	Finder score 9 Excellent	$0 per year	$0	N/A	View details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it While it's not a true virtual debit card, it kind of works like one. The Credi.ai Unicorn Card is a secured credit card backed and repaid with a linked bank account. It has no hard credit check, no annual fees and no opening deposit requirement, and there's no APR if you set up automatic payments. But the real draw of the Unicorn Card is its extra perks and security features, such as the virtual Stealth Cards. Stealth cards are temporary virtual cards that expire, which are useful for shopping at unfamiliar sites or signing up for free trials. On top of that, you can pair Stealth Cards and your physical Unicorn Card with High Security Mode, which lets you create self-expiring authorization windows that lock the card once time runs out. Just know that as a secured credit card backed by a bank account, it has a low credit limit of $500 and without autopay, interest charges can apply if you don't repay your balance by the end of the billing cycle. Pros & cons Pros Create temporary virtual cards High Security Mode for expiring authorization windows No APR with autopay No annual fees or deposit requirements Cons Low $500 credit limit Requires US bank account or Credi.ai deposit account
For instant virtual prepaid cards
Finder score Not scored yet Skrill	Finder score Not scored yet	$0 per month		N/A	View details Compare product selection Compare	loading	Why we like it Skrill offers an instant prepaid virtual card, simply called the Skrill Visa Prepaid Card. There's no application fee for your first virtual card if you have a verified Skrill account, have used the Skrill app and have deposited at least once into your Skrill account. The prepaid cards also have no activation period, overdraft fees, inactivity fees, foreign exchange fees or cash reload fees. You can manage your Skrill card with the Skrill app to check balances, deposit money or view transactions. Plus, you can add the virtual and physical prepaid cards to mobile wallets for contactless purchases. If you want an additional virtual prepaid card, there is a $2.50 subsequent application fee. If you want a physical Skrill prepaid card or haven't met the requirements, there's a $10 application fee. Pros & cons Pros Free virtual card if you're an active Skrill user No reload, inactivity, overdraft or foreign exchange fees Compatible with digital wallets Cons $10 application fee for non-Skrill users and physical cards $2.50 application fee for additional virtual cards

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How to get a virtual debit card

If you want to add your physical debit card to a digital wallet, learn more about digital wallets here. In most cases, you simply need to open your device’s digital wallet, take a picture of your card or manually enter the card’s details, and verify the card’s addition.

To get virtual cards that are separate from your physical debit card, follow these steps:

1. Sign up for the account or service. Once you’ve chosen where you’ll get your virtual cards from, sign up for the service. In most cases, you’ll need a bank account to fund the virtual card.
2. Activate the card. After signing up for the service, you can create a virtual card and activate it.
3. Fund the card. If your virtual debit card will be funded by your linked checking account, this step is easy enough. If you’re using a prepaid virtual card, you’ll need to load the card, which may involve a cash reload fee, depending on the method.
4. Add the card to your preferred digital wallet. Once the card is activated and funded, you can add it to your preferred digital wallet and it’s ready to use. There are multiple wallets available, such as Apple Wallet, Google Wallet or Paypal.

Pros of virtual debit cards

Using a virtual debit card has several advantages, including:

• Security. Using a virtual debit card that generates a random card number will help keep your funds secure when shopping online. On top of that, most digital wallets are encrypted and assign your card with different details than your actual debit card.
• Convenience. You won’t need to bring a physical debit card to complete transactions in-store because you can pay with your digital wallet on your phone.
• Speed. You won’t need to wait for a card to be delivered when you sign up for a new account or if your card expires. With the new digital banks, you may be able to use your virtual card as soon as your account is active.
• Card options. There are single- and multi-use virtual debit cards available to suit your online payment needs, and you can use a prepaid card or link it to your bank account or credit provider.
• Currency options. Some providers also offer multi-currency prepaid debit cards, such as Revolut, allowing you to save on currency conversion fees when buying from overseas retailers.

Cons of virtual debit cards

Keep in mind virtual debit cards may not suit everyone.

• May not work in person. Some physical stores don’t accept contactless payments yet, so there may be restrictions on where you can use a virtual debit card.
• Prepaid card limits. Financial institutions commonly set limits for how much you can load onto a prepaid card, such as $500 per day.

Bottom line

One of the biggest draws of virtual debit cards is their potential security benefits — especially with randomly generated virtual cards. Using a virtual card that’s tied to your checking account or credit card but has entirely different details means you’re not sharing your card details with unfamiliar people or merchants, giving an extra layer of security.

But for most virtual debit cards, you’ll need a US bank account because they’ll need to be funded. If your checking account isn’t compatible with popular digital wallets, or you just want a better debit card, compare the best checking accounts.

Frequently asked questions

Are virtual debit cards free?

In many cases, virtual debit cards are free or low-cost. With Revolut and Privacy, there are no-fee account options available that allow you to create multiple virtual cards.

Are there any virtual prepaid debit cards?

Yes, Skrill is a popular prepaid card option that offers virtual options. It doesn’t have any cash reload, inactivity or monthly fees. But to waive the $10 application fee, you’ll need to download the Skrill app and deposit some money into the Skrill account.

Can I use a virtual debit card at an ATM?

Some ATMs allow for contactless ATM withdrawals, often just called cardless or contactless ATMs. Just like with contactless registers and POS systems, you’ll see the same contactless symbol on ATMs that allow for cardless transactions.

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Holly Jennings as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Bethany Hickey

Banking editor

Bethany Hickey is the banking editor and personal finance expert at Finder, specializing in banking, lending, insurance, and crypto. Bethany’s expertise in personal finance has garnered recognition from esteemed media outlets, such as Nasdaq, MSN, Yahoo Finance, GOBankingRates, SuperMoney, AOL and Newsweek. Her articles offer practical financial strategies to Americans, empowering them to make decisions that meet their financial goals. Her past work includes articles on generational spending and saving habits, lending, budgeting and managing debt. Before joining Finder, she was a content manager where she wrote hundreds of articles and news pieces on auto financing and credit repair for CarsDirect, Auto Credit Express and The Car Connection, among others. Bethany holds a BA in English from the University of Michigan-Flint, and was poetry editor for the university’s Qua Literary and Fine Arts Magazine. See full bio

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