Visa Checkout: What is it and how does it work?

Shopping online can be fun and easy, but the checkout process can put a damper on the experience. Entering your shipping and billing address, and having to dig out your credit card to enter payment details, can really slow things down. The friction might even be enough to make you cancel your transaction altogether.

If you’re sick of dealing with this annoying checkout ritual, Visa Checkout might help.

What is Visa Checkout?

Visa Checkout is a free payment option that lets you make purchases at certain retailers with just your email. To use it, create a Visa Checkout account beforehand with your email, credit card information and shipping details. You can use this account across all partner retailers.

Despite its name, this feature doesn’t work only with Visa cards. You can also add any major credit or debit card, such as Mastercard, American Express and Discover.

Why use Visa Checkout?

• Convenience.
  When you’re checking out at an online retailer, it can be a hassle to pull out your credit card, type in your card information and enter your billing and shipping address.But with Visa Checkout, your card details and address will be automatically populated. All you need to do is confirm your purchase.

• More secure.
  When you use Visa Checkout, your credit card details aren’t stored on a retailer’s website. That’s one fewer place where potential hackers might access your data. The service also helps you keep your information up to date. If you add a Visa card to your account and it’s reissued — perhaps due to fraud — Visa Checkout will update the card details for you.

What are the fees to use Visa Checkout?

There’s no cost to use Visa Checkout. You can sign up for free, and using it with online retailers comes with no fees.

How Visa Checkout works: Signing up and using

Using Visa Checkout is fairly straightforward. First, register an account at the Visa Checkout website. Then sign in to this account to pay for purchases at participating retailers.

How to register for Visa Checkout

1. Visit the Visa Checkout website and click Enroll now.



2. Complete the form with your first name, last name, email address and country. Then click Create account. You don’t need to create a password. Each time you log in to Visa Checkout — either through the Visa site or a retailer — you’ll receive a one-time password in your email.



3. Enter your credit card details and billing address. You’ll also need to enter your phone number, which is required.



4. You’ll see the credit card you just added in the My Cards section of your Visa Checkout account.

How to use Visa Checkout

1. Shop at a retailer partnered with Visa Checkout.
2. When you’re ready to pay for your purchase, initiate checkout and click the Visa Checkout logo. At some retailers, you may need to click a dropdown menu to find other payment options.



3. A Visa Checkout popup will appear. Enter your email address.



4. You’ll receive a one-time code in your email. When you receive it, enter it in the Visa Checkout popup.



5. Review your payment and shipping details, then finalize your purchase.

Which stores accept Visa Checkout?

Here’s a list of Visa Checkout retailers featured on the Visa website.

Apparel and retail

Children’s

Entertainment

Food and drink

Home and electronics

Specialty and gifts

Travel

Compare credit cards to use with Visa Checkout

Though you might already have a credit card, you may want to compare cards from other providers to find the best one for you. Here are a few of our top picks.

Sort by:

Name	Product	Welcome offer	Rewards	Annual fee	Filter values
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express		20% back on Amazon.com purchases in the first 6 months for up to $200 back, plus $150 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in the first 6 months	6% on select US streaming services, 3% on transit and US gas stations, 6% at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 annually, then 1% after that and on all other purchases (redeem as statement credit)	$0 intro annual fee for the first year ($95 thereafter)		Perfect for families: Earn up to 6% cashback as statement credit on everyday purchases and a big welcome offer for a cashback card. This heavy-hitter rewards card has uncontested value. Terms apply, see rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express		20% back on Amazon.com purchases in the first 6 months for up to $150 back, plus $100 statement credit after spending $2,000 within the first 6 months	2% at US gas stations and select US department stores, 3% at US supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year, then 1% after that and on all other purchases (redeem as statement credit)	$0		This everyday cashback card offers a higher than average welcome offer for no annual fee, letting you earn 20% back on Amazon.com purchases in the first 6 months for up to $150 back, plus $100 after you spend $2,000 in the first 6 months. Terms apply, see rates & fees	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...
Chase Freedom Unlimited®		$200 after spending $500 in the first 3 months	5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase, 5% on Lyft, 3% on dining and drugstores and 1.5% on all other purchases	$0		This solid 1.5% cashback card gets even better with the addition of up to 5% back in categories like travel, drug stores and dining.	Apply now View details	Compare	loading Fetching your data...

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Bottom line

If you’re tired of entering your shipping, billing and payment details while paying for online purchases, Visa Checkout can help. After registering for an account, you can use it to pay at dozens of retailers. You can add any major credit or debit card to your account.

Frequently asked questions

• How do I delete my Visa Checkout account?

  You can delete your Visa Checkout account by visiting Visa’s Close Account page. Log in with your credentials, enter the one-time code you receive in your email and click Delete Info.

• How secure is Visa Checkout?

  According to Visa, Visa Checkout fraud volume is 63% lower than transactions not using the service. The company says it achieves these results through its risk and authentication tools at each stage of the checkout process.

  Visa also closely monitors transactions made through the service, looking for inconsistencies in buyer behavior.

• Can I still use Visa Checkout with Samsung Pay?

  Visa Checkout no longer works with Samsung Pay. The companies discontinued their partnership in June 2019.