13 Best FREE Virtual Credit Card/Debit Cards in USA (2024)
Mia Young
Virtual Card providers help you to get the computer-generated credit/debit card (not physical plastic cards). They enables you to make purchases online without inputting your original card number.
These cards provide fraud protection and auto management on spend limits. It is important to choose a well known reliable virtual credit card as a bad virtual card can lead to security risks, it may also lack in advanced features such as spend limits, cashbacks, etc.
Hence, I have compiled a handpicked list of the best virtual card/debit services after a meticulous research spending over 120 hours. This review covers details about their popular features and include the website links for both open source and commercial options. Read more…
Ramp is unlimited virtual and physical cards with upto 1.5% cashback seamlessly integrate with smart accounting features, enhancing overall financial management. Ramp helps streamline your finances with unique features like automatic HRIS sync, receipt capture, and bill payments.
Best US Virtual Credit/Debit Cards Online
| Name | Setup Fee | Cashback | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
Ramp |
Free Unlimited Virtual Cards + Physical Card | upto 1.5% Cashback | Learn More |
 IronVest |
Free Account Setup | NA | Learn More |
 US Unlocked |
Free. Valid for Residents of Non-USA countries | NA | Learn More |
 Bill |
Free Account Setup | 1% Cashback | Learn More |
 Wise |
Free Account Opening. Available in 30+ countries | 0.5% Cashback | Learn More |
1) Ramp
While conducting my evaluation, I was impressed by how Ramp’s unlimited virtual and physical cards with upto 1.5% cashback seamlessly integrate with smart accounting features, enhancing overall financial management.
Ramp helps streamline your finances with unique features like automatic HRIS sync, receipt capture, and bill payments. It offers direct Integrations with QBO, NetSuite, Xero, and Sage Intacct. Ramp enables you to control your spending before it happens.
Currencies Supports: USD
Security: AES-256
Set Spend Limit: Yes
Set Charge Limit: Yes
Features:
- Financial Flexibility: Without personal credit checks or guarantees, it features recurring limits and specific transaction-level restrictions.
- Payment Options: It supports Apple and Google Pay and easily consolidates and automates manual payments.
- Operational Efficiency: I could automate 95% of administrative tasks. It also automated manual tasks like receipt collection and expense management.
- Global Transactions: Ramp provides international reimbursements in FX.
- Reward Benefits: I’ve secured an attractive upto 1.5% cashback on all my spending.
- Data Analytics: It provides real-time reporting & insights with one dashboard for all company expenses.
- Customer Support: It offers best-in-class customer support. I could reach its support via email and live chat, with integrated support directly added to the application.
Pros
Cons
1.5% Cashback
2) IronVest
As I evaluated IronVest, I particularly appreciated how it protects privacy and passwords while enabling easy checkout from any device. It helped me unlock the power of secure bulk text messaging with this critical feature.
Currencies Supports: USD
Security: 256-bit AES
Set Spend Limit: Yes
Set Charge Limit: Yes
Features:
- Security Features: IronVest ensures each purchase has a unique credit card number and can stop secret data collection. It can also block hidden trackers, and it uses 256-bit AES encryption to secure passwords.
- Device Compatibility: I trust it to sync securely across all my devices while supporting browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Edge on iOS and Android platforms.
- Usability: You can fill out the online form with just one tap.
- Global Availability: It is available in 20+ countries, including the US and UK. IronVest supports credit cards like Discover, Maestro, American Express, Visa, and MasterCard. It supports USD in currencies.
- Financial Management: This card offers a spending limit and a charge limit. Loading methods like Credit Card, Debit Card, and ACH.
- Customer Support: I reached out to its customer support via email and live chat. It also offers integrated support directly into the application.
Pros
Cons
3) US Unlocked
During my analysis, I checked how US Unlocked works and was impressed with its simplicity and effectiveness. It offers U.S. billing addresses for international shoppers wanting access to U.S. content platforms.
Currencies Supports: USD
Security: 128-bit
Set Spend Limit: Yes
Set Charge Limit: Yes
Features:
- Card Options: The company offers 2 cards: a one-time use card that cannot be reused after one transaction and a merchant-specific card that locks to a merchant after a transaction.
- Payment Flexibility: You can load your account depending on your country using methods like Local Bank Transfer, Sofort, Boleto, Yandex, and 14 new load methods. Other loading methods include bank transfers, Deposito Identificado, Sofort, DirectPayEU, EPS, giropay, Teleingreso, and Verkkopankki.
- Security Measures: It provides 128-bit encryption to ensure the security of your transactions.
- Global Reach: I could try it out in 180+ countries, including India, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Singapore, and Australia. Additionally, its supported currencies include USD.
- Rewards and Benefits: I’ve verified that it provides a $10 shipping reward on your purchases.
- Financial Controls: It offers spend limit, merchant locked, and charge limit features.
- Customer Support: I received support through Email, Phone, Chat, and Contact Forms.
- Supported platforms: The service runs on Mac, iOS, and Android platforms. Furthermore, this card supports Edge browser extensions.
Pros
Cons
4) Bill
During my analysis of payment solutions, Bill emerged as a top choice. It offered me a customizable virtual card service to ensure secure and budgeted online spending.
Currencies Supports: USD
Security: AES 256, MFA and SOC2
Set Spend Limit: Yes
Set Charge Limit: No
Features:
- Card Management: This service allowed me to force card expiration dates, lock cards to specific merchants, and delete or freeze virtual cards as needed. I could also create multiple cards and choose specific amounts to load from my budget.
- Security Measures: It helps implement protection from data breaches with AES 256, MFA, and SOC2 encryptions and includes security features like freezing cards, single-use cards, and merchant locking.
- Compatibility: It supports browser extensions for Google Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. I also tried it on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android platforms.
- Availability and Currency: Bill is available in the US and supports USD as the currency.
- Payment Flexibility: Its loading methods include PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, and other peer-to-peer (P2P) options.
- Rewards and Financial Control: I received 1% cashback on all my purchases, and it provided helpful financial control features like spend limits and charge limits.
- Customer Support: Customer support is offered via email and phone, guaranteeing user access to help at any time.
Pros
Cons
1% Cashback
5) Wise
Throughout the appraisal process, I checked Wise’s functionalities and was impressed with its simple yet secure method of freezing virtual cards. This feature is a necessity for secure transactions in bulk text messaging operations.
Currencies Supports: USD and INR
Security: AES-256
Set Spend Limit: Yes
Set Charge Limit: Yes
Features:
- Usage Scope: It is available for business and personal use, enabling secure online purchases.
- Security and Privacy: It provides AES-256 encryption and offers the ability to freeze cards when needed and create single-use cards for enhanced security.
- Compatibility: I could use it on browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge. It was also compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems.
- Global Access: It is available in 30+ countries, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Singapore. Supported currencies include USD and INR.
- Payment Options: It offered me various loading methods, such as PayPal, Stripe, debit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. I could also create up to 3 virtual cards at a time.
- Rewards Program: Wise provides 0.5% cashback on your purchases.
- Financial Management: I can manage my finances effectively with the spend limits feature.
- Customer Support: Wise provides customer support via phone, ensuring assistance is readily available.
Pros
Cons
0.5% Cashback
6) Mercury
In my experience, Mercury ranks highly among virtual credit card providers. When utilizing this platform for online transactions, users benefit from a demonstrably secure environment fostered by the service’s commitment to robust security practices.
Features:
- Currency and Transaction Management: The company supports USD, GBP, and EUR. It offers flexible management of card spending with adjustable limits and charges a 1% fee on currency exchange. I also received free domestic and international (USD) wires that enhanced transaction flexibility.
- Fraud Prevention: It implements fraud-resistant checks that can be mailed directly from your dashboard. The ACH transactions come with pull authorization rules to increase security.
- Financial Services: Mercury includes free checking and savings accounts, offering cost advantages to users.
- Rewards and Incentives: I received 1.5% cashback on all my purchases, which added value to my financial activities.
- Platform Compatibility: Mercury supports mobile platforms iOS and Android, ensuring accessibility and convenience for users on the go.
Pros
Cons
1.5% Cashback
7) Volet
I particularly liked how Volet simplifies the online shopping process. It helps easily transfer to existing cards and makes online payments a breeze.
Features:
- Global Financial Accessibility: You can withdraw money from ATMs in any currency and perform instant exchange transactions without hassle. It also helped me add multiple currencies within a single account.
- Transaction Management: I find this site very convenient as it enables me to view transactions with just a couple of mouse clicks, offering quick access to my financial activities.
- Security Measures: It provides robust security with 2FA and SSL encryption to protect user data and transactions.
- Compatibility: It offers browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. I could also use it on the Windows platform.
- Global Availability: This card is accessible in 150+ different countries, supporting a diverse range of currencies, including USD, EUR, GBP, RUB, BRL, TRY, UAH, KZT, and VND.
- Payment Options: It offers various loading methods, such as peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers and cards. Volet also supports major credit cards like Mastercard and VISA.
- Financial Control: It comes with spend limits and charge limits to aid in managing financial expenditures efficiently.
- Customer Support: I reached out to its customer support via contact form, email, and phone and received assistance within a few hours.
Pros
Cons
8) Airtm
While conducting my evaluation, Airtm caught my attention with its straightforward approach to online payments. You can Load your digital card with dollars and pay at the current exchange rate with this service.
Features:
- Financial Flexibility: You are not required to keep minimum balances, and you get cards that can be recharged with crypto. It allowed me to add money from more than 800 banks and create up to 5 active virtual cards.
- Global Transactions: Airtm lets me make online purchases in any currency. It is available in 190+ different countries, supporting currencies like USD, ARS, VES, COP, and INR.
- Security Measures: It provides robust security with 2FA encryption and supports browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari.
- Payment Options: I could access various loading methods such as debit cards and PayPal. It supports major credit cards like Visa, MasterCard, and American Express.
- Rewards and Incentives: I received 1% cashback on my purchases, including those made with a free virtual credit card with money.
- Financial Control: You get spend and charge limits to help manage financial expenditure efficiently.
- Customer Support: Customer support through tickets and chat helps me resolve my queries quickly.
- Platform Compatibility: I found it compatible with Android and Windows, which ensured accessibility across multiple devices.
Pros
Cons
1% Cashback
9) Wallester
During my analysis of free virtual credit card services, Wallester emerged as a top choice. It ensures secure transactions with unique card numbers for each merchant and offers an easy one-click subscription cancellation feature.
Features:
- Card Issuance and Cost Efficiency: I received 300 virtual cards for FREE. It also offers instant issuance of an unlimited number of cards with no card issuance fee or service fee. Wallester offers the possibility to purchase a personal BIN. I found out that its European BINs work perfectly with platforms like Facebook, Google, etc.
- Operational Efficiency: It is an intuitive app that enables you to monitor expenses, approve transactions, and create reports while mobile. I also received an API for system integration.
- Registration and Compliance: Fast registration with standard KYC, approval within 24 hours.
- Data Analytics: It supports browser extensions for Google Chrome, Firefox, and Safari and is compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android platforms.
- Currency and Platform Support: Wallest supports currencies such as EUR, USD, and GBP. I could use it on multiple platforms, including Web, iOS, and Android, ensuring broad accessibility.
Pros
Cons
10) PST
I recommend PST for anyone seeking enhanced security in their financial transactions. I got virtual cards, plus secure transactions with user verification.
Features:
- Data Management: It facilitates financial clarity with instant insights and reports and categorizes expenses automatically for better organization and analysis. PST offers a great user experience and data input via browser extensions for Chrome.
- Reward Benefits: I’ve secured an attractive 3% cashback on all my spending.
- Payment Options: It supports Apple and Google Pay and easily consolidates and automates manual payments.
- Financial Management: I can manage my finances effectively with the spend limits feature.
Pros
Cons
3% Cashback
11) American Express Go
While I was examining various virtual credit card options, American Express Go captured my attention with its mobile-friendly features. It can help freelancers and contractors streamline financial management with this platform’s quick and adaptable payment system.
Features:
- Card Management: I could easily create my virtual card, keep track of all transactions, and control spending with features like freeze card when needed, spend limits, single-use cards, and charge limits. The option for employees to add funds directly enhances the organization’s capacity for flexible fund management.
- Security Measures: It provides robust security with AES 256-bit and 2FA encryption. American Express Go supports browser extensions for Google Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
- Global Accessibility: It is available in 20+ countries including the US, Canada, UK, New Zealand, and India. You can use a wide array of currencies like USD, TRY, CAD, SAR, KRW, AUD, BDT, INR, NGN, BSD, PEN, and more, ensuring broad financial accessibility.
- Payment Options: It offered me various loading methods, such as PayPal and credit cards. This card supports multiple credit and debit card types, including Visa, Switch, Solo, Maestro, Mastercard, Electron, and Delta.
- Rewards and Incentives: I got 1% cashback on my purchases, adding value to each transaction.
- Customer Support: Customer support assisted me via phone, ensuring I received assistance whenever needed.
- Platform Compatibility: I could use it on multiple platforms, including Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android, catering to a diverse range of users.
Pros
Cons
Link: https://www.americanexpress.com/au/business/purchasing-solutions/amex-go-virtual-cards/index.html
12) Netspend
I particularly liked how Netspend allows for the customization of virtual prepaid cards with personal images and photos. I also found it convenient to receive transaction alerts as text messages.
Features:
- Card Management: This temporary credit card service allowed me to check my card account balance anywhere, anytime, and create a temporary card number with ease. Manage your finances by creating up to six virtual cards and controlling expenditures with options to freeze cards, lock merchants, and set spending limits.
- Security Measures: It fortifies your financial information with effective security measures, including SSL and MFA encryption, to protect against unauthorized access.
- Compatibility: I could use it as a browser extension for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari. It is also available on platforms such as Windows, iOS, and Android.
- Global Accessibility: Netspend is available in 100+ countries, including the US, supporting its widespread use and USD in currency.
- Payment Options: I could use various loading methods such as PayPal and credit cards. It supports major credit and debit cards, including Visa and Mastercard.
- Customer Support: I received assistance from its responsive customer support via email and phone to assist users promptly.
Pros
Cons
Link: https://www.netspend.com/prepaid-debit/features/virtual-cards/
13) Bento
As I evaluated, Bento emerged as a key player in the virtual card market, offering effective solutions for managing organizational expenses.
Features:
- Card Management: This service helped me manage virtual and physical cards, allowing instant use of virtual cards once issued. The card information is securely stored, and it is accessible only by authorized users. It also helped me create two cards per year (paid service).
- Security Measures: It offers enhanced security and speed compared to traditional physical cards with 256-bit SSL and 2FA encryption.
- Compatibility: I used Bento on browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. It is also compatible with available on operating systems like Windows, iOS, and Android.
- Global Accessibility: This free credit card for online shopping is available in 200+ different countries, facilitating widespread usability, and it supports USD in currency.
- Payment Options: It offers various loading methods such as credit card, debit card, and PayPal. Bento also supports major credit cards like Mastercard, Maestro, Visa, American Express, and Discover.
- Rewards and Incentives: I got 1% cashback on your purchases, enhancing the value of transactions.
- Financial Control: It allowed me to freeze cards when necessary, set spending limits, use single-use cards, and charge limits to manage financial expenditures efficiently.
- Customer Support: I received customer support via phone and contact form, ensuring complete assistance whenever needed.
Pros
Cons
Link: https://bentoforbusiness.com/features/virtual-cards-business/
What is a Virtual Card?
Virtual Cards are computer-generated credit cards (not physical plastic cards). It enables you to make purchases online without inputting your original card number. These cards provide fraud protection and auto management on spent limits.
What is a Virtual Prepaid Card?
A virtual prepaid card is an electronically produced and delivered card. These cards are not actual plastic cards, instead, they are arbitrarily generated credit card numbers based on the user’s existing account. However, most providers offer physical cards along with digital ones.
Virtual prepaid cards either provide services for free, require payment only for transactions, or come with a small subscription fee. You can use the free virtual card with money almost everywhere instead of using your real credit or debit card.
This keeps you safe from theft and other fraudulent activities. Many companies provide free virtual cards to their employees to make business purchases, as this helps them track transaction records, set card limits, and remove reimbursement issues.
You can use Ramp, Wise, US Unlocked, and Ironvest, as they are some of the best virtual debit cards in the USA, as per our review.
How Do I Use a Virtual Prepaid Card?
Virtual prepaid debit cards can be used with or without a physical card. You can use virtual payment cards just like usual credit or debit cards. For any transaction, you will have to provide its 16-digit number, enter CVV, and the expiry date.
Here are some of the ways how you can use these virtual prepaid cards:
- Online shopping: Just like your personal debit card, you can use the virtual card for any kind of online shopping.
- Instore: Most of the free credit cards online are accepted in stores. Hence, you can also use them while shopping at physical stores.
- Money transfer: It lets you connect to your e-wallet, such as PayPal, and transfer money directly to your bank account or other e-wallet.
- Withdrawal: Some of these virtual cards are also accepted in ATMs; thus, you can use them to withdraw cash.
- International transaction: International virtual cards allow you to make online payments in multiple currencies.
Can I Buy Virtual Payment Cards Online?
Yes, you can purchase and get an instant virtual debit card online. The complete process for purchasing a virtual prepaid card is carried out online; thus, there are no tedious processes like paper documents, and you can get them free of cost.
To sign up for a free credit card online, you must provide your personal details and go through a mandatory verification method called “Know Your Customer”. After successfully completing it, the provider verifies your details and sends you an instant virtual credit card free of charge that you can use for all types of purchases.
To buy a virtual credit card in the USA, you must follow the same process mentioned above. According to our review, Ramp and Wise are some of the best free virtual payment cards in the US.
How Do Virtual Credit Card Works?
A Virtual credit card works almost the same as a normal credit card, but it offers additional security. It is a temporary and randomly generated 16-digit card number you can use while making online payments. This 16-digit number is linked to your credit card, which makes it hard to commit fraud. You just need to enter your virtual credit card number instead of your regular credit card number, and the rest of the process remains the same.
How to Get a Virtual Credit Card?
Following are the steps to get a virtual credit card:
- Step 1) Get a Credit card
- Step 2) Log into your credit card account online and go to its settings
- Step 3) Download the virtual card issuer’s app if needed and log into the app
- Step 4) Search for a Virtual credit card and access the card number
- Step 5) Accept the 16-digit virtual card number, expiration date, and security code generated, and choose the duration you want the number to be valid
- Step 6) Now, you can start using your free virtual credit card
Conclusion
The above virtual cards are some of the best cards that I came across during my research, however, I’d like to recommend my top picks that really stood out.
Ramp: Its integration and cashback features are highly beneficial.
IronVest: This Virtual card’s security measures are top-notch.
US Unlocked: It offers excellent services for those outside the U.S. wanting to shop within it.