Virtual credit cards

What is a virtual credit card?

These days, every credit card in Australia gives you the option of adding a virtual or online credit card in addition to your physical card.

It's a digital version of your card and is linked to the same account. But instead of the plastic card in your pocket you add it to a digital wallet, like Google, Apple or Samsung Wallet.

But you can also get credit cards that are entirely virtual and don't have a physical card, like MoneyMe's Freestyle credit card.

How do you get an online credit card?

Applying for a virtual credit card is basically the same as applying for any regular card. The difference is once you're approved.

A physical credit card takes up to 10 business days to reach you by post. But once you're approved for an online card you can add it to your digital wallet and start using it right away.

Some online-only virtual credit cards require you to upload some documents to get your card approved almost instantly. For example, with the MONEYME Freestyle Virtual Card, you'll need to upload bank statements as part of the application.

If you're applying for a standard credit card you can start using the digital version of the card as soon as your approved while you wait for the physical card to arrive.

"Over the past 15 years, there has been a striking shift from paying by cash to cards... These days, transactions mainly just involve tapping a card or a mobile device that securely stores card details."

Ellis Connolly, RBA head of payments policy

Reserve Bank of Australia

Can I use a virtual credit card immediately after approval?

When you're approved for a virtual credit card, you can start using them as soon as you're approved.

Usually, you'll get a digital copy of the card number, expiry date and CVV that you can use to pay online or over the phone.

You can also shop in-person at any store that accepts contactless payments by adding the card to a mobile wallet.

What are mobile wallet cards?

When you add a card to Apple Pay, Google Pay or another mobile wallet, it creates a virtual "copy" of your credit card that you can use to make payments from the app.

Mobile or digital wallets typically create a virtual account number that's used for payments, instead of using the numbers printed on your plastic credit card.

Example: A virtual account number in Google Pay

In the Google Pay smartphone app, you'll see an image of your card without the numbers, along with some encrypted details of your virtual account number that's used when you tap to pay at the checkout.

Our expert says: Virtual? Plastic? Why not both?

"I have all my cards on a digital wallet on my phone, mainly as a backup. But I use plastic most of the time and I always carry the card with me. I remember the big Optus outage in 2023. Some of my colleagues who had gone 100% online with their credit cards found themselves unable to buy their morning coffee. I had no such problems. "

Richard Whitten

Money Editor

Pros and cons of virtual credit cards in Australia

What about business and corporate virtual credit cards?

The first virtual credit cards to be widely used in Australia were for business and corporate use. These accounts give businesses a way to manage finances without issuing lots of traditional credit cards to employees.

Some business virtual cards (including expense management cards) also let you generate virtual card and account details for payments, either for single-use or ongoing spending that could be restricted to certain types of transactions.

These features mean virtual cards can give you more flexibility and a greater level of financial transparency compared to traditional business and corporate credit cards.

• Table: Business and corporate virtual cards

  Card	Features
  AirPlus Virtual Cards	Central company account with a monthly invoice for all transactions Customisable statements Generate instant, virtual Mastercard credit card numbers for payments Limit virtual card numbers for a specific purpose, currency, spending limit and time period
  American Express Go	Program administrators can issue virtual cards for employees directly through the American Express Go portal Spending is through an app, rather than with a traditional credit card Employees can start using virtual cards as soon as they are issued Customisable fields including cost centres and spending limits. Reports and reconciliation details through the portal
  CommBank virtual cards for businesses	Choice of virtual cards for travel or virtual cards for procurement Unique card numbers for different transactions, linked back to the central account Payment options: restrict to single-use, set date range, dollar value or individual merchant Integration with finance systems
  Weel	Unlimited virtual corporate cards linked to one account Cards can be issued instantly Customisable limits based on merchants and/or transaction values Real-time data feeds for transactions and budgets. Automatic recording of merchant data, GST and GL codes for each transaction
  HSBC Virtual Card	Generates unique account and card numbers for every transaction Real-time management of cards Customisation for cards, including transaction-level control Online management and reporting tools
  Volopay	Generates instant virtual cards for online spending, vendor payments and subscriptions Option of physical Visa cards for employees Domestic and international money transfers Instant transaction data for the person using the virtual card, the budget owner and the company administrator Budget and spending customisation Up to 5% cashback on foreign currency transactions Preload funds and allocate to different virtual cards or physical cards Apply for up to $100,000 credit
  Westpac Virtual Card	Virtual card with a 16-digit card number, expiry date and CVV (like a traditional card) Online processing No cash-out or cash transfer function Accounts can be set up by business or individual departments Range of reporting and integration options

Frequently asked questions

• What happens if you lose your phone?

  Report your phone as lost or stolen as soon as you can by logging in to your account. From there, you'll be able to lock, track or even erase your phone details so that no one can access your private information – including any digital or virtual cards stored on it.

• Are virtual credit cards safe?

  Virtual cards are as secure as a traditional credit card – and sometimes could be even more secure because the virtual card numbers can be changed for each transaction. Every virtual card has different features, but some of the key security options include:

  • Unique card numbers. Some virtual cards let you generate a specific card number for each transaction, or for very specific types of transactions. This makes it very hard for a fraudster to use the card for unauthorised transactions.
  • Dynamic CVVs. Traditional credit cards come with a 3- or 4-digit CVV or CVC number that you need to make payments online or over the phone. While that number always stays the same on a physical card, virtual-only cards can offer CVVs that change regularly, or per transaction.
  • Encrypted details. Both online and contactless payments made from a virtual card use encrypted data so that the account details are protected.
  • Zero liability and fraud monitoring. Both traditional and virtual credit cards in Australia offer zero liability policies so you can get your money back from fraudulent transactions. Most also offer fraud-monitoring technology to flag any suspicious activity.

• Do virtual cards have CVV numbers?

  Yes. If you're adding a digital version of a physical card to a digital wallet you'll need to add the card's CVV or CVC.

  Some banks use dynamic CVVs for online credit cards. These numbers change regularly (sometimes daily) and offer greater security. Westpac says card fraud dropped 80% for customers using dynamic CVCs compared to customers using static ones.

• Can I use a virtual credit card in the same way as a physical card?

  Most of the time, you can use a virtual credit card with any business that accepts traditional credit card payments. But there are a some situations when a virtual card may not be accepted, including:

  • When a payment terminal or system isn't set up for contactless payments
  • If a hotel booking requires a credit card and/or other ID when you check-in
  • If you need to present the card as proof of purchase

  In these situations, a virtual card either won't work when you try to pay or won't show the details that are needed by the business (such as a hotel). So it's a good idea to keep your plastic card handy – or to check if your virtual card will be accepted before you leave with only your phone.

• How many virtual credit cards are there in Australia?

  Finder maintains a database of every credit card we can find and as of April 2025, we've found 12 providers that offer virtual credit cards for personal spending. These are: Bankwest, Bendigo Bank, Wizit, Latitude Financial, MONEYME, NAB, St.George, Citi, BankSA, Bank of Melbourne, Volopay and Westpac. Between them, there are around 70 virtual credit cards on offer.

• What are the disadvantages of a virtual credit card?

  A major disadvantage is that it relies on technology working. If your mobile phone loses power, you won't be able to pay with a virtual credit card, for example. A virtual credit card also isn't suitable if you need to present your card for proof of purchase or as security for hotels or car hire.

  In comparison, a traditional credit card can be used even if a payment machine's contactless reader isn't working, and is often preferred for car hire, hotel bookings and proof of purchase. So, it's ideal to have more than one payment option available.

Written by

Sarah Megginson

Personal finance expert + media spokesperson

With over 20 years of experience in property, finance and investment journalism, Sarah is a trusted expert whose insights regularly appear across television, radio, and print media, including Sunrise, ABC News, and Yahoo! Finance. She has previously served as managing editor for Your Investment Property and Australian Broker, and her expert advice has been shared over 2,500 times in 2023-2024 alone. Sarah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and a Tier 1 Generic Knowledge certification, which complies with ASIC standards. See full bio

Sarah's expertise

Sarah has written 200 Finder guides across topics including:

• Home loans
• Personal finance
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Co-written by

Richard Whitten

Money Editor

Richard Whitten is Finder’s Money Editor, with over seven years of experience in home loans, property and personal finance. His insights appear in top media outlets like Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine, and the Herald Sun, and he frequently offers expert commentary on television and radio, helping Australians navigate mortgages and property ownership. Richard holds multiple industry certifications, including a Certificate IV in Mortgage Broking (RG 206) and Tier 1 and Tier 2 certifications (RG 146), as well as a Graduate Certificate in Communications from Deakin University. See full bio

Richard's expertise

Richard has written 629 Finder guides across topics including:

• Home loans
• Property
• Personal finance
• Money-saving tips