A virtual card number is a unique credit card number associated with your account that you can use online. When a physical card isn’t required, you can use the virtual card number to make purchases without sharing your physical card number.
You can set up recurring payments or subscriptions, and continue earning rewards or cash back on your purchases as you normally would.
Benefits of using virtual cards
Convenience:
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You can spend online even when you don’t have your credit card on hand.
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If eligible, instantly spend with your virtual card before your new credit card arrives in the mail and reach your spending bonus faster.
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Virtual cards stay active if your physical credit card is lost, damaged or stolen.
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If you’re using virtual cards with Google Pay on Chrome or the Eno browser extension, you can have your virtual card numbers auto-populated at checkout.
Security: Virtual cards keep your physical card number hidden online.
Control: You can easily manage, lock or delete virtual cards.
Using a virtual card
If your credit card is eligible for virtual cards and you’re the primary cardholder, you can sign in to access your virtual card.
You can also use a virtual card through Google Pay when you shop online using Google Chrome or in Android apps. Simply select the virtual card option in the drop-down menu when using autofill to complete your purchase.
Additionally, you can get a virtual card number from Eno, your Capital One assistant. Find the Eno browser extension and install it. Once installed, sign in using your Capital One account and enroll with an eligible credit card.
Types of virtual cards
Virtual cards for anywhere online
You can get a virtual card number that can be used with most merchants online. This type of virtual card number remains the same for every transaction. You can get and manage your virtual card in the Capital One Mobile app or on the website.
Virtual cards for a specific store
If eligible, you can also create virtual card numbers good for use at one store only. One of the benefits of this type of virtual card is that it can be created for single-use only, giving you even more security and control. You can get an eligible store-specific virtual card through:
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The Capital One Mobile app
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The Capital One website
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Google Pay
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The Eno browser extension
You can have multiple store-specific virtual cards at a time.
Managing virtual cards
For added control over your online shopping experience, you can lock or unlock your virtual cards at any time without affecting your ability to make other purchases with your actual card number.
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Select your account
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From the list of options, select Virtual card manager
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Select the virtual card that you want to delete
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Select Delete and replace, or for store-specific virtual cards, Delete
You can also delete virtual card numbers in the Capital One Mobile app or website using Card Controls. Any recurring payments associated with the deleted virtual card number will be declined. Make sure to update your payment information with merchants if necessary.
Keep in mind that your virtual card is tied to your physical card. If your physical card is locked, purchases on your virtual card won’t go through.
Common virtual card issues
Billing address doesn’t match—the billing address you enter at checkout must match the address on file with your virtual card number.
Declined transactions—make sure the virtual card number hasn’t expired and you have sufficient credit available.
Merchant policy—some merchants may not accept virtual card numbers. If your transaction is declined, make sure the merchant accepts virtual cards.
What are the benefits of using a virtual card?
Convenience:
- You can spend anywhere online even when you don’t have your physical credit card on hand.
- If eligible, instantly spend with your virtual card before your new credit card arrives in the mail and reach your spending bonus faster.
- Virtual cards stay active if your physical credit card is lost, damaged or stolen.
- If you’re using virtual cards with Google Pay on Chrome or the Eno browser extension, you can have your virtual card numbers auto-populated at checkout.
Security: Virtual cards keep your physical card number hidden online.
Control: You can easily manage, lock or delete virtual cards.
Where can I use virtual cards?
If you’re eligible for a virtual card, you can use it to make online purchases at multiple stores and websites anywhere in the U.S.
You can also create virtual card numbers good for use at one store only. Each authorized user on an account can have multiple store-specific cards at a time.
Virtual cards work like normal credit cards online, so use them just as you would use your card number on a merchant’s website.
You can’t add virtual cards to digital wallets like Apple Pay or Google Wallet or use them in a merchant’s physical storefront.
How do I get a virtual card?
If your account is eligible for a virtual card, you can get one in your online or mobile account.
You can also enroll in Google Pay to use virtual cards within Google Chrome and Android apps across your devices. Simply select the virtual card option in the drop-down menu when using autofill to complete your purchase.
If shopping on a desktop computer, you can download the Eno browser extension and Eno will conveniently create virtual cards for the online stores you’re shopping at during checkout.
For an added layer of security, you can create a virtual card number for each individual store, and Eno will automatically save it for the next time you shop at that store.
What should I do if I experience fraud on my virtual card?
Reporting fraud on a virtual card means that a fraudster accessed the virtual card that you made. You’ll need to create a new virtual card.
For additional security, you can get a new physical credit card issued. If eligible, you can get a new card in the Capital One Mobile app.
Report fraud if you see suspicious activity on the virtual card you’ve created.
Note that if a physical card is compromised, lost or stolen, you don’t need to replace your virtual card.