What is a virtual card?
A virtual card is a payment card that does not exist as a physical piece of plastic. You do not need to pick it up at a branch or wait for it to arrive by post. All of its details — the card number, expiry date, and a three-digit security code (called the CVV) — appear immediately on your phone screen, inside your banking app. A banking app is a program installed on your phone that lets you check your balance and carry out transactions without visiting a branch.
You can use a virtual card to pay in online shops, or add it to your phone and pay with a tap, just like a physical card. Ordering one usually takes just a few minutes. This guide walks you through the whole process, step by step. Don't worry — you cannot break anything by tapping the wrong button. If something doesn't look right, you can always go back a step or close the app and start again.
Step by step: how to order a virtual card
- Open your bank's app on your phone by tapping its icon on the home screen.
- Log in the way you always do — with your fingerprint, face recognition, or by typing your PIN code (a personal secret number).
- On the app's main screen, find the "Cards" tab — usually an icon that looks like a small payment card, placed in the bottom menu bar or inside a side menu (marked with three horizontal lines).
- Tap the "Cards" tab to see a list of your current cards.
- Look for a button that says "Order a card," "Add a card," or a plus sign (+) — usually at the bottom of the card list or in the top right corner of the screen.
- Tap that button.
- From the list of available card types, choose "Virtual card" (in some apps it is called an "online card").
- Check the details shown on the screen — usually the account the card will be linked to — and tap "Next."
- Read the short summary of the card's terms and tick the agreement box by tapping the small checkbox next to the text.
- Tap the "Order" or "Confirm" button.
- Confirm the order — most often with your fingerprint, face recognition, or a one-time code the bank sends by text message to your phone number. This is called an authorisation code, a one-time password that confirms it is really you giving this instruction.
- Wait a few seconds — the virtual card will appear on the list automatically, with nothing to be delivered.
- Tap the new card on the list to see its full details: the card number, expiry date, and the three-digit CVV code.
One important rule: never share your card number, expiry date, or CVV code over the phone or in a message — not even with someone who says they are calling from your bank. A real bank never asks for these details over the phone. If someone calls and says "please read me the code from the text message so we can block a suspicious transaction," this is almost always a scam. Hang up, and call the number on the back of your card or on your bank's official website to check.
What to do if something goes wrong
- Your bank does not offer virtual cards. Not every bank has this option. If yours doesn't and you would like a virtual card, you can check our personal accounts comparison at /en/best/personal-accounts to find accounts that offer this feature.
- You cannot find the "Cards" tab in the app. Check that the app is updated to its latest version — from the same place you installed it (the app store). If that does not help, call your bank's customer service line — the number is printed on the back of your physical card or on the bank's official website.
- The card does not activate. Close the app, wait a minute, and open it again. Sometimes the details simply take a little longer to load. If nothing changes after a few minutes, contact your bank by phone.
- You made a mistake while ordering. That's completely fine — you can close the process at any point before confirming and start over. No money is taken until you confirm the order with a code or your fingerprint.
Quick recap
Here is a short checklist you can keep handy:
The whole process usually takes less than five minutes, and the card is ready to use as soon as you've ordered it.