Android and Chrome to Generate Virtual Cards to Keep Payment Information Safe

Google introduced virtual cards on Chrome and Android to keep payment information safe and secure in online payments.

At present, more cyberattacks than ever are happening on a broader, global scale. The targets of these attacks are not just major companies or government agencies, but hospitals, energy providers, banks, schools, and individuals.

With virtual cards, online shopping on Chrome and Android just got more secure and safe.

How does Virtual Cards Feature work?

Virtual cards are a system that replaces the actual bank-assigned unique number for a credit or debit card with a virtual set of numbers.

While using autofill to enter your payment details at checkout, Google says “virtual cards will add an additional layer of security by replacing your actual card number with a distinct, virtual number”.

As a result, it is not required to manually enter sensitive card details like the CVV number during checkout.

“If you enroll a virtual card for Autofill, you can keep your actual card number hidden when you check out on merchant websites,” says Google.

Google says these virtual cards will roll out in the U.S. later this summer. Since Google is working with both card issuers like Capital One, which is the launch partner for this feature, but also the major networks like Visa, Mastercard, and American Express will be supported at launch.

Virtual cards will be available on Chrome on desktop and android first, with iOS support rolling out later.

According to Arnold Goldberg, the vice president and general manager of Payments at Google, “Shoppers using Chrome on desktop and Android can enjoy a fast checkout experience when shopping online while having the peace of mind knowing that their payment information is protected.”

For the users, they can handle the virtual cards and observe their transactions at pay.google.com. While these virtual cards are usually used for one-time purchases, and will also be able used these cards for subscriptions, too.

The official Google support page for virtual cards at present mentions support for only Capital One cards. To enable the virtual card feature, users need to log in to their banking service account and link their debit or credit card to their Google Pay account using the wallet management option.

Once it’s done, a temporary token charge is deducted from the bank account to verify the process, but it will be refunded. Therefore, this feature protects from credential-stealing malware and phishing attacks. The users can make payments in public without any fear.

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