Best Virtual Cards for October 2025
Virtual credit cards offer enhanced security for online shopping by generating unique card numbers that are linked to your actual credit card account but differ from your physical card number. Our partners Capital One, Citi, and American Express all offer virtual card options. When choosing a new card, look for strong security, easy management, spending controls, mobile wallet integration, and rewards. If you still aren’t sure how they work, you can read our in-depth guide to virtual cards.
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This travel card earns rave reviews for its generous flat-rate rewards on all purchases and elevated earnings on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel—plus a substantial welcome bonus and ongoing perks. It also offers one of the easiest virtual card programs to use.
| Rewards |
2x – 5x Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. |
|---|---|
| Bonus | 75,000 miles (worth $750) Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel. |
| Annual Fee | $95 |
- Robust Virtual Card Program
- No foreign transaction fee
- Double miles earned on every purchase
- Travel perks like Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® Credit
- No introductory APR offer
- Limited hotel transfer partners
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Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
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Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
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Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
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Miles won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how many you can earn
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Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
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Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
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Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
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This stellar cash back card is an excellent choice for those who spend regularly in the dining, entertainment, streaming services and grocery categories. There is a lucrative bonus opportunity, an intro APR period on purchases and balance transfers and no annual fee. You will also shop securely online with it’s top-notch virtual card program.
| Cash Back |
1% – 8% Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases. Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. Earn unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, plus 1% on all other purchases. |
|---|---|
| Bonus | Limited Time $300 Bonus Offer For a limited time, earn $300 in welcome bonuses. Enjoy a $100 credit to use towards flights, stays and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel during your first cardholder year. Plus, earn a $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening |
| Annual Fee | $0 |
- Robust Virtual Card Program
- No annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- Generous welcome offer and bonus rewards earning
- Introductory APR offer
- Few travel and purchase protections
- Low base rewards rate
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LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn $300 in welcome bonuses. Enjoy a $100 credit to use towards flights, stays and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel during your first cardholder year. Plus, earn a $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
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$0 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees
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Earn unlimited 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, plus 1% on all other purchases
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Earn 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
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Earn unlimited 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
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No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus cash back won’t expire for the life of the account and there’s no limit to how much you can earn
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months; 18.99% – 28.99% variable APR after that; balance transfer fee applies
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This uncomplicated card is a great option for those working on building their credit. For no annual fee, it allows you to boost your credit through responsible behavior. You can even earn a chance to increase your credit limit after making on-time payments in as little as six months. You will also shop securely online with easy-to-use virtual card numbers.
| Top Feature | Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months |
|---|---|
| Annual Fee | $0 |
- Robust Virtual Card Program
- See if your pre-approved with no impact to your credit
- No annual or hidden fees
- No rewards
- No intro APR
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No annual or hidden fees. See if you’re approved in seconds
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Be automatically considered for a higher credit line in as little as 6 months
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Help build your credit through responsible use of a card like this
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Enjoy peace of mind with $0 Fraud Liability so that you won’t be responsible for unauthorized charges
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Monitor your credit score with CreditWise from Capital One. It’s free for everyone
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Get access to your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with online banking from your desktop or smartphone, with Capital One’s mobile app
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Check out quickly and securely with a contactless card, without touching a terminal or handing your card to a cashier. Just hover your card over a contactless reader, wait for the confirmation, and you’re all set
- Pay by check, online or at a local branch, all with no fee – and pick the monthly due date that works best for you
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This top-rated cash back card offers a very generous welcome offer, a substantial list of perks, and statement credit opportunities. There is a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. Android and Chrome Browser users will also like their streamlined virtual card check out flow.
| Cash Back |
1% – 6% Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). Earn 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions. Earn 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more). Earn 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout. |
|---|---|
| Bonus | $250 Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months. |
| Annual Fee | $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95. |
- Lucrative welcome offer
- Steller ongoing cash back on everyday purchases
- Introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Spending caps on bonus rewards
- Annual fee may be high for some
- Virtual cards are limited outside of Chrome
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Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card within the first 6 months.
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$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
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Low Intro APR: 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 12 months from the date of account opening. After that, your APR will be a variable APR of 19.99% – 28.99%.
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Plan It®: Buy now, pay later with Plan It. Split purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee so you don’t have the pressure of paying all at once. Simply select the purchase in your online account or the American Express® App to see your plan options. Plus, you’ll still earn rewards on purchases the way you usually do.
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Earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in eligible purchases (then 1%), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back at eligible U.S. gas stations and on transit (including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more) purchases and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit and at Amazon.com checkout.
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Get up to a $10 monthly statement credit after using your enrolled Blue Cash Preferred® Card for a subscription purchase, including a bundle subscription purchase, at disneyplus.com, Hulu.com, or Plus.espn.com U.S. websites. Subject to auto-renewal.
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Apply with confidence. Know if you’re approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you’re approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
What Is a Virtual Card?
A virtual credit card (sometimes called a virtual card number or digital card) is a temporary, digital version of your credit card that’s designed for safer online transactions. It’s generated instantly by your bank or credit card issuer and linked to your real account — but it uses a different card number.
You can use this number just like a regular card when you shop online — to merchants, it looks and functions the same. The key difference? Your actual card number remains private, and if that virtual number is ever stolen or leaked, your account is protected.
Think of it as a disguise for your credit card online. The transaction still goes through, but your real card number stays hidden.
A virtual credit card is not the same as a digital wallet. Digital wallets, such as Apple Pay and PayPal, are apps that store your credit card information to make online or mobile payments more easily. Digital wallets have security features to protect from fraud, but they still typically use your real account number.
How To Choose a Virtual Credit Card Provider
Before applying for a credit card with virtual capabilities, it’s important to know what to look for. Not every provider offers the same level of protection, flexibility or compatibility. Here are some key factors to help you choose the right one for your needs:
- Security features: Look for banks or card issuers that offer strong encryption, easy number deactivation and real-time fraud alerts.
- Ease of use: Choose a provider that lets you generate, manage and delete virtual cards quickly through a mobile app or online portal.
- Spending controls: Make sure you can set spending limits, expiration dates and merchant restrictions. This is especially useful for subscriptions or family use.
- Integration with your wallet: Check whether the virtual card works with your banking or budgeting apps and with mobile wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal.
- International acceptance: If you frequently shop from international websites, ensure the card works for global merchants and supports multiple currencies. You’ll also want to make sure the card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, which can add up to 3% to each purchase.
- Rewards and perks: Some virtual cards still earn rewards like cash back or travel points, just like their physical equivalents.
- Customer support: In case something goes wrong, reliable and responsive customer service is a must.
How Do Major Issuers Stack Up?
Not every issuer offers virtual credit cards — for example, Chase, one of the biggest banks in the U.S., does not. Among those that do, the features can vary widely. Some focus on tight security and advanced controls, while others emphasize convenience and integration with digital wallets or browser tools.
To help you find the best fit, here’s how three of the biggest issuers — American Express, Capital One and Citi — compare when it comes to virtual card capabilities, flexibility and overall user experience.
| American Express | Capital One | Citi | |
| How Virtual Card Numbers Are Issued | Primarily through Google Chrome integration Aimed at one-time online or in-app purchases using Google Chrome |
Issued via Eno (Capital One’s virtual assistant) Generate numbers in the Capital One app, website or via the Eno browser extension Works with Google Pay on Chrome in many cases |
Create virtual account numbers through your Citi online account |
| Ease of Use | Smooth when shopping via Chrome (Amex plus Chrome auto-fill) Good for quick one-time checkouts Limited options outside Chrome |
Very customer-friendly, Eno provides browser extension pop-ups, in-app controls, alerts and simple management of virtual numbers Widely recognized as easy to use |
Requires manual activation Reduced customizability after recent updates |
| Custom Spending Limits | Limited, Amex’s Chrome-based virtual cards are aimed at one-time purchases | No, Eno supports locking/unlocking virtual numbers and monitoring, though | Yes, but can only set a daily spending limit in preset amounts: $25, $50, $75, $100 or $300 |
| Custom Expiration Date | No, focused on one-time, short-lived use via Chrome | Yes, can set card to single-use or to expire on a specific date through your Capital One account | No, all virtual account numbers are set to auto-renew every three years |
| Best Use Cases | Best if you’re a Chrome user and want a simple, streamlined one-time checkout flow with Amex | Best for overall consumer convenience thanks to Eno’s extension and customizable expiration dates | Best for setting daily spending limits, not great for user experience or customizable expiration dates |
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed are those of the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer.
*CardCritics™ references a FICO® 8 score, which is one of many different types of credit scores. A financial institution may use a different score when evaluating your application.