Users May Quickly Create Virtual Cards For Secure Online Buying Using Google Chrome

A very handy feature that covers your physical credit card with a virtual one when purchasing online with Chrome is one of Google's main payments and privacy announcements at I/O 2022.
SIA Team
May 11, 2022

A very handy feature that covers your physical credit card with a virtual one when purchasing online with Chrome is one of Google’s main payments and privacy announcements at I/O 2022.

When inputting the 16-digits of your credit or debit card in Chrome, Google will ask if you wish to use a virtual number instead. It works in a similar way to how in-store contactless payments don’t see your actual card/real number, however, it uses a different approach.

Google is collaborating directly with credit card networks (Visa, Mastercard, and American Express) on this feature, which is generally reserved for banks. As a result, each partner’s implementation differs.

If you’re a Capital One customer, for example, you’ll get a unique virtual card for each site. Visa and Amex will utilize the same card for all sites, but a different CVV will be used each time. Those three (or four) digits will be dynamically filled, eliminating the need for human entry.

You can enroll eligible cards, access created virtual card numbers, and view recent virtual card transactions through pay.google.com.

Chrome Autofill for desktop (ChromeOS, Mac, Windows, and Linux) and Android, as well as iOS, will get this new layer of protection first. When you create a virtual card, it will display in the Autofill drop-down alongside other saved payment methods.

It will first be available in the United States this summer for Visa, American Express, and all Capital One cards. Mastercard support will be available “later this year,” with an internal launch planned.