What is a single-use virtual card?

This article provides the basic information about single-use virtual cards and contains the following sections:

What is it?

A single-use virtual card (SUVC) is a virtual credit card that has become a common delivery method for accounts payable solutions.

Why use a single-use virtual card?

  • Fast - Can be processed immediately after the payment is processed.
  • Secure - Bank account details are not shared. Also, the card is specific to a single invoice and the exact amount.
  • Efficient - Processing is automatic 24/7 and independent of banking working hours.
  • Easier to reconcile - Cards are sent with full remittance data - amount, payor, and invoice details.
  • Convenient- Process single-use cards with your existing solution. (Standard card processing fees still apply.)

A single-use virtual card's characteristics

J.P. Morgan issues our single-use virtual card. It has some specific characteristics:

  • A unique 16-digit digital card number.
  • A 3-digit CVV code.
  • Each card is issued for a specified amount to pay a single supplier invoice.
  • It can only be used once.
  • It expires 30 days after the payment is processed.
  • No physical card is involved, and no card numbers are stored.
  • It can be authorized and settled just like any other card through the existing machine you’re using to process credit card payments.
  • It has a known settlement timeframe. 

How does our single-use virtual card work?

There are a few ways your vendor can get a single-use virtual card when you are paying them:

In all these cases, the vendor will receive an email with the virtual card details and should process it using a point-of-sale terminal. Learn more about virtual card processing in this article.