A Digital Card is a payment card that lives in your banking app instead of your wallet. You get card details instantly for online shopping, subscriptions, and mobile payments, while keeping your physical card number private and your spending easier to control.

What is a Digital Card?

A Digital Card (sometimes called a virtual card) is a full card credential issued electronically: card number, expiry date, and security code, available in your app within seconds. It runs on the same card networks as plastic, so merchants treat it like any other Mastercard or Visa when you check out online or add it to a mobile wallet.

You might never receive plastic for a Digital Card, or you might use it alongside a physical card from the same account. The point is speed and separation: create a card when you need it, link it to a specific budget, and retire it when you are done.

Why use a Digital Card?

Digital Cards solve everyday problems that physical cards handle less well.

• Privacy: Use a Digital Card for one merchant or subscription so a data breach does not expose your main card number.

• Control: Set a spending limit or fund the card from a single Money Pocket so a free trial cannot drain your whole balance.

• Speed: No waiting for mail. You can pay online minutes after opening an account.

• Security: Freeze or delete a Digital Card in the app without replacing your physical card.

They work well for streaming services, app stores, travel bookings, and any site where you would rather not save your primary card.

Digital Card vs. physical card

Both draw from your money the same way when linked to your account. The differences are delivery and use cases.

• Physical cards are for in-store chip, PIN, and contactless taps, and for ATMs. You need the plastic (or a phone wallet copy) at the terminal.

• Digital Cards shine online and in apps. You can often add them to Apple Pay or Google Pay through your banking app, but you will not insert them into a chip reader without a mobile wallet.

Many people carry one physical card for daily life and several Digital Cards for different budgets or merchants. bunq uses the product name Digital Card (not “virtual credit card”) in line with our glossary.

Digital Cards at bunq

You can create Digital Cards in the bunq app and connect them to a Money Pocket. Pair them with secure banking features such as Instant Notifications, card freeze, and Spending Limits. For in-store tap-to-pay, add your card to your phone wallet and use the same contactless payment flow as with plastic.

See bunq Cards for physical and digital options, or Payments for how card spending fits your account.

Common questions

Is a Digital Card the same as Apple Pay?

No. A Digital Card is the card itself (the credentials). Apple Pay or Google Pay is a mobile wallet that stores those credentials securely on your device. You can often add your bunq Digital Card to a wallet for contactless phone payments.

Can I use a Digital Card at an ATM?

Usually not directly, because there is no plastic to insert. If the Digital Card is added to a mobile wallet that supports cash access at participating ATMs, that depends on the wallet and ATM. For cash, use your physical card or ATM features on your bunq account.

What happens if I delete a Digital Card?

Future charges should be declined. Update any subscriptions with new card details before you delete the old one, or you risk failed payments. bunq lets you freeze a card first if you are unsure which services still use it.