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Virtual credit and debit cards have recently begun to gain traction in Nigeria. It’s easy to see why. Unlike regular plastic cards, they are purely digital (not tangible). So you don’t need to carry them around. They also come with multiple security features that make them harder to compromise than traditional bank cards.

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If you’re wondering what a virtual card is, we’ve broken it down and discussed its benefits in our article, 5 Benefits of Using Virtual Cards in Nigeria.

Here, we’ll take a look at some of the top Naira-denominated virtual payment cards available in Nigeria. They are listed in no particular order.

Guaranty Trust Bank Virtual MasterCard

GTBank

Guaranty Trust Bank has designed its virtual cards for people who frequently shop online. They are also a good option for anyone who’s forgotten or lost their card but needs to carry out urgent transactions online.

This card comes with some of the familiar features you’ll find on a physical bank card: a card number, expiry date, and CVV. GTBank promises that its customers can use the card wherever a MasterCard is accepted online. They can get it on the bank’s internet banking platform.

The card has a daily loading limit of ₦100,000 and a daily maximum card balance of ₦500,000. While online and POS transactions carried out with it are free, cash withdrawals at ATMs abroad attract a charge of ₦1,200.

Zenith Bank Virtual Card

Zenith Bank

Zenith Bank has fashioned its virtual card for web transactions such as bill payments and subscriptions. It has features that allow users to settle one-off charges and deduct recurring payments.

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Persons who want to use Zenith Bank’s virtual payments card don’t need to visit a bank branch for it. They can get the card via the bank’s internet banking platform. Alternatively, they may dial *966*2273# and follow the prompts, or request a virtual card on the bank’s website.

Of course, you’ll need to have an account with Zenith Bank before asking for the virtual card. Thankfully, it’s easy to sign up with them. Just dial the code *966*0# to get started.

First Bank Virtual Card

Techeconomy.ng

First Bank’s virtual card is a sixteen-digit number with which you can perform most of the tasks that a physical card allows you to. Users can link it to either their customer operative accounts or wallet accounts.

This card has decent security features built into it. It doesn’t display sensitive details related to its owners when they’re transacting with it. They can also block and unblock it from their First Bank apps if they believe that some other party has gained access to their personal data.

If you use the First Bank virtual card, you’ll get a 10% discount on the payments you make with it (this is capped at ₦1,000). You can purchase it on the FirstMobile or FirstMonie Wallet apps for just ₦200 (a ₦800 deduction on the regular fee). Both apps are available for download on Google Play Store and App Store. However, there’s a daily limit of ₦150,000 on amounts that users can withdraw from ATMs with it.

Gomoney Virtual Naira MasterCard

TechCabal

Gomoney, a digital bank that launched in 2020, provides a virtual naira MasterCard to its growing customer base. With this card, they can make purchases from local product and service providers (including Jumia, Taxify, and Uber), and international vendors (including ASOS and Amazon). They can even set up recurring internet subscriptions for platforms like Netflix, YouTube Music, and Apple Music.

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Persons who have an account with Gomoney can freeze and unfreeze their cards as they like. This may come in handy if they believe that an unauthorized party has gained access to their card details. Once the threat has passed, users can unfreeze or block the card in question.

Carbon Virtual Card

The Correct Blogger

Carbon, one of Nigeria’s leading digital banks, has a virtual card that lets its users access their digital wallets from wherever they are, at any time of the day. The team at Carbon says that they’ve fashioned the card to be extra-secure so that their customers’ accounts are protected from intrusion by unauthorized parties.

Anyone who wants to have a Carbon virtual card can download the Carbon app from Google Play Store (for Android devices) or Apple Store (for iOS). They’ll get the card after they’ve registered on the app and requested it there.

Final Words

We can expect several more virtual naira cards to come on the scene as Nigerians continue to warm up to online payments. Traditional financial institutions and newer FinTech companies are getting in on the act. They’ll very likely introduce even better quality virtual cards in the next few years.

Featured Image Source: GTBank
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This article was first published on 11th June 2022

ikenna-nwachukwu

Ikenna Nwachukwu holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He loves to look at the world through multiple lenses- economic, political, religious and philosophical- and to write about what he observes in a witty, yet reflective style.

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