Glossary · Access
Virtual card
Also known as digital card
A virtual card is a digital card number issued instantly after approval, so you can add it to a wallet and spend before — or instead of — the plastic arrives.
A virtual card is just the card number, expiry and security code in your app — no plastic. Once you pass KYC, it’s ready in seconds, and you add it to Apple Pay or Google Pay and spend straight away.
Why it matters: the virtual card is usually the fastest, cheapest way onto a crypto card. It often costs nothing while the physical card carries a deposit, a tier requirement, or a fee — and because the number lives only in your phone, it sidesteps the shipping wait and the lost-in-the-post risk. The trade-off is that anywhere demanding a physical card or chip-and-PIN is off the table.
For example: Nexo makes the virtual card free to activate (you need a $50 minimum portfolio balance), while the physical card needs a $5,000+ balance, Gold or Platinum tier, and new physical orders have been paused since January 2025 — so for many new users the virtual card is the only card. ether.fi Cash is similar: after KYC approval, the virtual card is “available to use right away,” with the plastic an optional later step.