Why Virtual Cards Are More Secure Than You Think

Well, they’re the same as the credit card you use every day. The only difference is that you can’t hold it in your hand. A virtual card comes with its own credit card number, an expiry date and even that three digit code on the back. They can easily be used online without exposing your primary credit card information to any wandering eyes. 👀 

As our world evolves to be more digital, the measures companies take to protect sensitive financial and personal information need to change too. With more of what we do living in the cloud, startups need to be extra vigilant about how they handle their financials. 
Now you might think virtual cards are digital – are they safe? Along with a new level of convenience and expediency for businesses, one of their biggest benefits is how secure they are. Here’s why.

The numbers always changing 🔢

Your average physical credit card is assigned a number that always remains active. Virtual cards on the other hand are always changing and generate unique credit card numbers based on a specific timeframe. This makes it a lot harder for them to get compromised. If your employees are constantly making purchases with a virtual company card and a website autosaves this information, it will only be valid for as long as the number is active. 👍🏼

Control the validity and usage 💳

Virtual cards enable finance teams and managers to set expiration dates based on their intended use and spending limits. For example, if a marketing team is headed to New York City for a conference over the weekend, their virtual cards can be validated for that specific timeframe with a hard spending limit that can’t be exceeded. This is a great way to stay on budget, control spending within a specific team and prevent any unauthorized purchases. It also eliminates risk as it relates to cards being compromised during business travel.

Say goodbye to long wait times from the bank 🐌

It’s no secret that hackers have become way more sophisticated in collecting credit information online. If this happens to an employee in your organization, not only do you have to contact your bank, cancel the card and wait 7 to 10 days for a new one, but it can put any other credit cards in your organization at risk. 😨 If there’s only one card floating in your company, then this could throw a wrench in your operations and require you to bring personal credit cards for the time being. No one wants that! Instead, virtual cards like ours at Float can be approved and delivered in a matter of days so you can get back to business in no time. 💳💨

Keep a closer eye on expense fraud 🕵🏻‍♂️

You’re also going to want to ensure transactions made internally are secure too. Virtual cards along with spend control software are the best line of defence against false or inflated expense claims by employees. Financial controllers are able to set category spend controls and instantly notify employees to submit receipts, while automatically matching the transaction with a receipt. This greater oversight allows finance teams to monitor all company transactions to keep tabs on where corporate funds are going and why. 💸

Float introduces a smarter, more secure way to spend

Our virtual cards and automation software were designed to save companies time and money, while providing an efficient, stress-free and more secure spending experience for teams. Easily issue virtual and physical cards to your team, set spending limits and gain better oversight on your company financials. At Float, we’re in the business of making things as fast and simple as possible. That’s why we took it a step further and made it possible to get your team approved for virtual cards in one day and delivered in three. 🙌

---

Written by