A virtual card is paid with at checkout just like a physical one, but there is no plastic to wait for. Here is what happens at each step, and how to keep the number from becoming a risk.
Published September 30, 2026 · 3 min read
A virtual card is a card that exists as a number in an app rather than as a piece of plastic. It has its own card number, and that number is what you use to pay online. The store's payment form treats it the same way it would treat the number of a physical card. The difference is in how you get it: a virtual card is issued right away, so you don't wait for delivery.
At checkout you choose to pay by card and enter the virtual card's number in the payment form, exactly as you would with a physical card. The form may ask for other card details as well; you find them in the app that issued the card. Because the card only spends the available balance, a payment goes through only if the money is on the card. There is no credit and no overdraft, so a purchase cannot push you into debt.
Yes, if you add it to Apple Pay or Google Pay. The card then works contactless: you tap your phone at the terminal instead of showing a card. A virtual card cannot be inserted into a terminal or an ATM, so for tills and cash withdrawals you need the physical card. In Nexus Pay the physical card is a separate product, delivered by mail.
A card number entered on a careless site can be misused, so the best protection is to control when the card is active. A virtual card can be frozen in the app between uses, and unfrozen again when you need it.
Since the card cannot spend more than its balance, the balance itself is the ceiling on any loss.
You open the wallet inside Telegram (bot @nexuspaymybot) and issue a card there. Issuing requires identity verification, a document and a photo, under anti-money-laundering law, and the card is issued by a licensed partner organisation. The Signature virtual card costs 5 USDT to issue; the Business virtual card, with higher limits, costs 25 USDT. Once you have a card, purchases carry 0% and moving money from the wallet to the card costs 0.1%.
| Card | Cost to issue | Where it works | How you get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signature (virtual) | 5 USDT | Online, and contactless via Apple Pay and Google Pay | Issued right away |
| Business (virtual) | 25 USDT | Online and contactless, with higher limits | Issued right away |
| Physical card | 99 USDT, including delivery | Tills and ATMs | Delivered by mail |
The card has no monthly fee, and purchases cost 0%. Cashback works by categories: you choose up to five, the base rate is 4%, and it becomes 7% while a Business card is active, with one boosted category at 10%. These are current programme terms and may change, so check them in the app before you plan a large purchase around them. The 0.1% charge applies when you move money from the wallet balance to the card, not to the purchase itself.
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