Virtual cards put to the test

Speed is what virtual cards promise: they are issued in minutes, can often be added to a phone wallet and are meant for subscriptions, services and overseas shops. Several come through Telegram bots and small apps.

The tests ask four things. What do issuing and topping up cost? How is currency converted? Which services refuse the card? What happens when the balance reaches zero?

These services are often recent, with little written down. A result says so when the terms are thin, and figures that come from outside are labelled unofficial.

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