Bank of Asia Online now issues both virtual VISA and virtual Mastercard — so you can choose the network that works best for your spending, instantly from your dashboard.
Effective today, Bank of Asia Online customers can issue both a virtual VISA and a virtual Mastercard from their account dashboard — no waiting for plastic, no additional KYC required. Each card is linked to your primary USD account and can be used for any online or in-person contactless payment worldwide.
Why two networks? VISA and Mastercard are accepted almost universally, but there are edge cases — certain merchants, subscription platforms, and travel providers — where one network may be preferred or where one will process a transaction that the other declines. Having both available gives you maximum acceptance and a backup option when you need one.
Each virtual card has a unique 16-digit card number, CVV, and expiry date that is separate from any other card in your wallet. You can freeze or permanently cancel either card instantly from the app without affecting the other. Cards that are not in active use can be set to a 'paused' state that allows no new transactions while preserving the card details for future reactivation.
For enhanced security, virtual cards support per-transaction spending controls. You can set a maximum spend per transaction, restrict usage to specific merchant category codes (e.g., online-only or travel-only), and enable real-time push notifications for every transaction. These controls are managed from the Cards section of your dashboard.
Physical cards, where available in your region, share the same number as the corresponding virtual card. If you have requested a physical card and it is in transit, you can use the virtual card immediately while waiting for the physical card to arrive — they work interchangeably.
We are also planning to launch premium metal cards for customers who maintain a qualifying balance or transaction volume. Details on the metal card programme will be announced in Q2 2026. In the meantime, both virtual networks are available to all Bank of Asia Online customers at no additional cost.