How to use Wise digital card: Online & In-Store
Using a digital card for online and in person spending is safe and convenient. Wise digital cards are free to create for personal Wise account holders in the US, and can be used instantly once generated. Just create your new Wise card in the Wise app and get started.
This guide walks through how to create a Wise digital card, how to use one online and in person, and more.
Key points: Wise digital cards in the US
- Virtual cards are available for Wise US personal customers. Wise Business customers can not create a virtual card in the US at the time of writing
- Eligible customers can create up to 3 virtual Wise cards
- There’s a one time fee of 9 USD to order your physical Wise card, virtual cards are then free to create
- Spend with your Wise virtual card and get the mid-market exchange rate and low conversion fees
- Use your Wise digital and virtual cards for online shopping at home and abroad, and for ATM withdrawals where contactless ATMs are available
- Add your Wise card to a wallet like Apple Pay to make mobile payments
- Using a virtual card means you don’t need to carry your wallet – just tap and pay with your phone
⚠️ Note on Wise virtual cards – for US customers: Wise has temporarily paused issuance of new physical cards and virtual cards for US customers. You can join the waitlist from the link below, and get notified when they’re available.
What is a Wise digital card? How does it work?
With Wise you can use both a Wise digital card and a Wise virtual card.
A Wise digital card is a digital version of your physical Wise card. The card details will be the same as your physical card, but you can use this digital version through an app like Apple Pay.
A Wise virtual card is a payment card that lives only on your phone or laptop. You won’t need to carry a physical card with you, as you can add your virtual card to a wallet like Apple Pay, to make digital payments in person and online. A virtual card has different card details compared to your digital or physical card, but is still linked to the same underlying Wise account.
Wise virtual and digital cards have many of the same benefits as using a Wise physical card – including mid-market exchange rates when you spend overseas.
Benefits of using Wise virtual cards
- Wise virtual cards can be created in the Wise app and used instantly
- Manage your virtual card in the Wise app conveniently, including freezing and unfreezing it
- With a virtual or digital card there’s no need to carry a physical card when you go out
- Use your Wise virtual card online and in person, by adding it to a wallet like Apple Pay
How to use Wise digital card in-store
Use your Wise digital card to make in store payments, by adding your card to a wallet like Apple Pay and tapping your phone to pay at the checkout. This is convenient as you won’t have to carry a physical card around with you, and you’ll still get the benefits you would with the physical Wise card, such as mid-market rate currency conversion. Just look out for your card’s network symbol at the checkout anywhere that accepts contactless payments.
Here’s a simple overview of how to create a Wise virtual card in app and start using it with Apple Pay in store:
- Log into your Wise account on the Wise app
- Tap Card, and follow the prompts to order your physical Wise card
- Once you’ve done that, swipe to the Get your digital card section
- Select Get your digital card to generate a virtual card
- Tap Add to Apple Wallet
- Follow the prompts to link your Wise virtual card to your Apple Pay wallet
Once you’re in a store you can use your Wise virtual card with a wallet like Apple Pay to make contactless payments. Exactly how this works will depend a bit on the phone type you have – for example you may need to double click the side button on your phone to see the cards you’ve added to the wallet.
Once you’ve activated the wallet you can tap on the Wise card which will be shown as one of the card options available. Then authenticate using your fingerprint, face ID or passcode, and tap your phone against the merchant’s contactless payment terminal – as you would do with a debit or credit card.
How to use Wise digital card overseas
Use your Wise digital cards to pay with mid-market exchange rates in 150+ countries, when traveling overseas. The way to pay is the same no matter where in the world you are – just add your card to a wallet like Apple Pay, activate it, and then tap to pay contactlessly wherever merchants allow it. Learn more: How to use Wise travel card
How to use Wise virtual card online
Virtual cards can be used for online shopping – and with the Wise virtual card you’ll also get the mid-market exchange rate and low conversion costs from 0.33% when you spend in foreign currencies.
Here’s a quick summary of how to create a Wise virtual card in app and use it to shop online:
- Log into your Wise account on the Wise app
- Tap Card, and follow the prompts to order your physical Wise card
- Once you’ve done that, swipe to the Get your digital card section
- Select Get your digital card to generate a virtual card
- Tap Add to Apple Wallet
- Follow the prompts to link your Wise virtual card to your Apple Pay wallet
You can manage your virtual card in the Wise app, including freezing and unfreezing the card whenever you need to, reviewing your balance, and getting instant transaction notifications.
How to use Wise card with Apple Pay in the US
It’s easy to connect Wise digital cards to Apple Pay, and use a phone to make in-store purchases in the US. There are a couple of different ways to add a Wise virtual card to Apple Pay:
To add your Wise card to Apple Pay via the Wise app:
- Open the Wise app
- Tap on the Card tab, where you can see all your available cards
- Select the card you’d like to add then tap on Add to Apple Wallet
You can also add your card using your Apple Wallet on your iPhone:
- Open your Apple Wallet
- Either scan your card or enter the details manually
- Verify the card with an SMS code
How to add Wise card to Apple Wallet
Add your Wise card to Apple Wallet either by tapping the Wise app, and navigating to Cards – or by heading to the Apple Wallet app and following the prompts to add your card here. Both options are very easy and can be done in just a few seconds.
How to use Wise card with Google Pay in the US
Got an Android phone and prefer using Google Pay? You can also use your Wise card with Google Pay to spend online and in person while you’re in the US or overseas.
Here’s how to add your card to Google Pay:
- Open Google Pay
- Tap the option to add a new card
- Either scan your card or enter the details manually
- You may be prompted to complete a verification step
Once your card is on Google Pay you can tap and pay wherever you see the Google Pay symbol, or where contactless payments are accepted in stores.
Wise digital card vs physical card
So what’s the difference between the Wise digital card and the Wise physical card? Why bother having both?
There are some ways in which the Wise physical and digital cards are similar – but there are also a few differences. This can mean that holding both a physical card and one or more virtual cards is a good plan. Here’s an overview of some features of the different types of Wise cards:
| Wise digital cards | Wise physical cards |
|---|---|
| Available to Wise US personal customers Virtual cards which live on your phone or laptop Use to pay online or link to a wallet like Apple Pay for mobile payments Use for ATM withdrawals where contactless withdrawals are supported Can be frozen, unfrozen and managed in the Wise app Virtual cards have different card numbers to your physical Wise card Have up to 3 virtual cards at a time | Available to Wise US personal and business customers Physical card for in person and online payments Can be used at an ATM and in stores which don’t accept contactless transactions Can be frozen, unfrozen and managed in the Wise app Can be linked to a wallet like Apple Pay for mobile payments Customers can hold one Wise physical card only |
Learn more about Wise cards here; Wise card review
Wise digital card fees
There’s no fee to generate a Wise virtual card once you have ordered a Wise physical card linked to your account. That also means you can start using your Wise virtual card right away without needing to wait for your physical card to arrive in the post.
Using your Wise virtual card works in the same way as using your Wise physical card in terms of fees – it’s free to spend a currency you hold in your account and you’ll get currency conversion which uses the mid-market rate and low fees if you don’t have the currency you need for spending. Here’s a rundown of the key Wise digital card fees you’ll want to consider:
- 9 USD fee to order a physical card
- Once you’ve ordered a physical card, virtual cards are free
- Free to spend currencies you hold in your account
- Currency conversion from 0.33%
Are Wise virtual cards free?
It’s free to generate your Wise virtual card once you’ve ordered a Wise physical card. There’s a one time order fee of 9 USD for your first Wise physical card – but you can then generate your virtual card right away.
Once you have a Wise virtual card you can spend any currency you hold online or in person for free, with currency conversion fees from 0.33% if you don’t have the currency needed.
How many digital cards can you have with Wise?
You can instantly create up to 3 virtual cards linked to your Wise account, for free, once you’ve ordered a Wise physical card.
You’ll receive your physical card in the mail within 14 – 21 days after order – so in total you could have up to 4 different ways to pay with Wise.
Can I withdraw money from my Wise digital card?
You can make ATM withdrawals with a Wise digital card at an ATM which supports contactless withdrawals and your card network.
Not all ATMs have this facility, but you can find contactless ATMs at many locations offered by Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo for example.
How to withdraw money from Wise digital card
If you’re able to find a convenient contactless ATM you can make a cash withdrawal with a Wise digital card. The steps are pretty similar to using a card to get cash – but you’ll use your phone instead of having to carry your card with you when you’re out and about.
Here’s how to withdraw money from an ATM with a Wise digital card:
- Find a contactless ATM
- Activate Apple Pay or your preferred mobile wallet
- Tap your device on the contactless symbol on the ATM
- Enter the amount you want to withdraw onto the ATM screen
- Key in your card PIN on the ATM
- Collect your cash
Can you use a Wise card without the physical card?
Yes. You’ll need to order a physical card from Wise before you can generate a virtual card, but you don’t need to wait for your physical card to arrive to start spending. Instead, just add a virtual card to a mobile payment wallet to tap and pay when you’re out and about.
Here’s how to use your Wise card without having your physical card on you:
- Open your preferred wallet like Apple or Google Pay
- Tap the option to add a new card
- Either scan your card or enter the details manually
- You may be prompted to complete a verification step
- Unlock your mobile wallet when you want to make a payment, and tap on the merchant’s payment terminal
Key takeaways: Wise digital cards in the US
Virtual cards are offered for Wise US personal customers. At the time of writing wise has temporarily stopped issuing virtual cards to business customers, but you can apply to be added to a waitlist, and to be notified when this service becomes available again.
Using a virtual card is secure and convenient for online, mobile and in person payments. With Wise you can freeze and unfreeze your virtual card instantly, which increases security – and you’ll be able to spend internationally with the mid-market exchange rate and low fees, too. Generate up to 3 Wise virtual cards and add them to your favorite mobile wallet for in person payments, and for shopping online.
- It’s free and instant to generate Wise virtual cards once you’ve ordered a physical card
- Use your Wise virtual card before the physical card is delivered
- Generate up to 3 Wise virtual cards in addition to your physical Wise card
- Spend with your Wise virtual card in foreign currencies in person and online with mid-market exchange rates and low currency conversion fees
