I’m sure you’re having challenges with the recent limitations placed on your bank card as a Nigerian. It’s such an unfortunate thing to see as Nigerian banks have reduced the usage of international spending on all naira MasterCards monthly to $20. Before now, the limit was placed at $100 monthly usage for most banks but it has been reduced to $20, $50 for some banks.
One good way to tackle this spending limit is to get yourself a ‘Virtual Dollar Card.’ A Virtual Dollar Card is a non-physical dollar-denominated card that is used for online transactions. Since it is easy to get and fund a Virtual Dollar Card, why not see how you can get one for yourself to reduce the international spending limit placed for Nigerians.
- Read Also: How to block a lost/stolen bank ATM card
In this article, I’ll be listing several Virtual Dollar Card providers in Nigeria where you can get one of these cards to make payments online. These virtual cards are funded in USD and you can fund them by simply sending naira into your virtual card account.
How to get a Virtual Dollar Card in Nigeria
1. ALAT By Wema
ALAT is a Nigerian fully functional bank owned by Wema. With ALAT, you can do all your banking transactions without being physically present at a bank. ALAT gives every of its user the option to own a virtual dollar card right from their comfort zone.
You can make payments easily on Uber, Netflix, Spotify, Google Play, Apple Music, Asos, Udemy, Coursera, AliExpress, Google, Facebook and so on using the ALAT virtual dollar card. But note that you will be charged a monthly card maintenance fee of 525 Naira on each card created after your first virtual card.
It is easy to open an ALAT account and also easy to get your hands on either or both a MasterCard & Dollar Card as ALAT offers you to own either or both of them free of charge. Follow these procedures to get a virtual dollar card from ALAT:
- Download ALAT mobile app from Google Play or the Apple App Store.
- Sign up with your BVN, phone number and date of birth (Ensure you make use of this code while signing up to get free N200 into your ALAt account >> UZMPJF).
- Click the Cards menu option, swipe to pick your favourite card design and confirm your choice with your ALAT PIN then type your delivery address and click Submit. Your card will be delivered to you in two business days (You need to have at least N2,000 in your account balance before you can be able to place a request for a virtual dollar card).
* THIS CARD CAN NOT BE USED ON 3D SECURED SITES AND FOR MONEY TRANSFERS.
2. Barter by Flutterwave
Barter is a web and mobile app owned by Flutterwave that lets you send and receive money from abroad instantly, and safely, at the cheapest rates. It is very easy to use and works like a digital wallet.
It supports other services such as bills payment, the creation of virtual cards (Naira and Dollar) which can be used for transactions on various platforms. You can fund your Barter Card using Naira and you can also link your physical card with it. The monthly maintenance fee for each card is $1, this is regardless of whether or not the card is active. Owning a virtual dollar card on Barter is very easy as you only need to complete a few steps.
How to get a Barter Virtual Dollar Card
- Download and install the Barter app from Google Play Store or Apple Store.
- Sign up using your BVN and complete the verification process by providing the OTP sent to your linked phone number.
- Add money to your Barter account using a debit card or through bank transfer and click Create new card.
- You can create a Multifunctional card (i.e it can be used for all your online purchases/payments) or a custom card which can be used for specific purposes on specific platforms (e.g Netflix card, or an ASOS card).
- Fund your account and begin to use the card.
3. Wallets Africa
Wallets Africa is also a digital bank that helps Africans and African owned businesses to send money, receive money, make card payments and access loans. Onboard and perform all financial transactions from the comfort of your mobile phone or computer.
You can get a virtual dollar card from Wallets Africa and make payments online as it is very easy to use and offers swift payments online.
How to get a Wallets Africa Virtual Dollar Card
- Download and install the Wallets Africa app from Google Play Store or Apple Store.
- Register, verify and fund the account.
- Go to the Cards section to create a virtual card.
- Fund your virtual dollar card and begin to use it.
4. Eversend
Eversend is a digital app that offers virtual debit cards that can be used to pay for stuff online with your local currency bank card. Cards will cost $1 to create and have a $1 monthly maintenance fee.
How to get an Eversend Virtual Dollar Card
- Download and install the Eversend app from Google Play Store or Apple Store.
- Register, verify and fund your account.
- Tap Cards at the bottom navigation area, enter the maximum amount you want the card to hold and enter a PIN to confirm the transaction (The minimum amount required to create a card is $1).
- Fund your virtual card by using the add money feature in the apps to complete the process.
5. Eyowo
Eyowo offers fast, simple and secure payments just like other digital banks, and as a digital bank, users can get free virtual dollar cards.
How to get an Eyowo Virtual Dollar Card
- Download the Eyowo app from Google Play Store or Apple Store.
- Register, and verify your account.
- Tap More > Eyowo Cards > Create Card.
- Fund your virtual dollar card and begin to use it.
There are still other providers that offer free virtual dollar cards which you can use in Nigeria and as time goes on, I’ll try and update this list with service providers offering this service. Do you have any you use and it wasn’t mentioned here, let us know in the comment section below.
1 comment
The is indeed a great article, GoMoney and Mintyn also provides great services, what about creating a virtual USD account online?