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How to get a Citi Virtual Credit Card Number
Virtual credit card numbers are random credit numbers you can use online that are associated with a real credit card. So this means, instead of using your real Citi Prestige, you can create a Citi Virtual Credit Card Number that is linked to that card, but doesn’t reveal the real card number. It’s a great way to protect your real credit card number and is specific to one online merchant. Interested? This is how do you get a Citi Virtual Credit Card Number?
Who can get Virtual Account Numbers?
Why would you want one?
How can you get one?
Then you can generate numbers one of two ways, once you register the card
I use a Mac so the downloaded program didn’t work, but the web-based auto generator is super easy. You’ll want to make sure you allow Flash to be run.
You’ll be asked to generate…
You’ll be prompted to select an account
And Voila…Your Citi Virtual Credit Card Account Number
You now have a virtual account number that you can use that will bill your existing card and help protect yourself.
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My Citibank virtual account numbers feature disappeared from my credit card about a year ago (July 2019) without any notification. It apparently has something to do with Adobe Flash maintenance being discontinued. The virtual account numbers featured specifying an expiration date and dollar limits. The latter feature was great in that you could specify the amount of the online purchase, which precluded vendors from charging more than they were supposed to (guess what? some of them do!). For some reason Citibank does not provide a list of which of their cards now offer the virtual account feature. If anyone finds such a list, please let me know.
I am now using Capital One virtual account numbers which does not allow the user to specify dollar limits or expiration dates. While it is actually easier to use than Citibank, not being able to specify dollar limits is a serious disadvantage, Your entire line of credit is at risk.
Great Article! Do you know how many possible cards we can make at a time? Example: once I generate one card, can I only use that one virtual card, and can I make 3 or 6 more virtual cards? thank you for your hep
John – thanks! I don’t know…lemme know if you try and I’ll update the article
Citi’s online virtual account number tool uses Adobe Flash. That’s a show-stopping fail for me – Flash is insecure and buggy and I refuse to run it.
I heard on another forum that this feature is going away soon?
Oh, could be? I know it’s currently still working – could you send me a link?
I was hoping Citi would update to move past flash, but they don’t seem to care.
https://www.polygon.com/2020/2/10/21124247/flash-support-history-of-web-1-0-flashpoint-bluemaxima
My ability to access VAN seems to have disappeared, presumably discontinued for my card, with no notice. Was handy for not exposing full credit to certain vendors that might improperly bill or have complaints against them for continuing to bill upon service cancellation.
One of my numbers wouldn’t work, and that’s the only way I found out. So maybe don’t rely too heavily on this sort of thing, especially for auto-billing.