Single-Use Virtual Cards: How To Accept and Process Them
Learn how single-use virtual cards help your business get paid securely, instantly, and with no extra fees.
Key takeaways
- Accept single-use virtual cards using the credit card setup and POS terminal you already have.
- Process each card once for one exact amount to receive instant, confirmed payment without exposing customer details.
- Avoid extra costs, since single-use cards only carry the standard POS processing fee you already pay.
- Reconcile faster, because every card email includes all the payment details you need.
What’s a single-use virtual card?
An SUVC is a virtual credit card you receive via email. It includes all the details you expect to find on a regular credit or debit card, so you can process it like you would any other card-not-present transaction on your POS terminal.
But here’s what makes this single-use card different—it does not reveal any sensitive information, including your customer’s credit card number. Instead, it contains a 16-digit card number that is randomly generated when the payment is sent. Meaning that keeping it safe after the payment is done, and being compliant with privacy regulations, aren’t of your concern.
A SUVC can only be used once and be charged the exact amount it was set to, so you don’t have to worry about charging mistakes either.
SUVC essentials:
To sum up the unique single-use card features:
- Received via email
- Processed like any other card
- Card number is random
- Can only be used once
- Only exact amount accepted
What does a single-use virtual card look like?
An SUVC can look as simple as a few lines of text containing the necessary details, or like a digital rendition of a regular card.
A single-use virtual card contains the following information:
- Randomly generated 16-digit card number
- Expiration date in the MM/YY format
- Three-four digit CVC, CVV2, or CVV code*
- Exact sum that can be charged
- Issuing bank
- Card issuer’s address
*CVC (card verification code) or CVV/CVV2 (card verification value) are three or four-digit security numbers printed on a single use debit card or credit card (as well as regular debit and credit cards, of course).
Here’s what Melio’s single-use virtual card looks like:
For security reasons, the email you get from Melio does not contain the details of the SUVC. To view them, you’ll need to click “Get card details.” This will redirect you to a secure website, where you can view the details as pictured above.
How do you process a single-use virtual card?
Processing a single-use virtual card takes four quick steps and confirms your payment instantly. It works like any other card-not-present transaction. Follow these steps to process your single use debit card or credit card payment:
- When you receive the email notifying you of the payment, click “get card details.” This will direct you to Melio’s website, where you will be able to view the full card details.
- Type the required details into your POS terminal and confirm the payment. Include the card number, expiration date, and CVC code that appear in the email, and proceed as you would usually proceed with a phone transaction. If your terminal requires entering a zip code, you can find it in the email—right below the virtual card. Either way, be sure to input the exact amount stated on the card. Otherwise, your payment will not be processed.
- Receive instant confirmation through your terminal.
- Get the money to your bank account according to your POS terms.
Are there additional costs to SUVCs?
Unlike traditional cards that may come with B2B credit card processing fees, SUVCs don’t add any extra charges. When receiving your payments via single-use virtual cards, you are only charged the regular processing fees you pay for any other card transaction that goes through your POS terminal.
There are no added charges for you or your customers.
How to start receiving SUVC payments?
To start accepting single-use virtual cards, contact our sales team and we’ll get you settled. Two important notes:
- If you opt-in to accept single-use virtual cards, they will become your exclusive method for receiving payments via Melio. This means that every time a Melio user pays you, you’ll get a single-use virtual card.
- You can only accept SUVCs if you already have a POS terminal for processing credit and debit card transactions.
Who can process single-use virtual cards?
There are two elements business owners might already have that are necessary for accepting SUVCs and seamlessly incorporating them in payment workflows. Anybody who has them can process SUVCs.
Accept regular credit and debit cards
Any business that accepts credit or debit card payments can also accept single-use virtual cards, while keeping your existing workflow for incoming payments.
To get paid with an SUVC via Melio, for example, you need to accept Mastercard.
Have a POS terminal
In order to receive payments via SUVC, you must have a point of sale (POS) terminal that can process credit card transactions.
A POS terminal can be a physical piece of hardware that reads the magnetic strips or contactless component on the card—like the ones you see in cash registers at brick-and-mortar stores—or a virtual software platform, that is typically used by online sellers.
Both physical and virtual POS terminals can support card-not-present transactions, where you manually input the card details to process the payment. This is exactly how a virtual, single use credit card or debit card is processed—as a card-not-present transaction.
Benefits of single-use virtual cards for small businesses
Now that you know what SUVCs are and how they work, here are five good reasons to start using them in your business.
Learn more about how business credit cards work here.
1. Instant confirmation
A check may bounce after you deposit it. A bank transfer may fail after it’s sent due to insufficient funds. But as soon as you process a single-use virtual card, you get instant confirmation that the money is on its way and practically in the bank.
That’s because it has already been processed and collected from your customer before you processed it yourself, so there’s no risk of the payment being rejected at a later stage.
2. Fits your schedule
Forget about rushing to the bank to deposit a check before it closes, or declining a call from a client because you’re waiting for a clerk to process a payment. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) dance to their own rhythms, and they need their payment workflows to fit them like a glove.
When you get an email containing an SUVC, you can process it on your POS terminal at any time, including your morning coffee, a nightcap after the kids go to bed, or weekends and holidays.
We’re not saying you should work around the clock. But this flexibility helps when you do your own finances, run a small team, or hit a particularly packed quarter.
3. Better security
Melio’s SUVCs are Mastercards issued by JPMorgan Chase, so you know your money is in good hands. But, as noted above, there’s no need to expose anyone’s bank details in order to receive payments via these disposable virtual cards.
When the card arrives in your inbox and you process it securely through your existing POS terminal, your customer’s payment details are encrypted and kept safe using top-of-the-line digital security measures.
4. Easier reconciliation
Reconciling incoming payments is a little like following your childhood dream of becoming a detective. But instead of a magnifying glass and night vision goggles, business owners now use check stubs and handwritten notes to figure out “who done it,” meaning, who sent the payment and what for.
While a business owner’s inner eight-year-old may be giggling with joy, their adult self, who chose a different path as a business owner, is likely less enthused. Reconciliation can be a frustrating process, that is also prone to costly errors.
If you collect your payments via a single use credit card or debit card, you’ll never be left guessing again. The email you’ll receive will contain all relevant information for easier tracking and reconciliation of every incoming payment.
5. No additional fees
For business owners wondering whether they should pay bills with a credit card, SUVCs offer a secure, flexible way to do just that—without disrupting your current workflow or taking on additional risk.
A single-use virtual card payment only costs the standard processing fees you already pay for any other card transaction that goes through your POS terminal.
There are no added charges for you or your customers, and you each get to keep your existing workflows.
A better way to get paid
Humans like to stick to what they know. Business owners are humans, so it’s no wonder that many of them still prefer checks as their primary payment method even though, in their private lives, they have probably moved on to making instant mobile payments on their phone apps. In fact, in 2025 alone, about 2.8 billion commercial checks, worth roughly $8.1 trillion, were collected through the Federal Reserve.
Of course, business checks have a lot of good qualities. They’re a familiar, reliable, and well-established payment method. But they are also slow, require mail or in-person delivery, and are a nightmare to reconcile. Not to mention that extra trip to the bank and the additional fees it costs to deposit them.
Having to go through a huge pile of checks waiting for reconciliation and processing is never fun, and it sure isn’t what you had in mind when you started your business.
Your chosen payment method has a significant impact on yourself, the people around you, and your customers. Don’t stick to something just because you’ve always done it that way. If there’s a better way to run your business, like in the case of single-use virtual cards (SUVCs), it’s worth giving it a shot.
For example, many vendors also offer an early payment discount when paid quickly—something SUVCs help you take advantage of by enabling faster, confirmed transactions.
Getting paid faster and more securely is a top priority for any business. With a single-use virtual card, you can stop chasing payments and start processing incoming ones around the clock, whenever is convenient for you, and receive instant confirmation.
SUVC payments are also more secure and easier to reconcile than traditional methods, like checks or credit card payments over the phone. Finally, there’s no more need to snoop around for reconciliation information.
Plus, they’re processed just like any other card not present in your POS terminal. And they don’t cost you extra. You don’t have to change anything in your workflow or budget. It’s a win-win-win.
However, when it comes to whether you can pay taxes with a credit card, the reality is that SUVCs are better suited for vendor payments—offering control, clarity, and security for your everyday business expenses.
To start accepting single-use virtual cards, contact us and we’ll get you settled. Or just go ahead and sign up to Melio. We’ll help you explore even more ways to pay and get paid faster, more cost effectively and more securely.
Single-use virtual card FAQs
How do you get a single-use virtual card?
You get a single-use virtual card by email when a customer pays you through a platform like Melio. You then view the card details securely and charge it once on your POS terminal.
Are all virtual cards single-use?
No. Some virtual cards are multi-use and keep the same number for recurring payments. A single-use card works only once and for one exact amount, which adds security.
What is a ghost card payment?
A ghost card is a virtual card number a business shares across a team or department for controlled spending. Unlike a single-use card, it can be used more than once within set limits.
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