Google Chrome Launches Virtual Credit Card Number To Protect Users

Google has announced its Chrome browser will now offer users the option to use a virtual credit card number while filling payment forms online.

The ‘virtual card’ feature is to protect the user’s information when making payments over the Internet. This way, users will not need to input their CVV number and the website facilitating the transaction will not receive users’ real financial details.

On Wednesday, Google made the announcement at its annual developer conference, rolling out several privacy and security updates, including support for virtual credit cards on Android and Chrome.

“When you use autofill to enter your payment details at checkout, virtual cards will add an additional layer of security by replacing your actual card number with a distinct, virtual number,” said Jen Fitzpatrick, Senior vice president for Google Core Systems & Experiences, in a statement.

This autofill option will provide the virtual card’s details for the users, who can then manage the virtual cards and see their transactions at pay.google.com.

The feature will roll out in the United States for Visa, American Express, Mastercard, and Capital One cards later in the year.

 

“Shoppers using Chrome on desktop and Android can enjoy a fast checkout experience when shopping online while having the peace of mind knowing that their payment information is protected,” said Arnold Goldberg, the vice president and general manager of Payments at Google.

 

Google also announced that its users would be able to request personal information such as emails, phone numbers, or home addresses to be removed from search results through a new tool on the Google App.

 

It also announced support for end-to-end encryption for group conversations in the Messages app for Android and the on-device encryption measures for Google Password Manager.