Flutterwave’s Barter and the likes of Eversend announced that they no more offer virtual dollar card service in Nigeria in 2022. Hence their virtual cards can no more be used on international Websites such as Amazon, Spotify, etc. for payment purposes.
The service had to be put on hold for compliance-related reasons. Since these providers suspended their services in Nigeria where there is a large number who rely on their services to pay for things like web hosting, domain, tech gadgets, and other international subscriptions, have been looking for reliable alternatives to make international payments online from Nigeria.
Some commercial banks like GT Bank have also joined in the trend recently to stop their Naira Master Card services from making international payments online following CBN directives in December 2022. (Source: PUNCH.)
However, after scouring the internet, we found alternative fintech companies offering virtual dollar card services.
In this guide, we’re going to explore a list of such virtual dollar card providers for international payments.
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What are virtual dollar cards?
Virtual cards are special cards provided by fintech startups for the purpose of making online payments in dollars instead of naira. They serve as an alternative to making international payments following the ban on naira-denominated cards for internet payments.
Top Virtual Dollar Cards in Nigeria 2023
Here are 12 of the best Virtual dollar cards that you can use to initiate international payments from Nigeria.
Virtual card from PSTNET
PSTNET is a high-quality and modern service that provides payment cards for paying for goods and services around the world and advertising accounts. The first access card without documents. Then a simple verification is carried out, after which the limit on the number of cards and expenses is removed.
Simple registration using Google or Telegram, mail and password. Low fees from 2% for deposits, for transactions, withdrawals from the card, declined payments, transactions with blocked cards 0%. Visa and Mastercard cards in USD and EUR.
Deposit with USDT TRC-20/BTC, Visa/Mastercard, Sepa/Swift bank transfers), withdrawal available. Lots of BIN (25+) from US and European banks. There are cards with 3D-Secure (confirmation of operations by code from SMS, codes come to your personal account and to the telegram bot)..
Now there is a PST Private program (pst.net/private) for teams and those who work solo with high turnover (up to 100 cards for free, then cards for $1 and a commission for replenishment of 2%).
Responsive and fast support and a lot of positive feedback about PSTNET.
Alat Virtual Dollar Card
The ALAT is an initiative of Wema bank Nigeria, it is a special prepaid debit card made for the purpose of handling online payments, no fluctuating exchange rates or limits on your Naira debit card, you can easily make use of the Alat virtual card to pay for subscriptions such as Google Ads, and Apple subscriptions and more.
ALAT dollar card works across all devices and applications.
Once you provide all the required documentation by ALAT, you can easily generate your virtual card, fund it, and start using it.
ALAT Virtual Dollar Card is a great option for anyone who is looking for payment options without having to worry about exchange rates or limits on their debit card.
Update: You can now use your Alat naira virtual card for international transactions.
Just on the 12th of July, 2023, Alat by Wema Bank was the first of its kind in the bank sector in Nigeria that announced to his customers that they can now use their naira master cards to spend up to $500 monthly on international transactions.
I’ve since made a couple of international payments using the card, set up Facebook ads and paid for web hosting service with an international hosting provider.
Yes, this new development can be traced back to the recent Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s policy to float the Naira in June 2023.
Grey Virtual Card
Grey is a virtual debit card service provider that helps its users to facilitate international payments easier and faster, with Grey you can shop and pay for subscriptions online from merchants across the globe.
The company issues Mastercard for this purpose and it’s accepted on almost every digital store, so you don’t have to worry about paying for your web hosting, domain registration, Spotify, Netflix, and other streaming subscriptions.
The issued card is also heavily secure, with instant and real-time notifications, and it also comes with the ability to temporarily freeze and unfreeze your card directly from your Grey app. With an extra layer of security with two-factor authentication, you can be sure that your funds are secure with Grey.
Like every other virtual card provider, you will need to provide a valid means of ID and personal biodata to get started on the app.
Vella Finance Virtual Card
Next on the list of alternative virtual dollar cards to make international payments in Nigeria is Vella finance.
Vella is a fintech payment platform empowering businesses, vendors, and freelancers to accept, process, and send payments across borders in Africa and beyond.
The Vella service app is built for simplicity, speed, and ease of use.
With over 12,000 businesses already using Vella as their choice of payment growth partner.
You can also integrate Vella into your favorite eCommerce platforms easily and use their exclusively documented API for developers.
To Get started with Vella, create an account, verify your account by submitting a government-issued valid ID, and start exploring your choice gateway to unlock fast and affordable cross-border payment solutions.
Klasha Virtual Card
klasha allows its users to send and receive funds internationally and also make online payment across the globe. It does this by providing a virtual card to its users. The service can be annexed via their mobile app.
With the Klasha Visa Dollar Card you can initiate volume payments well over $100 limit. Make payment for your online service platforms such as Netflix, Facebook ads, and Airbnb, as well as make online purchases on eCommerce websites that accept dollars.
Sudo Africa Virtual Card
Sudo Africa is another online payment option. It majorly offers an API service that enables users to generate Visa, verve, and master cards for payment purposes.
They recently announced they’re closing their Online portal by the end of 2022 in favour of their mobile app, which means that they’re still in active service but you need to download the app to generate or reissue virtual cards.
If you’re a programmer, a small business owner or you’re just looking for something that works for making online purchases after the whole international payment lockdown, then this is another alternative virtual dollar card provider for you.
Sudo card is designed to work like a gift card that can be used to make purchases of anything, anytime and anywhere. It works seamlessly for a small team of programmers and techies who need an international payment solution within their reach.
You can proceed to the play store to download the payment app. Simply search for “Root by Sudo”.
Wallets Africa Virtual Card
Wallets Africa is an online payment and financial service by wallet.ng that allows you to perform transactions across Africa and spend anywhere in the world.
You can access funds digitally or physically with this service. Their Magic Visa card is a special debit card designed for the purpose of making online and in-store purchases.
Wallets Africa, like every other virtual card provider on this page, will require your personal information to get your account set up. Details like your name, address, and government issues ID such as BVN, NIN, passport, or driver’s license will be used for verified purposes on the platform.
Once you set things up, you can start sending money to their people outside Nigeria and also make online payments with the Magic Visa card. The most interesting part is the low service charge to use this service and, in some cases, you can enjoy cash back on some purchases.
If you’re looking for a digital way to carry cash across borders in Africa, Wallets Africa is a great choice to send money, receive money and initiate international payments online.
Chipper Cash Virtual Card
Chipper cash is a mobile payment app that makes it easy for anyone to send and receive payment across and beyond Africa fast with no fees.
From the comfort of your mobile app, you can send money to your friends and families or anyone that needs to get paid using this digital wallet service.
Personal information and any government-issued ID is also required as means of verification on Chipper Cash.
Once you’re done with the setup, you can start sending money anywhere across the globe. They have a very user-friendly, clean, and intuitive mobile app that allows you to get things going easily even for the non-tech-tech-savvy user.
With over 5 million downs at the time of writing this, you can tell Chipper Cash is a popular and well-trusted mobile payment solution across Africa. It’s a reliably great option for people looking to send money across borders more conveniently.
Geepay Africa Virtual Card
Geepay is a digital financing platform specially designed for the gig economy.
It allows anyone to create free international domicile accounts denominated in GBP, USD, and EUR for the purpose of receiving payments for gigs done on online freelancing payment platforms such UpWork.
You can seamlessly automate your billing if you’re an employee, build your credit score to access loans, and get debit cards for easy spending.
To get started on Geepay you’d be required to link to an existing bank account, provide personal information such as name, address, and other contact details and submit any of the three government-issued IDs for verification purposes.
Once you’re good to go, you can receive and send money overseas and also have access to the Geepay virtual and physical cards to make payments on millions of international websites.
With Geepay, no more delays in getting paid for your gigs for freelancers who want to enjoy all the flexibility of working in the gig economy and also exert control over their online purchases.
Changera Virtual Card
Changera is a crypto-powered platform owned by Bitmama and it allows you to pay bills, buy airtime and data and also send and receive money.
To use the Changera service, you’d first need to create an account on the platform, you may also need to submit supporting documents such as ID such as NIN, driver’s license, or international passport.
Fundall Virtual Card
Fundall offers a simple payment platform that makes it easy for anyone to make their payments anywhere across the globe.
With Fundall connected to your local bank account, you can shop on many international websites and platforms.
Their platform is simplified and easy to use, once you signup and provide all the necessary identification details, you can have your Fundall linked to your bank account, make some fund switches and start making your transactions online.
Once you’re all set up, you can use Fundall online payments services to easily and conveniently shop and pay for services without any hassle.
Bitiska Virtual Card
Bitsika is another known option for paying for things online internationally from Nigeria. The company is offering you a virtual card that can be used to shop in Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Togo, and other African countries.
You can also use Bitiska to make payments with mobile money or cryptocurrency in any of those countries.
PayDay Virtual Card
Payday is a financial technology service provider that is headquartered in both Canada and Rwanda.
It offers users a virtual card service called the Payday Card, which is designed to make online purchases anywhere Mastercards are accepted. This way you can shop without limits, as the card can be used globally.
With payday virtual cards will have total control over your budget since the spending limit depends on how much you funded the virtual card with for international transactions.
Payday also facilitates global money transfers, making it a reality for individuals to send and receive money across borders.
