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1Password now lets you create virtual credit cards

Published Sep 22nd, 2020 11:14PM EDT
1Password Virtual Credit Card
Image: tippapatt/Adobe

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  • Password manager 1Password partnered with Privacy.com to offer users unique virtual credit cards that can be used to pay for online goods and subscriptions.
  • 1Password will automatically suggest virtual credit cards for all the services you’ve saved in the app, and let you set up payment rules.
  • The virtual credit cards will only work with the corresponding online app or service and will be useless to hackers in case of a data breach.

If you’re still using the same sets of passwords to manage tens to hundreds of online accounts, then you’re doing passwords wrong. What you need is a password manager that offers and remembers for you complex, unique passwords that aren’t easy to guess. The only password you’ll need to remember is the password that unlocks that password manager. That’s exactly what 1Password is, although there are plenty of alternatives that do the same job.

These apps prevent hackers from getting into your Netflix account or any other service you have an account with, and 1Password has just announced an awesome new feature that will take user security to a whole new level. The app will now let you save unique virtual credit cards for each online service or app that you have an account with. That way, hackers will have a harder time stealing the details of your actual cards in case one of those services is compromised.

1Password is hardly the only company that offers access to virtual credit or debit cards. But the password manager now integrates that functionality for customers in the US.

To use the same Netflix example, 1Password will now let you assign a unique virtual credit card to Netflix, which can be saved inside the app for quick reference. That’s the only card you’ll need to pay for your subscription, and the virtual card will only work on that service. You can even set spending rules, including the max amount charged to the card and the frequency of payments.

1Password Virtual Credit Cards
1Password now supports virtual credit cards that can be associated with online services like Netflix. Image source: YouTube

The virtual credit card will still link up to your debit card, credit card, or checking account that you use for online payments. But if hackers breach Netflix and somehow steal payment information, your credit card data will be useless.

1Password partnered with Privacy.com for the service, so you’ll need to be a customer of Privacy.com before taking advantage of the feature. The service only works in America for the time being, but it might be expanded to other markets in the near future. That’s not up to 1Password, however, as the feature needs that Privacy.com functionality to work.

1Password is also running two different promos. You can save 25% for the first year of 1Password (1Password Business, 1Password Teams, and 1Password Families), and three months of Privacy Pro if you’re already a 1Password customer. Once you have both services active, you’ll be able to take advantage of the new virtual credit card feature.

The following video shows the feature in action, and this support page will help you get started:

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.