Best virtual card for online payment in Africa [2027]

Compare virtual cards for online payments across Africa and see how each option handles fees, currencies and international transactions

Key takeaways

• Virtual cards enable online payments using funds linked to a wallet, account balance or credit facility, without requiring a physical card
• Paying via these cards can carry transaction or currency conversion fees, with prices in this guide starting from US$0.70 per transaction
• The World Card is a Mastercard-powered virtual card for businesses linked to a multi-currency account

For a business in Africa, running a service like Google Ads, Meta Ads, AWS, Shopify or a SaaS subscription means paying an overseas merchant, often in USD, EUR or GBP. These are recurring payments, and to make sure your business runs uninterrupted, it’s important to have a card that works reliably every time.

Virtual cards are designed specifically for online use and they may or may not have a matching physical variant. Businesses can generate a card in minutes, link it to a funded account or wallet, and start paying international merchants without waiting for a physical card to arrive.

Some providers also let businesses issue multiple cards for different teams, categories or subscriptions, which makes tracking and controlling online spend easier.

This guide covers the virtual card options available to African businesses for online payments, along with the World Card by WorldFirst, a Mastercard-powered virtual card linked to a multi-currency account.

Top virtual cards for online payments in Africa

1. The World Card

The World Card is a Mastercard-powered virtual card linked to the World Account, WorldFirst’s multi-currency account. It draws funds directly from available account balances, so businesses do not need to preload or separately top up the card.

The card can be used to send money overseas as online payments wherever Mastercard is accepted, across 150+ currencies. Payments in the 15 currencies supported by the World Account incur no currency conversion fee when sufficient funds are held in that currency. If the balance is insufficient, conversion charges may apply.

Additional features of the World Card 

• The linked World Account supports holding funds in 15+ currencies, including USD, GBP, EUR and CNH
• Up to 20 virtual cards can be created at no additional cost
• Assign different cards to different employees or expenses, with spending controls and real-time transaction tracking
• Cards can be frozen or unfrozen when needed
• Cashback available on eligible spending, subject to terms and conditions

*Fees checked in September 2026

2. Eversend Virtual Dollar Card

Eversend offers a prepaid virtual USD Visa card to users in Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana for online payments in US Dollars.^1,2,4 The card is funded from the user’s Eversend balance, but its balance is separate from the main wallet, so funds must be transferred to the card before making a payment.^1,3 Payments made in currencies other than USD may incur a 3.5% foreign exchange fee plus a US$0.50 charge.⁵

*Fees checked in September 2026

3. Grey Virtual Card

Grey provides virtual Visa cards to users in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and Morocco.^7,8 The cards can be linked to supported foreign currency balances (USD, EUR and GBP), allowing users to spend from available funds without having to load a separate card for each transaction.⁸

Grey also supports 3D Secure authentication, Apple Pay and Google Pay where available.⁸ Payments made in currencies outside the supported balances may incur cross-border charges of up to 2% plus US$0.50.⁸

*Fees checked in September 2026

4. Cardify Africa Virtual Dollar Card

Cardify Africa offers digital Dollar cards for online payments in Nigeria.10 Users can choose between a basic Dollar card powered by Mastercard and a standard Dollar card powered by Visa, with funding available through supported NGN or USDT balances.¹⁰

The Cardify app lets users view their card details, available balance and transaction history.¹⁰ The cards can be used for international online transactions, including subscriptions, purchases from online stores and other digital payments.¹⁰

*Fees checked in September 2026

5. UBA Naira Credit Card

UBA’s Naira Credit Card is a traditional credit card available in Gold and Platinum variants, rather than a prepaid USD virtual card.11 Both variants provide credit facilities of up to NGN 3 million, subject to the applicable terms.¹¹

Cardholders can use the card for local ATM withdrawals, POS transactions and online payments.¹¹ UBA also lists benefits related to selected hotel and restaurant discounts and lounge access.¹¹

*Fees checked in September 2026

6. Chipper Cash USD Virtual Card

Chipper Cash offers prepaid virtual USD cards in Nigeria and Ghana, with funds loaded from a user’s Chipper wallet.^{12,13,14,15,16} The cards can be used for international online payments at merchants that accept Visa, with the available balance determining how much can be spent.^15,16,17

Transaction fees apply for all payments and vary by market: in Nigeria, Chipper charges US$0.90 for each successful USD card transaction.¹⁸ In Ghana, successful USD transactions incur a US$0.10 fee.¹⁸

*Fees checked in September 2026

7. Raenest Virtual Card

Raenest’s virtual USD card is available through its app and can be funded with NGN, USD, GBP, EUR, USDT or USDC.^19,20,21 It can be used for online payments wherever Visa is accepted, with users able to set spending limits across daily, weekly or monthly periods.^19,20

The card can be created by users in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya and can also be frozen/deleted from the app.^19,20,23 Each transaction made by the card carries a fee of US$0.70.²²

*Fees checked in September 2026

FAQs

1. What is the best virtual card for online payment in Africa?

There is no single card structure across these providers. Options differ by country availability, card network, funding method, supported currencies, payment compatibility, spending controls and applicable fees.

2. Can I use a virtual card for Google Ads?

Yes, virtual cards for Google Ads can be used where the issuer supports the transaction. Some providers specifically list Google Ads, while others say that they support international online payments and advertising use cases in general.

3. What are the best virtual credit cards in Africa?

Among the cards covered here, UBA’s Naira Credit Card is a credit card. The rest provide prepaid or funded virtual card products, while the World Card is a virtual card linked to available World Account balances.

Sources

1. https://help.eversend.co/en/articles/9220938-how-to-fund-add-money-to-the-eversend-usd-virtual-card
2. https://help.eversend.co/en/articles/4418882-where-does-the-eversend-virtual-card-work
3. https://help.eversend.co/en/articles/9388305-is-my-eversend-wallet-balance-connected-to-my-usd-virtual-card
4. https://help.eversend.co/en/articles/4418882-where-does-the-eversend-virtual-card-work
5. https://help.eversend.co/en/articles/10203368-what-are-the-international-payment-fees-on-eversend-virtual-cards
6. https://help.eversend.co/en/articles/8185032-eversend-virtual-card-fees
7. https://support.grey.co/en/articles/13404475-why-can-t-i-create-a-visa-card
8. https://grey.co/cards
9. https://support.grey.co/en/articles/13310983-faqs-on-mastercards
10. https://cards.cardify.co
11. https://www.ubagroup.com/nigeria/personal-banking/cards/uba-naira-credit-card/
12. https://www.chippercash.com/chipper-card
13. https://support.chippercash.com/en/articles/7918118-ghana-how-to-claim-your-ghana-chipper-usd-card
14. https://support.chippercash.com/en/articles/6019377-nigeria-what-is-a-chipper-ng-usd-card
15. https://support.chippercash.com/en/articles/11066766-common-sites-where-chipper-virtual-card-can-be-used
16. https://support.chippercash.com/en/articles/8231871-fund-your-chipper-cards-directly-from-your-chipper-usd-balance-or-wallet
17. https://business.chippercash.com
18. https://support.chippercash.com/en/articles/5194944-how-to-claim-your-chipper-card
19. https://www.raenest.com/cards
20. https://www.raenest.com/business/cards
21. https://help.raenest.com/en/articles/9520580-raenest-dollar-card-faq
22. https://help.raenest.com/en/articles/6391318-usd-virtual-card-charges-on-raenest
23. https://help.raenest.com/en/articles/16843480-raenest-virtual-card-regional-usage-guidelines

This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or professional advice. This article should not be regarded as constituting an offer or a solicitation to buy or sell any regulated or financial products or services. WorldFirst makes no representations or warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or applicability of the content, and readers are encouraged to consult with legal professionals or other professionals for advice tailored to their specific situation. WorldFirst does not guarantee the accuracy and completeness of this article and expressly disclaims any and all liability to any person in respect of the consequences of anything done or omitted to be done wholly or partly in reliance on this article.