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What is the best virtual card for ads? Your essential guide
Last update: 12 May 2025
If you’re researching virtual cards for ads, it’s likely that you’re currently:
- Struggling with visibility over ad spend since you’re having to use multiple debit cards and accounts to pay for online advertising across different channels
- Spending too much on transaction and FX fees when paying for digital advertising in multiple currencies
- Wanting to be able to issue new cards fast and be able to set individual limits on each one
Here, we’ll help you choose a virtual card that will improve your paid marketing strategy. We’ll also introduce you to World Card, the payment card from WorldFirst that lets you buy ads in 15+ currencies with zero transaction fees.
We’ll cover:
- What to look for in virtual cards for ads
- Why choose WorldFirst for virtual cards for your media buying strategy
- How to apply for a World Card account
- Three additional virtual cards for ads to consider
Register with WorldFirst today and enjoy seamless global ad transactions with our virtual World Card.
What to look for in virtual cards for ads
A virtual card works in the same way as a physical card – with the simple difference that it doesn’t exist in a physical form. The best virtual cards allow you to manage all of your paid marketing accounts in one place, so you can make informed decisions that result in real growth.
With so many virtual cards on the market, how do you know which ones are the best for you?
It should be quick to set up, with a dashboard that’s intuitive to navigate and manage
The best virtual card providers are usually quick to sign up with, don’t charge issuance fees and offer intuitive dashboards. In particular, you should look for a virtual card provider that:
- Makes it easy to add a virtual card to your dashboard and manage card accounts efficiently. Some providers have more stringent application processes which can make adding a virtual card to your account more challenging. Other providers like WorldFirst and PST make this process simple. Once you set up a WorldFirst account, you can register for a virtual World Card in seconds.
- Allows you to track and manage spend across multiple ad accounts in one place and make smarter strategic decisions that boost your return on marketing investment. With greater visibility into your payment activity, you can allocate budget to the advertising platforms that drive the most revenue and adjust your campaign spend when it matters most.
- Gives you the choice to set up multiple cards or balances under one account and take control of your spending. Having separate balances for each card corresponding to each specific ad platform or region – all in the same platform – means you can track your spending with more accuracy and avoid overspending on your campaigns.
It should offer low fees for payment transactions and FX to maximise ad budgets
The best virtual cards for ads come with minimal or zero transaction fees. Reputable providers also offer 0% on foreign exchange (FX) fees, which can significantly boost your ad budgets and increase your profits in the long run. This is especially true in e-commerce.
When weighing up your options, it’s also worth choosing a virtual card provider with transparent fee structures. Go with a provider that tells you exactly what you’re getting from the start. That way, you’ll avoid any hidden costs that could surprise you down the line.
A good provider won’t charge you to set up a virtual card account or ask you to pay annual maintenance fees. They’ll also communicate how many free cards you can add to your account and any payment or transaction fees when you sign up. Some of the best providers won’t charge you transaction fees at all.
It should have robust security features to help you remain compliant and avoid fraud issues
Virtual card providers enable you to create and disable cards instantly, so that if card details are misplaced, the threat to the security of your account is limited. That said, they’re still prone to security issues including hacking, identity theft and malware issues that could lead to your card details being leaked to cybercriminals or scammers.
All trusted virtual card providers include security features like 3D Secure (3DS) and Address Verification System (AVS), helping protect your ad spend across platforms and regions.
To keep your media buying activities watertight, you should also choose a provider with a secure dashboard login system, exceptional user support and the ability to cancel a card or account if you’re concerned about a security breach.
Why choose WorldFirst for virtual cards for your media buying strategy
At WorldFirst, we offer businesses a simplified and secure platform for global payments. With a World Account, you can make payments to 200+ countries in 100+ currencies. As a WorldFirst account holder, you can apply for our virtual World Card.
WorldFirst’s virtual World Card streamlines the way you handle digital ad payments across multiple campaigns and platforms. If you’re a scaling business or marketing agency managing paid ad campaigns across multiple geographies, we make it easy to manage spending across all your channels in one place. With World Card, you can use virtual cards in 15+ currencies while saving on FX costs.
Many global businesses already use WorldFirst as their preferred payment platform. World Card will improve your media buying strategy for three key reasons:
1. Manage multiple cards, accounts and campaigns in one intuitive dashboard
With WorldFirst, you can set up a multi-currency account for free and apply for a World Card instantly instead of waiting for days or weeks to get started.
Once your account is set up, you can consolidate all your business accounts in one place. This way, you’ll be able to track spending and budgets across multiple campaigns, platforms and currencies easily and transparently. For instance, you can create separate virtual cards to pay for advertising on Google, Meta, LinkedIn or other social media platforms, and manage all these card accounts in the same WorldFirst dashboard.
You can handle all your payments with a single virtual card or create a separate virtual card for each channel you manage – or region you market in – for complete control over your digital ad spend.
If you’re an e-commerce company, for example, you can have one virtual card for ad campaigns or suppliers in Malaysia, one for China, and one in the US to make the reconciliation process more accurate and easy to manage. You can drill down even further and have dedicated cards for individual ad platforms, campaigns and suppliers for extra visibility over your ad payments.
For added spending control, you can also set virtual card spending caps, including single transaction limits, daily usage limits and monthly usage limits.
You can also make ad payments wherever Mastercard is accepted and use your World Card to pay for a variety of additional business expenses such as SaaS subscriptions, marketplace fees, supplier invoices, travel, shipping and logistics.
Coming soon in 2025: Physical payment cards, the ability to add use cards with your Apple Pay or Google wallet, and employee cards that allow users with permissions to add and manage cards directly online.
- Open 20+ local currency accounts and get paid like a local
- Pay suppliers, partners and staff worldwide in 100+ currencies
- Collect payments for free from 130+ marketplaces and payment gateways, including Amazon, Etsy, PayPal and Shopify
- Save with competitive exchange rates on currency conversions and transfers
- Lock in exchange rates for up to 24 months for cash flow certainty
2. Make global digital ad payments in 15+ currencies and save on FX costs
With WorldFirst, you can pay like a local in multiple currencies, so you can buy media more strategically and affordably and reach global markets with your paid marketing campaigns.
You won’t even need to factor in steep FX and transaction fees. Instead, a World Card can make your media buying strategy more efficient, help you earn a better return for your marketing investments and scale your business more consistently.
Your World Account allows you to pay for ads in 150 different currencies, 15 of which charge zero transaction fees. These currencies are: AUD, CAD, CHF, CNH, CZK, EUR, GBP, HKD, JPY, MXN, NZD, PLN, SEK, SGD and USD.
You can pay for ads directly from any of your virtual currency accounts, with the balance deducted from that specific account.
There are no recurring fees for holding an account, and no FX fee charges (including weekends), so you can invest more into your global marketing campaigns and scale your business without limits.
Paying with a card and managing everything through a single account means fewer delays or conversion issues, so you can act faster when launching or scaling ad campaigns. This allows you to respond to emerging trends or seasonal marketing opportunities while keeping on top of your media buying cash flow.
As an added bonus, World Card users also have the potential to earn 10% cashback on their first £1,000 and an ongoing 1% cashback on their monthly spend.
3. Buy digital ads and manage your campaigns safely and securely
The threat of security breaches should be a concern for all businesses. If you don’t prioritise security when paying for ads, you risk losing a significant portion of your advertising budget to cybercrime.
WorldFirst’s World Card is secure, compliant and equipped with robust fraud protection features, including 3D Secure (3DS) and Address Verification System (AVS) for extra peace of mind when making payments online:
- Act fast on suspicious activities with real-time fraud monitoring, blocking and security notifications. If any unusual activities are detected, we’ll let you know before your account or card is blocked.
- Secure your card with the ability to freeze or cancel it with a click, to keep your money safe in the event of a security breach
WorldFirst is also PCI and PSD2 compliant to ensure all of your data remains safe and secure when paying for ads across several platforms and regions.
How to apply for a World Card account
Would you like to apply for a WorldFirst World Card? Here’s how. If you haven’t already set up a WorldFirst World Account, you’ll need to follow these steps:
- Get started by visiting our official online portal
- Fill in your account details
- Provide the necessary verification documents
- Select your WorldFirst account requirements
- Head to “World Card” in the main navigation page
- Click on “I agree and apply [Terms and Conditions]”, and then click on “Apply now”
- Enter a nickname for your first card then click on “Apply”
- You can select yourself or other verified directors as the holder of the card
Note: you can use this official Help Centre resource to navigate the process.
Three additional options for virtual cards for ads
If you want to compare virtual cards for ads and weigh up your options, here are three alternative providers to World Card. Compare their features and see how they stack up.
1. PST
PST is a popular virtual credit card for affiliate marketers, advertisers and growing e-commerce businesses.
The provider’s virtual card option is quick to set up and supports payments across all major ad platforms, including Google, Meta and TikTok. You can set up 100 free virtual cards but once you’ve reached your limit, you’ll have to pay for extras or add-ons that could eat into your ad budget.
While you can top up your account with cryptocurrency, PST only supports payments in US dollars (USD) or euros (EUR).
2. Walletto
Walletto’s virtual cards for ads are accepted worldwide and all of its payment plans support limitless card usage.
However, each plan comes with a different limit of free virtual cards you can add to your account:
- 500 for the Explorer plan
- 1,000 for the Professional plan
- 1,500 for the Mastermind plan
It’s also worth noting that you only receive dedicated technical support with the provider’s Mastermind plan which costs €500 per month.
3. Bankera
Bankera is a modern financial solutions provider and as such, its virtual card for ads are also cryptocurrency-friendly.
These virtual cards are supplied by Visa, and primarily set up for European usage. They’re also platform-specific (there’s one for Facebook Ads and one for Google Ads), making them far less flexible than other options on the market.
Improve your media buying strategy with World Card
If you’re looking to scale your global reach through paid advertising, World Card helps you manage your marketing spend more effectively. With World Card, you can pay for ads in 150 different currencies – with zero fees on 15 major currencies – and get the best returns for your paid marketing activities.
You can also manage several cards from one dashboard to get a clear view of your ad payments and take control of your spending.
With robust security features such as real-time fraud monitoring, 3D Secure (online checkout verification), you can manage multiple ad payments with more peace of mind.
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