Privacy.com links to your bank account, and creates individual virtual credit cards that locks to the merchant upon use, or can be single use. You can put a limit based on: per transaction, per month, or cumulative total; you can also pause, or close the card any time.
More banks are beginning to offer virtual credit cards as well, but I don’t know how common they actually are.
Beware that some vendors do not accept privacy credit cards, and privacy may block some merchants that are known to generate a large number of declines (like shady porn subs, or onlyfans).
Also, some in person vendors will not accept a virtual card, and will require physically swiping a card in person. So, this would be more in a situation that the vendor offers online registration of some kind where swiping is not available.
(My auto insurance company had no problem just reading the card information off my phone, but my local car wash insisted they needed the card (but accepted if I registered online instead))
Edit: (this post is entirely from a USA perspective) but also be aware of terms of contract. you may still be liable for additional fees, even if you stop paying, if your contract term is not up, and you signed for a specific term, or have early cancellation fees. They can still legally collect on the contract, just they will have to seek payment by another method. Also, be aware of your state laws; some states limit contract terms, such as California:
“The duration of the contract may not exceed three years, and the contract may not require payments for longer than the term of the contract.5 That means that a four-year contract would be unlawful, and that a two-year contract requiring payments for longer than two years also would be unlawful. It also means that “lifetime contracts” are prohibited. The contract must state the length of the contract term in a size equal to at least 14-point type, above the place for your signature.6”
Privacy.com links to your bank account, and creates individual virtual credit cards that locks to the merchant upon use, or can be single use. You can put a limit based on: per transaction, per month, or cumulative total; you can also pause, or close the card any time.
More banks are beginning to offer virtual credit cards as well, but I don’t know how common they actually are.
Beware that some vendors do not accept privacy credit cards, and privacy may block some merchants that are known to generate a large number of declines (like shady porn subs, or onlyfans).
Also, some in person vendors will not accept a virtual card, and will require physically swiping a card in person. So, this would be more in a situation that the vendor offers online registration of some kind where swiping is not available.
(My auto insurance company had no problem just reading the card information off my phone, but my local car wash insisted they needed the card (but accepted if I registered online instead))
Edit: (this post is entirely from a USA perspective) but also be aware of terms of contract. you may still be liable for additional fees, even if you stop paying, if your contract term is not up, and you signed for a specific term, or have early cancellation fees. They can still legally collect on the contract, just they will have to seek payment by another method. Also, be aware of your state laws; some states limit contract terms, such as California:
“The duration of the contract may not exceed three years, and the contract may not require payments for longer than the term of the contract.5 That means that a four-year contract would be unlawful, and that a two-year contract requiring payments for longer than two years also would be unlawful. It also means that “lifetime contracts” are prohibited. The contract must state the length of the contract term in a size equal to at least 14-point type, above the place for your signature.6”
Source: https://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/legal_guides/w_10.shtml