Receive payments with Single Use Virtual Cards

Learn how to receive payments via a Single Use Virtual Card, when your payor submits a payment using QuickBooks Bill Pay. You may be offered this option for eligible payments originally scheduled as ACH or check.

What is a Single Use Virtual Card?

A Single Use Virtual Card is a single-use digital payment method. It allows you to receive payment from your customer (the payor) without needing to share your bank account details. Each virtual card is temporary and created for a specific payment amount.

Each card includes:

• A unique 16-digit card number
• A specific payment amount
• An expiration date (valid for 30 days from the issue date)
• A CVV and associated zip code

You, as the payee, can choose this as your preferred disbursement method for payments from payors using QuickBooks Bill Pay.

Why opt in to Single Use Virtual Cards 

Choosing to receive payments via Single Use Virtual Card offers several advantages:

• Speed: Potentially receive funds faster compared to waiting for checks to arrive and clear, or standard ACH processing times.
• Security: Receive payments without sharing your bank account details directly with each customer. The single-use nature limits risk.
• Speed: Potentially receive funds faster compared to waiting for checks to arrive and clear, or standard ACH processing times.
• Guaranteed Funds: Reduces the risk of bounced checks.
• Reconciliation: Can simplify matching payments to invoices in your accounting software.
• Convenience: Process payments using your existing systems at any time.

How to opt in to receive a Single Use Virtual Card

When your payor schedules a payment using QuickBooks Bill Pay, you, as the payee, will receive an email notification. If the payment is eligible, this email will include an option to receive the payment as a virtual card. You can opt-in until the scheduled withdrawal date for that specific payment.

1. In the payment notification email, find the option to get paid faster via virtual card and select Let's Go.
2. On the next screen, select Get Started to access the QuickBooks Virtual Card portal.
3. Create a new One Intuit Account or Login using your existing Intuit Account credentials.
4. In the portal, select Switch to card to choose the virtual card option for this payment.
5. Confirm if you want to receive all future payments from this specific customer via Virtual Card.

If you don't opt-in by the scheduled withdrawal date, you'll receive the payment via the method the payor originally selected (ACH or check).

Access your Single Use Virtual Card details

Once the payment is processed by your payor and the virtual card is ready, you'll receive a second email.

1. Select the View Card Details button in the email.
2. Login to your One Intuit Account to access the secure QuickBooks Virtual Card portal.
3. Select the View Card Details button within the portal.
4. The portal will display the unique 16-digit card number, the exact payment amount, the card expiration date, the CVV, and the associated zip code.

Process the Single Use Virtual Card payment card

Use the virtual card details (16-digit number, amount, expiry date, CVV, zip code) to process the payment through your existing point-of-sale (POS) system, payment terminal, or online terminal. Treat it like entering card details received over the phone.

Important considerations when processing:

• Single Use: The card can only be processed once. A new card is issued for each payment.
• Exact Amount: You must process the transaction for the exact amount listed on the virtual card. Attempts to process a smaller amount or split the transaction will result in an error.
• Expiration: The expiration date is shown in the portal. If you don't process the virtual card within 30 days, it expires and is automatically canceled. The funds are returned to the payor. You and your customer will be notified. You'll need to contact the payor to arrange for another payment via a different method (like ACH or check).
• Fees: Intuit does not charge a fee to issue the Virtual Card. However, your standard card processing fees from your own processor will apply.
• Cancelation: The payor can cancel the bill payment before you process the virtual card. If they do, the card is deactivated (canceled status), and the funds are returned to them.

Once the card is successfully processed, the payment status updates to "Paid" in your customer's QuickBooks account, and the virtual card is deactivated.

Opt out of receiving Single Use Virtual Cards

You, as the payee, can choose to stop receiving payments via Virtual Card at any time through the Virtual Card portal. This action applies only to future payments from the specific payor you adjust the setting for.

1. Access the Virtual Card portal using the link from either the opt-in confirmation email or the email containing the card details.
2. Log in to your One Intuit Account.
3. Find the setting for receiving future payments from that customer via virtual card.
4. Toggle the slider to the "off" position.

Any payments already issued as a virtual card will remain as such unless they expire or are canceled. If you opt-out, future payments from that payor will revert to the method they originally selected (ACH or check). You can also choose to revert a specific, unprocessed virtual card back to the original ACH or check method before the payment's delivery date.

Track your Single Use Virtual Card status

You can track the status of your virtual card payments within the QuickBooks Virtual Card portal.

Common statuses include:

• Scheduled: Payment planned by the payor, virtual card not yet issued.
• Card Ready: Virtual card issued via email; details are available in the portal.
• Completed: Virtual card has been successfully processed by you, the payee.
• Canceled: The underlying bill payment was canceled by your payor before processing. The card is deactivated.
• Expired: The card was not processed within the 30-day validity period. The card is deactivated.
• Refunded:Payee has processed refund to payor.

You’ll receive e-mail communications to help track the status of your payment.