Amex Virtual Card: What Is It and How to Get One?

What Is an Amex Virtual Card?

An Amex Virtual Card is a temporary digital version of your physical Amex card with a unique 16-digit card number that can be issued on the same credit line. It’s a much more secure and transparent way to make purchases for two reasons:

You don’t have to share your actual card number with the merchant.
You can set the amount the card has access to and the expiration period of the virtual card.

How does the Amex Virtual Card Work?

An Amex virtual card works like any other credit card. You can create them directly from the card issuer’s platform or by using third-party applications they integrate with. Even though the card might not have a physical form, you can still make purchases by connecting it to your mobile wallet like Apple Pay or Google Wallet.

How is an Amex Virtual Credit Card Better than Physical Credit Cards?

Enhanced Security: With virtual cards, you use unique, randomly generated 16-digit card numbers to hide your actual card details from merchants, reducing the risk of fraud in online transactions.
Convenience and Accessibility: You can access your virtual cards from a mobile app or wallet like Apple Pay or Google Pay, eliminating the need to carry your physical card everywhere. If your employees need your physical card to make business transactions, you can quickly create and share a virtual card with them so you never become a blocker for their work.
Budgeting Control: You can also set spend limits and expiration dates for each virtual card you issue, which is ideal for specific purchases or controlling expenses. For example, you can issue a virtual card that only works at Home Depot with a daily limit of $250. This can help your employees stay on budget and eliminate unnecessary expenses.
Reduced Risk of Loss or Theft: No physical card means no chance of losing or having it stolen. And in case of any fraudulent activity, you can deactivate the card remotely without even needing to call the bank or card provider.

How To Get An Amex Virtual Card

Since the virtual cards are issued on your main Amex credit line, you must first be an Amex credit card holder. Once that’s out of the way, issuing virtual cards is very simple. You can issue them directly from the card provider, in this case, Amex, or by using tools like Fyle that integrate directly with Amex.

Benefits of using an Amex Virtual Credit Card

One-time use numbers: Each virtual card generates a unique number for every transaction, masking your actual card details and minimizing fraud risk.
No physical card to lose: Eliminate the worry of losing your physical card and potential unauthorized charges.
Dynamic security code: Each transaction uses a unique security code, adding an extra layer of protection.
Budgeting control: Set spending limits and expiration dates for each virtual card, perfect for specific purchases or managing expenses.
Multiple cards for different needs: Create separate virtual cards for subscriptions, travel, or online stores, keeping your finances organized.
Reduced clutter: Fewer physical cards in your wallet can be liberating and reduce the risk of accidental loss.
Trial subscriptions: Use virtual cards for free trials to avoid unwanted charges if you forget to cancel.

But there’s more…

Another significant benefit of using Amex business virtual cards is integration with Fyle, a powerful expense management software!

Fyle's now directly integrates with American Express to bring instant credit card reconciliations — *Enrollment required and fees may apply

Fyle is a real-time expense management software that simplifies tracking receipts, reporting expenses and reconciling credit card spend. With its latest integration with Amex, managing employee credit card spend has never been easier. Let’s take a look at how Fyle + Amex can help you improve your organization’s expense management process and enable you to close your books on time:

Manage budgets with unlimited virtual cards

Create Amex virtual cards right from Fyle's platform

If managing employee expenses or staying on budget is complicated, with Fyle, you can now issue unlimited virtual cards to your employees straight from your Amex credit line to simplify it. You can issue the card with custom controls like spend limits and validity.

For example, if your employee wants to buy office supplies, you can create a virtual card instantly for $100 and allow it to be used only at Walmart. This ensures your employees comply with the given budgets and minimizes the risk of fraud or misuse. A virtual Amex card can be issued case-by-case for paying specific vendors, booking employee travel, software subscriptions, and more.

No more lost or delayed receipts

With Fyle, collect receipts from employees via text messages

Fyle uses a revolutionary new way to track and manage credit card expenses. Thanks to the direct integration with Amex, whenever an employee uses their virtual card, Fyle sends a text message requesting a reply with a picture of the receipt. Fyle reads the receipt and automatically matches it to the corresponding transaction instantly. Stop wasting time chasing employees, and let Fyle do it for you.

Close books quicker with instant reconciliation

Image of Fyle's dashboard to manage employee credit cards

If your current reconciliation process is manual and error-prone, it's time to let Fyle take over. When your employee sends the picture of the receipt, Fyle automatically matches and reconciles it to the correct transaction. It also accurately codes the transactions to your accounting software according to your GL so you can close your books on time.

Stay on top of card spend with up to date information

Real-time tracking of employee card spend via Fyle's dashboard

Thanks to the direct integration with Amex, you can track your employees' card spending in real-time from Fyle. This makes it easy to manage budgets, spot spending trends, and make informed decisions.

Reduced fraud

Virtual cards are a great way to decrease fraud, and here’s how:

Since each virtual card generates unique card numbers for each transaction, it reduces the risk of unauthorized access or leak of sensitive information.
With virtual cards, you can set specific spending limits, expiration dates, and even acceptable merchants, which minimizes the opportunity for fraudulent activities.
The absence of a physical card reduces the chances of loss or theft, adding an extra layer of security.

FAQs:

Where can I use my Amex virtual cards?

You can use Amex virtual cards anywhere Amex payments are accepted (which is 99% of places in the US).

What cards are eligible for a virtual Amex card number?

Any Amex credit card in the US issued from any US banking subsidiary of Amex can be used to issue an Amex virtual credit card.

Am I still eligible for rewards when I use my Amex virtual card number?

Yes, but please note that only the main Amex credit card account, from which the virtual card is issued, gets all the rewards and benefits. So, if you're using a virtual card linked to your Amex credit line, any rewards or perks associated with that purchase will go to the main credit card account, not the virtual one.

Can I take advantage of Amex Offers using my Amex virtual card number?

Yes, all offers tied to the parent card come down to the virtual card as well.

Conclusion

Amex virtual cards offer enhanced security and budgeting tools alongside the convenience of traditional cards. One-time use numbers and dynamic codes minimize fraud, while customizable spending limits keep you on track.

For businesses, integrating with expense management software like Fyle unlocks even greater efficiency: real-time expense tracking, instant reconciliation, and valuable spending insights. Ditch the paperwork and optimize your finances – go virtual with Fyle and American Express.