How can I activate my Visa Debit card?

1. Website: Access your bank’s or credit union’s website, sign in to your account and search for “activate new card”.
2. Mobile app: Many banks allow you to activate your card in the mobile app.
3. Phone: Typically, your new card will include a sticker with a toll-free number to use for activation.

Where can I find the debit card number?

This unique 16-digit number is printed on your Visa Debit card. To shop online or by phone, you’ll need this number, along with your card’s expiration date and CVV number.

What are the differences between Visa Debit and Visa Prepaid cards?

Your Visa Debit card is typically connected to a traditional checking account with your bank. A Visa Prepaid card is another type of account with a stored value balance. Prepaid cards can be unregistered gift cards or registered reloadable prepaid cards being used to make and receive payments ongoing. Only debit cards connected to a checking account or registered reloadable prepaid cards can receive payments.

How to use your card online

1. Select the items or service you want to purchase and head to checkout.
2. At checkout, enter your debit card information: 16-digit card number, expiration date and CVV code.
3. Make sure you’ve used the correct billing address for your debit card.

Making payments

A Visa Debit card works like a check. Your purchase amount is deducted directly from your checking account.
You can use your Visa Debit card to:

• Place an order online, by phone or mail
• Get money out of an ATM using your PIN
• Swipe or insert (chip) your card at merchants³

With a Visa Debit card, you have the added security of Visa. That includes Visa’s Zero Liability Policy,² which protects you from fraudulent charges.

²Visa’s Zero Liability Policy does not apply to certain commercial card and anonymous prepaid card transactions or transactions not processed by Visa. Cardholders must use care in protecting their card and notify their issuing financial institution immediately of any unauthorized use. Contact your issuer for more detail.

³EMV* cards include a secure microprocessor chip that performs cryptographic processing during a payment transaction. In an EMV transaction, which includes dynamic data, the card is first authenticated, followed by verification of the cardholder. The transaction is then authorized online or offline, according to issuer-determined risk parameters. *EMV is an open standard set of specifications for chip cards and acceptance devices.

Signing in or using your PIN

With your Visa Debit card, you can sign for your purchases, or in some cases enter a PIN when a merchant provides a PIN pad. In other instances, you can pay without signing or entering a PIN.

Withdrawing cash

You can get cash back when you use your Visa Debit card at many merchant locations. To get cash back, press DEBIT instead of CREDIT. You will be prompted to enter your PIN and select the amount of cash that you want to complete the transaction.

How do account holds work?

Sometimes when you use your Visa Debit card — for example, at a hotel, gas station, or car rental — the business may place a temporary hold on some money in your account. This isn’t a charge, but it sets aside that amount to make sure you have enough to cover the final bill. The hold is released once the actual payment amount is processed, but it may take a few days for the money to become available again.

How do account alerts work?

Some account alert amounts, including online statements, may not reflect the final amount. This happens especially at merchants where the final amount isn’t known such as restaurants and pay-at-the-pump fueling. The account alert amount may not be the final transaction amount that will post on your statement. Your online statement should reflect the final amount of the transaction by the next business day.

When do I use a credit card and a debit card?

Car rental companies and hotels may require you to present a credit card when making a reservation. However, you may use your Visa Debit card when you pay the bill for the rental or hotel.

When will funds be available?

In the U.S., when you use your debit card to make or receive payments, funds are withdrawn from or deposited into your bank account. For receiving a payment, funds are available in typically under a minute.¹

¹Actual fund availability depends on U.S. receiving financial institutions.

Why it’s secure to send and receive payments with Visa Debit

Using your Visa Debit card connected to your bank accounts means you no longer have to provide your sensitive bank checking and routing number to make or receive payments. When you use your Visa Debit card to make or receive payments, you receive the same benefits and protections including the Visa Zero Liability Policy.²

If your card number becomes compromised, simply request a new card number from your bank. No need to close your bank account and open a new one.

²Visa’s Zero Liability Policy does not apply to certain commercial card and anonymous prepaid card transactions or transactions not processed by Visa. Cardholders must use care in protecting their card and notify their issuing financial institution immediately of any unauthorized use. Contact your issuer for more detail.

The difference between transferring money with ACH (bank transfer) and your Visa Debit card

With bank transfers like ACH, you need to input your sensitive bank checking and routing numbers to a money transfer app to move money. With a typical bank transfer, it can take 2-3 business days or longer to receive payment.

Since your Visa Debit card is connected to your bank account, you simply need to input your debit card number to a money transfer app to move money. Transfers with your Visa Debit card happen within minutes, so you won't have to wait days, weekends or holidays.¹

¹Actual fund availability depends on U.S. receiving financial institutions.

Visa or your bank do not charge you a fee to send or receive money with your Visa Debit card. Some merchants and originators may or may not charge a convenience fee to use your Visa Debit card.