Google Pay's new Virtual cards can be used to replace real credit card information when shopping online using Chrome or an Android device.

Google Pay is introducing new ‘Virtual cards’ to Android and Chrome as a measure to help keep a user’s credit card details safe while shopping online. Although the internet has made shopping for products and services much easier, it has also opened up new ways for scammers to get access to a user’s private information. If it is financial information that's compromised, the effects can be devastating.

When using various Google products, including both Chrome and Android, Google already has ways to help keep a user’s details secure. One of the most commonly known and used is likely to be autofill. This is where a user clicks on a field for something like a credit card number and Google offers to add the number for the user, avoiding the need to manually type out the number. This not only makes it quicker to enter this information, but also adds an extra layer of protection.

Related: The Google Pixel 6a Gives You A Tensor Chip & Two Cameras For $449

In the future, Google is now looking to improve on the use of autofill with Virtual cards. During this year's Google I/O event, Google explained that when someone uses autofill to add payment details, a virtual card will be used instead. This virtual card contains a virtual number which replaces the actual card number. As a result, the website or app that’s receiving the information won’t actually be receiving the real financial details while processing the payment.

The use of virtual cards will certainly make it safer when shopping online, but this appears to still be a work in progress. For example, not all cards will automatically be supported at launch, although most of the major ones will be in due course. Google has confirmed that Virtual card support will be available for Visa, American Express, Mastercard and all Capital One cards. In addition, the new Virtual cards are currently only scheduled to roll out in the US. Google has yet to confirm whether outer countries and regions will get the feature.

It also looks like the onus will be on the user to actually enable the feature to begin with. As Google explains, the feature will be managed by visiting pay.google.com where the user will be able to see transactions made using these virtual card replacements as well as enable the feature on a card-by-card basis. Again, for cards that are currently supported. Google Pay’s new Virtual cards feature is expected to begin rolling out this summer and will first become available for Capital One customers.

Next: Get Ready To Log In To Websites & Apps By Unlocking Your Smartphone

Source: Google, Google Pay Help

John Finn is a technology editor and writer for Screen Rant. John has been covering technology since 2014 and focuses on where tech meets the movie and TV industry. A Psychology graduate from England who now lives in the US, John previously worked in the aviation industry as an airline reviewer. You can find John on Twitter @J_Finns or email at john [at] screenrant [dot] com.