Google adds virtual credit cards to Chrome to keep you safe online

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

Google shared a cool new privacy feature as part of its keynote address to kick off the Google I/O developer’s conference yesterday. The feature will let you hide your credit card numbers with a new, virtual number on Chrome to hide your information.

The new feature will work whenever you’re prompted to enter a payment card’s information on a website in Chrome. The browser will ask you if you want to use a virtual number instead of the real one. This lets you hide your credit card information while still being able to shop online.

Chrome is working with credit card companies to implement this new virtual card feature. And it will work differently depending on what kind of card you have.

READ MORE: Google Chrome is still the fastest browser on Mac

READ MORE: Google’s new user controls let people limit sensitive ad categories

For example, Capital One members get a unique virtual card for every site they visit. Visa and American Express users will have the same virtual card number. But Chrome will generate a new CVV code for every virtual card transaction.

And just like with any other saved payment methods, you’ll be able to head to pay.google.com to manage your virtual cards and transactions.

This convenient new feature is a pleasant addition from Google. With the prevalence of online shopping these days, it will be nice to know that Google is helping to protect our payment information from potential breaches or hacks.

READ MORE: Google Chrome on desktop now has a better image search option

The new virtual card feature is coming to Google Chrome in the US for Visa, American Express, and all Capital One cards in the summer. Mastercard will be hopping on board later and Google hopes to expand the feature worldwide in the future.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Did Google remove Reader Mode from the Chrome desktop app?
• Google Workspace adds auto-summaries and meeting transcripts
• RIP: Apple is discontinuing the iPod Touch
• Google Docs apparently hates the word ‘And’