How to use Wise digital card for Malaysians - Everything you need to know about the virtual card

Wise customers in Malaysia can generate a secure and flexible Wise digital card to spend online, in app, and in-person from their Wise account balance. Virtual cards can be used for mobile payments with a wallet like Apple Pay - so you don’t need to worry about carrying cards with you and can leave home with just your phone.

But what’s the difference between the Wise digital card vs physical card? And what do I need to know about how to use a Wise digital card? This guide is here to help you out.

How does the Wise digital card work?

We’ll cover how to pay with a Wise digital card in detail a little later - first, the basics. A Wise digital card can be used to make payments online, in apps, and in-person by using your smartphone. The main difference is that instead of having a physical plastic card, a digital card - also called a virtual card - lives on your phone. This means you don’t need to worry about carrying (or accidentally losing) your physical card - just transact online with your digital card, or tap to pay with your phone wherever you see the contactless symbol displayed.

When you spend with your Wise digital card the costs of the transaction are deducted from the balance in your Wise account - just the same as when you spend with your physical Wise card. The same Wise features and fees apply - so there’s no fee to spend a currency you hold in your account, and if you need currency conversion your virtual card can do it for you, with low, transparent fees from 0.33%*.

Virtual cards are also very good for security. You can’t lose them - and because your virtual card has different card numbers to your physical card, you can freeze or destroy it in an instant if you’re worried it’s been compromised - without needing to destroy your physical card.

You can’t use your Wise digital card in situations where a physical card is essential - like making most ATM withdrawals. However, it’s a very handy, safe, and easy option for many common day to day transactions.

How to get a Wise digital card?

To get a Wise digital card you’ll first need to sign up for a Wise account, get verified by uploading images of your passport or MyKad, and order a Wise physical card. Once you’ve submitted your order for your physical card, you’ll be able to instantly generate up to 3 different virtual cards. This means you can start to spend with your card immediately, rather than needing to wait for the physical card to arrive in the mail.

Here’s how to create a Wise virtual card in the Wise app:

1. Log into your Wise account on the Wise app
2. Tap Card, and follow the prompts to order your physical Wise card - you’ll be asked to confirm your shipping address and pay a one-time 13.7 MYR fee
3. Once you’ve done that, swipe to the Get your digital card section
4. Select Get your digital card to generate a virtual card

Once you’ve got your virtual card you can add it to your preferred wallet, like Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Fitbit Pay or Garmin Pay. You can then start to use your card for in-person, online and in app spending instantly.

How to use Wise digital card?

For many transactions, your Wise digital card can be used just like the physical Wise card - any other credit or debit card you might have in your wallet. You won’t need to hold your physical card - just use the virtual card details when shopping online, or to make contactless payments with a wallet like Apple Pay.

How to use Wise digital card overseas

To use your Wise digital card for in-person payments when you’re abroad you’ll need to add your card to your preferred digital wallet like Apple Pay or Google Pay.

You can easily add your card to your Apple Wallet or Google Pay on your smartphone:

1. Open your Apple Wallet or Google Pay
2. Tap the option to add a new card
3. Either scan your card or enter the details manually
4. You may be prompted to verify the card with an SMS code

There’s also the option to add your Wise card to Apple Pay via the Wise app:

1. Open the Wise app
2. Tap on the Card tab, where you can see all your available cards
3. Select the card you'd like to add then tap on Add to Apple Wallet

If you're wondering how to use the Wise digital card in-store when you’re abroad, the good news is that it works the same as a physical Wise card. You’ll just need to check if the store accepts contactless payments, and tap and pay with your phone instead of your physical card. If you have enough balance in the currency you need within your Wise account, the cost of the transaction is simply deducted from there with no additional fee. If you don’t have the currency you need in your Wise account the card can automatically convert for you, from the balance which attracts the lowest fee, with conversion costs as low as 0.33%.

Even better, virtual cards can add an additional level of security when you’re spending overseas with merchants you don’t know. You’ll have a different card number on your virtual card compared to your physical card, and can freeze it instantly after transacting if you’re concerned a merchant may make fraudulent transactions or otherwise compromise your card security. Destroy the virtual card and create a new one with different card numbers, with no need to stop using your physical Wise card.

✈️ Travelling soon? See how you can use your physical Wise card abroad to maximise your foreign currency spending!

How to use Wise digital card in Malaysia

Your Wise virtual card can also be used securely and easily in Malaysia, wherever contactless payments are accepted. So - how to use the Wise digital card in-store in Malaysia? Firstly, it’s worth checking that you have enough balance in your account in MYR to cover the cost of the transaction. That ensures there are no unnecessary currency conversion fees to pay. Tap and pay as you usually would, and the spending is deducted directly from your MYR balance with no extra fees to pay. Easy.

How to use Wise digital card online

Your Wise virtual card comes with card details including card number, CVV, and expiry date. The card number won’t be the same as your physical card which can offer extra security if you’re spending online with a merchant you don’t know.

To use your Wise digital card online just key in your virtual card details at the checkout. Then, once your transaction is complete, you can freeze or delete your virtual card to make sure it’s not compromised. This is especially useful if you need to transact using a shared computer or phone, or on an open wifi network.

When to use the Wise digital vs physical card

With Wise you’ll need to order a physical debit card before you can generate a virtual card. That means you’ll end up with both a plastic card and a digital card, and can choose between them depending on the type of transaction you need to make. In some cases, either a physical or virtual card would work just as well - but there are a few scenarios where you might pick one above the other.

Using the Wise digital card

The Wise digital card comes into its own for online and mobile payments. It’s super easy to use your digital card at the checkout of an ecommerce store for example. If you’re using your card with a wallet like Apple Pay you may also find your shipping information is automatically populated before you pay, for convenience.

Your digital card is also useful when you’re unsure about a merchant’s security. You can transact then freeze your card, so no further payments could be taken if your card’s information was somehow retained or shared by the merchant. You may also choose to use and freeze a digital card if you’re signing up for a subscription and want to make sure it can’t automatically renew.

Using the Wise physical card

The Wise physical card is usually the only option you have if you want to use an ATM to get cash. While some contactless ATMs are starting to appear - which allow you to withdraw with a digital wallet instead of a physical card - these aren’t common as yet, and you won’t find any in Malaysia at the time of writing. You’ll also need your card in some situations where a merchant asks for a Chip and PIN payment instead of contactless.

It’s helpful to know that you can also add your Wise physical card to a wallet like Apple Pay, for contactless mobile payments. However, in this case, the card on your phone has the same number as your physical card. If you were concerned that your card has been compromised you would need to remove it from Apple Pay - and destroy the physical card, too.

No matter whether you prefer to use the Wise digital card or the Wise plastic card, you’ll get the same great Wise benefits including low, transparent fees and easy ways to hold and spend a broad range of foreign currencies.

💳 Get your Wise card today!