iChange vs YouTrip - How do they compare? Find out more about exchange rates, fees, and more
Wondering what the key differences are between iChange and YouTrip? Find out more about both providers and decide which is best for you.
YouTrip1 customers in Singapore can access a YouTrip virtual card to use for spending online, in apps and in person. Virtual cards offer convenience and security, making them great for spending at home and abroad. This guide covers how to use a YouTrip virtual card, including how to pay using a YouTrip virtual card in person and online. Plus, we’ll touch briefly on an alternative for comparison - the Wise virtual card. Wise customers can generate 3 virtual cards at a time to make multi-currency spending easier than ever. More on that later.
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Once you have a YouTrip account you can generate a virtual card instantly, to start spending before your physical card arrives in the post2. Your virtual card can be used for many transaction types, including shopping online and in apps. If you want to make in person payments you can also add your YouTrip virtual card to Google Pay or pair your YouTrip virtual card with Apple Pay. Then simply tap to pay with your smartphone anywhere contactless payments are supported.
Virtual cards work in the same way that a physical card does, but exist solely digitally. That means you can’t lose it, and there’s less risk of the card being stolen. Your virtual card has different card details to your physical card - but when you spend with your virtual card, the balance is deducted from your YouTrip wallet balance just like it is with your physical card. Pretty much the only downside with a virtual card is that you can’t make ATM withdrawals - but for many other types of in person and digital transactions it’s a handy tool.
So what’s the difference between the YouTrip physical vs virtual card? Here’s a quick head to head comparison:
YouTrip physical card | YouTrip virtual card | |
---|---|---|
One physical card available per customer | One virtual card available per customer³ | |
Tap your card to make contactless payments | Add to a wallet like Apple Pay and tap your phone to make contactless payments | |
Spending is deducted from your YouTrip wallet balance | Spending is deducted from your YouTrip wallet balance | |
Use in an ATM | Can not be used in an ATM | |
Use for Chip and PIN payments | Can not be used for Chip and PIN payments |
To get your YouTrip virtual card you’ll need to register a YouTrip account, which can be done easily with just your phone:
Your virtual card will now be available in the card tab and your physical card will be dispatched in around a week.
👀 Wondering what the benefits of the YouTrip physical card are? Find out more about the card and how it compares to Wise in our YouTrip card review |
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You can use your YouTrip virtual card for contactless payments in the same way as you would a physical card - just tap your phone on the merchant’s payment terminal instead of pulling out your plastic card. You’ll need to add your virtual card to a wallet like Apple Pay to get started, but you can then pay easily at home and abroad. Here’s what you need to do:
YouTrip has some great international features - but can I use the YouTrip Virtual card overseas?
The good news is that you can use your YouTrip virtual card overseas easily once you’ve added it to a wallet like Apple Pay. This allows you to access the same features as you get with the physical card, including spending overseas from one of your foreign currency balances. YouTrip lets you hold 10 currencies, so if you spend in one of the supported currencies, your balance will simply be deducted from that currency balance with no extra fee to pay. Let’s take a look at how to use your YouTrip virtual card overseas.
YouTrip Virtual card Google Pay
Here’s how to add your card to Google Pay:
- Open Google Pay
- Tap the option to add a new card
- Either scan your card or enter the details manually
- You may be prompted to complete a verification step
YouTrip Virtual card Apple Pay
You can also add your card to your Apple Wallet on your iPhone:
- Open your Apple Wallet
- Either scan your card or enter the details manually
- Verify the card with an SMS code
Your YouTrip virtual card has its own card details including card number, CVV and expiry date, which are different to the details on your physical card. You can simply use the virtual card details at the checkout when you shop online, and then freeze or delete the card after transacting if you have any security concerns.
This can be particularly helpful if you’re using a shared device, or if you’re on an unsecure wifi network. Because your virtual card is separate from your physical card, you can freeze the virtual card without it affecting the plastic card - just continue using your physical card for spending and in ATMs as usual.
If you’re specifically interested in a virtual card for foreign currency spending it’s worth comparing YouTrip’s virtual card option against the Wise virtual card.
You can hold up to 3 virtual cards at a time with Wise, to spend in 160+ countries. Wise accounts can support 40+ currencies for holding and exchange, so you can either switch your balance to the currency you need in advance, or simply let the card do the conversion when you pay. Either way you get the [mid-market rate](https://wise.com/sg/mid-market-rate] and low fees from 0.33%.
Use your 3 virtual cards to make payments wherever you happen to be, and make budgeting easier by using different cards for different types of spending - plus you can manage, freeze and unfreeze all of your Wise cards instantly in the Wise app.
Here’s a quick head to head comparison of the YouTrip virtual card vs the Wise virtual card:
Youtrip virtual card | Wise virtual card | |
---|---|---|
Eligibility | Residents of Singapore and Thailand only | Available globally in all but a few countries |
Card order fee | No fee | 13.7 MYR fee to order your physical card - you can then generate a virtual card for free |
Number of virtual cards offered | 1 card per customer | 3 cards per customer |
Exchange rates | Mid-market rates | Mid-market rates, with low conversion fees from 0.33% |
Other features | Hold and exchange 10 currencies | Hold and exchange 40+ currencies Receive payments with local account details in 19 currencies |
Pricing/fees: Please see Terms of Use for your region or visit Wise Fees & Pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information
Virtual cards are increasingly popular as they let you leave your wallet behind and transact with just your phone. That’s convenient and can add in extra security as well, as you’ll be able to manage your virtual card separately to your plastic card. Use this guide to the YouTrip virtual card, to decide if it’s right for you - and remember to compare your options against the Wise virtual card if you want a flexible virtual card connected to a powerful multi-currency account supporting 40+ currencies.
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*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.
This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
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