Frequently Asked Questions
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How to Enable App Authentication
As an extra layer of security, an authenticator app can be used during login. Read our guide on how to enable and disable app authentication here
Are there any prohibited industries for using the US Unlocked card?
You may not use the Payment Services for the following businesses or activities: (1) any illegal activity or goods (either in the United States, your country of residence, or in the country to which the US goods or services are accessed or received); (2) paraphernalia that may be used for illegal activity; (3) manual or automated cash disbursements; (4) prepaid cards or checks; (5) sales or wire transfers of money-orders or foreign currencies or cryptocurrencies; (6) pharmaceuticals, controlled substances, nootropics, nicotine, cannabinoids, cannabidiols, or controlled substance analogues; (7) dating or escort-related services or advertising; (8) any weapons (lethal or non-lethal), firearms, military-grade armor, knives, batons, nunchaku, BB guns (including pellet or airsoft guns), chemical sprays, tasers, or weapon accessories; (9) telemarketing-related services; and (10) any other high-risk products and services.
Can I ship my items to any address?
Unfortunately, the answer to this is no. You must use one of our certified freight forwarders and their shipping address to ship items outside of the US. You can find our certfied freight forwarding partners here
I need help understanding the dashboard!
Read this article to get a breakdown of your dashboard!
How does the US Unlocked Merchant Specific Virtual Payment Card work?
The Merchant Specific Virtual Payment Card is used where you will frequently be making repeat purchases. The card number is locked to a single merchant. This is ideal for paying subscriptions as well as making purchases places like Amazon, iTunes, and the Google Play Store.
How does the US Unlocked One-Time Use Virtual Payment Card work?
The US Unlocked One-Time Use Virtual Payment Card generates a new card number after every online purchase. This ensures that you receive the highest level of security when shopping online.
If you are frequently shopping at the same merchant we recommend you use the Merchant Specific Card as it allows repeat purchases at a single merchant.
What’s the difference between a Merchant Specific Card and a One-Time Use Card?
Merchant Specific Cards
- Can be used as many times as you’d like with the same merchant.
- Locked to the first merchant they’re authorized with, but cannot be used with any other merchant. This ensures that a breach at one merchant doesn’t put you at risk across the internet.
Merchant Specific Cards are great for:
- Subscriptions
- Recurring purchases
- Merchants you spend at frequently
- Backordered items
- Orders for multiple items that ship incrementally
- Pre-order sales
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One-Time Use Card
- Automatically close 2 minutes after your first charge completes.
One-Time Use Cards are great for:
- Merchants you don’t plan on shopping with again.
- If you’re concerned about the security of a purchase.
Is there a monthly fee?
Yes, the Monthly US Unlocked Account Fee is $6.50 and is charged monthly. The first time when you load your US Unlocked Account issued and then every month after that as long as the account holds a balance. The fee is not charged when the account holds no balance.
The fee schedule can be viewed here: Fees
How do I apply for US Unlocked Virtual Payment Cards?
Have a look at this detailed guide on how to set up your US Unlocked account.
What documents do I need to produce in order to receive the ACCEPTED ID verification status?
You would need a government-issued photo ID that is machine-readable and has both an issue as an expiry date. Please make sure you provide a clear color image in JPG. The document must be valid (not expired).
My account is locked and it says: contact US Unlocked. How can I unlock it?
When there are too many failed login attempts you are locked out for 30 minutes. If you forgot the password you can reset it here.
The phone number in my account is incorrect, but I do not see a way to change it. What can I do?
- The old phone number you would like to replace
- The phone number you would like to add to your account
- The last 4 digits of the document you used to verify your identity on US Unlocked
Can I use Paypal or a credit card to load my account?
Unfortunately we cannot receive Paypal or credit card payments.
If you have any questions about payment methods for your country please consult the Help section or contact us.
How do I load my account by bank transfer?
The bank transfer is initiated from the Dashboard and will give you the transfer details on the last page. Please make sure to always add the unique reference number (starting with B146) to your transfer details each time when you make the transfer from your bank account. This is how Global Collect matches the payment.
For more information: How to load your card by bank transfer
What payment methods do you accept?
Depending on your country, we offer bank transfers, Deposito Identificado, Sofort, DirectPayEU, eps, giropay, Teleingreso, & Verkkopankk
I already made a account load payment, but I still did not receive the funds. How long will it take?
You will receive a payment notification when the payment is received by a payment provider and reported to us. The settlement time between a payment provider and Global Collect is 3-5 business days. The funds clear to your account the next business day after you have received the notification.
If you made your account load payment by bank transfer and it is taking longer than anticipated to receive the payment notification, please provide a proof of payment to [email protected], and we will submit an inquiry on your behalf.
The proof of payment should contain all of the following details:
1) the name of the account holder;
2) the exact amount debited from the account holder;
3) the description of the remitted funds;
4) the date the amount was debited from account holders account;
5) the account name and number of the beneficiary.
How soon will I receive the funds on my card after I have made a account load payment?
You will receive a payment notification when the payment is received by Global Collect (Now Ingenico, our payment processor) and reported to us. The settlement time between a payment provider and Global Collect is 3-5 business days. The funds clear to your account the next business day after you have received the notification.
My order did not go through, but the amount was withdrawn from my card anyway. What is going on?
If your payment using your US Unlocked Virtual Payment Card was declined or cancelled by the merchant, you may still see the amount subtracted from your balance. This means the payment has been authorized, but the funds have not been collected by the merchant. Since the merchant is the one holding the funds, we do not have any control over when these funds are released. Please work with the merchant and ask them to release the hold. Once the hold is released, we typically see the transaction voided in 7-10 business days.
I need a statement for my card transactions. Where can I get it?
There are no statements available for the US Unlocked Card. To view your transaction history please go to https://www.virtualcards.us/statement-activity. Here you will find:
- Confirmed transactions: history of posted (successful) transactions older than 24 hours.
- Today’s transactions: real-time successful transactions.
- Pending transactions: transactions in outstanding status, the funds are not available for use.
What is the maximum balance allowed?
The maximum balance allowed on your US Unlocked Account is $3,500.
I want to load more money than the website allows me. What can I do?
The daily maximum account load payment allowed is $3,500. The maximum Account Balance, however, is also $3,500.
I received a notification that my card was issued. How do I access my card details?
To be able to view the card details you have to enter a SMS code. To obtain the code, please request it to be sent to your phone by clicking on the desired card in your dashboard.
I am trying to pay with my US Unlocked Card, but my card is declined. What should I do?
Some merchants you make a purchase from may have specific anti-fraud policies in place and accept or deny transaction at their own discretion or request additional information regarding the cardholder. In many cases, contacting the merchant of that particular website can resolve the issue.
For troubleshooting the most common problems please click here.
The US Unlocked Card is nearly always accepted on U.S. websites where online payments are accepted. For the best results, please follow these guidelines.
After I apply and make the payment, how soon will you issue my card?
Your card is ready for use when your first card load payment clears. To verify whether your account registration is complete, please log in and check for any alerts.
Is the US Unlocked Card a credit card?
No, it is a virtual pre-paid debit card. You can only spend as much as the balance on your card. When planning a purchase please make sure you load enough funds to cover the purchase as well as domestic shipping cost, sales tax and card fees. Some merchants may place a pre-authorization request for an amount higher than the actual purchasing cost. Therefore it is recommended to keep a buffer of about 10%.
How much are the loading fees?
The loading fees vary per payment method. For a complete fee schedule, please click here.
How will I use the US Unlocked Virtual Payment Cards?
You use the virtual card accounts at U.S. websites just like you use any credit card except the amount of your purchase cannot exceed the available funds in your virtual account. You will find all the details needed to make your online payment in your account. For the best results, please follow these guidelines.
How do I load my US Unlocked Account?
Log into your account on the US Unlocked web site and choose the amount you wish to load and click ‘Load My Account’. Now choose your preferred payment method and proceed to complete the payment.
The settlement time between a payment provider and US Unlocked is 3-5 business days. The funds clear to your card the next business day after you have received the notification.
What are the costs to the US Unlocked account?
A full fee schedule is available on our pricing page.
Is it an actual card?
It is a virtual card account, meaning you will not have the plastic in your hands. Instead you use the number, expiration date, security code, and billing address provided to you for online payments.
What are the US Unlocked Virtual Payment Cards?
The US Unlocked Virtual Payment Cards are virtual prepaid debit cards that allow for cross-border commerce at 500+ popular U.S. retailers.
Can I use this card to shop from websites outside the U.S.?
No. The US Unlocked virtual account is locked down to U.S. web sites.
Can I use the US Unlocked Virtual Payment Cards for subscriptions?
A subscription is a recurring payment. You can create a US Unlocked Merchant Specific Card for recurring payments, but you must make sure there are funds in your account to cover the transaction cost.
What stores will I NOT be able to shop at?
The US Unlocked Virtual Payment Cards are accepted only and on most U.S. websites where online payments are accepted. For the best results, please follow guidelines as described in Making Payments with the US Unlocked Card.
However, you will not be able to shop from websites that have specific policies prohibiting acceptance of re-shipping (or freight forwarding) addresses.
The US Unlocked Virtual Payment Cards may not be used to purchase items from merchants who specifically sell pharmaceuticals and weapons. You will also not be able to use the card for money transfer type transactions.
Where can I shop?
The US Unlocked Virtual Payment Cards are accepted only and on most U.S. websites where prepaid debit cards are accepted. For the best results, please follow guidelines as described in Making Payments with Your US Unlocked Account.
