TD Bank’s New Google Feature Means You’ll Never Share Your Card Number Again

TD Bank has rolled out a new security update for its credit cardholders, becoming the first bank in Canada to support Virtual Card Numbers through Google. You can now use this feature when shopping on Google Chrome or within apps on both iOS and Android.

The tech basically swaps your real credit card number for a “fake” virtual one when you check out. Because the merchant never actually sees your real card details, your account stays safe even if that retailer ends up getting hacked later on. This should really be standard across the industry as it would cut down on scams.

“TD customers have shown tremendous affinity for Google over the years with many saving their card information in their Google account,” said Meg McKee, EVP, Canadian Card Payments, Loyalty and Personal Lending at TD, in an issued statement to iPhone in Canada on Tuesday. “Our goal is to increase security in the payment ecosystem by removing the need for customers to share credit card information online. This capability is another one of the many ways TD cardholders in Canada can have payment solutions to meet their evolving needs.”

Most TD Visa cards are eligible for the update, including the Cash Back Visa Infinite, Aeroplan Visa Infinite, First Class Travel, and even the U.S. Dollar Visa.

If you’re wondering how this is different from Google Pay, it’s pretty simple: Google Pay is a specific “buy now” button you click, whereas Virtual Card Numbers work with the standard credit card forms you see on almost any website. Chrome’s Autofill just plugs in the virtual number instead of your actual one.

You can get started by adding your card to your Google account settings. It makes checking out a one-click process while keeping your real card info private.