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A Convenient Alternative to a Temporary Debit Card—Chase’s Spend Instantly

Written by

Ashley Ferraro, Product

Reviewed by

Aug 26, 2023

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Min Read

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Waiting for a new or replacement card can be inconvenient because it limits your payment options until the plastic card arrives, which can take up to two weeks, depending on the bank. However, there are practical solutions that can alleviate this inconvenience. For example, some banks offer temporary cards that can be used in the interim period before the plastic card arrives.

Chase does not offer temporary cards, but you can enjoy cashless transactions immediately after the approval of your card with Spend Instantly^®—an alternative to temporary debit or credit cards from Chase. With Spend Instantly, you can use your newly approved card in digital form while you’re waiting for the physical card to arrive.

To help you understand Spend Instantly, this article explains:

How the feature works
Who’s eligible to use it
How to access it
How to make transactions with it

The information in this article is valid as of July 2023. The offer and terms and conditions of use are susceptible to change. For the most recent updates, visit Chase’s official website or contact support directly.

Source: Frugal Flyer

What Is Spend Instantly, and How Does It Work?

After being approved for a Chase credit or debit card, Chase allows you to access your new card via the Spend Instantly option. This feature enables you to add your new card to a digital wallet before the physical card arrives.

Once you connect the card to an e-wallet, you can^[1]:

Shop online and in-store
Book trips
Earn rewards and enjoy other benefits (in the case of credit cards)

Spend Instantly works with most Chase cards, excluding^[1]:

Mastercard^®
Disney^®
Amazon
Business credit cards

You can add the above-mentioned cards to a digital wallet as well, but only after the physical card arrives^[1].

Note that Spend Instantly may entail limitations, potentially restricting certain transaction types or merchants.

Who Qualifies for Spend Instantly?

To access this feature, you must first request and get approved for an account or card with Chase. The criteria you typically need to fulfill are^[2]:

Age (over 18)
U.S. residency
Valid identification documents
Creditworthiness as demonstrated by a solid credit score and stable income (if applying for a credit card)

Even if you meet the above-listed criteria and are approved for an account with Chase, that doesn’t guarantee access to the Spend Instantly feature. The issuer reserves the right to deny the feature, so you should contact Chase to learn whether you qualify.

How To Access the Spend Instantly Feature

The first step to getting Spend Instantly is to apply for a new Chase account and/or card. If your application is approved, proceed with the following steps^[1]:

Open the Chase Mobile^® app and sign in
Find and select the new card
Scroll down to Account Service, then tap on Digital Wallets
Choose the digital wallet app— Apple Pay^®, Google Pay™, or Samsung Pay^®
Tap on the new card
Accept the terms and conditions if necessary

Note that you can only use Spend Instantly after adding the card to a digital wallet. This is different from temporary or virtual cards which typically allow you to enter the credentials directly on the merchant’s website.

How To Pay With Spend Instantly

A photo of a person holding their phone against an in-store payment terminal in a digital wallet transaction

Source: CardMapr.nl

To pay online with Spend Instantly, you should:

Select the digital wallet option at checkout
Confirm the purchase
Complete the authentication using the method specified in the settings (such as PIN entry and/or fingerprint scanning)

You can also buy in-store with your Chase card if the merchant accepts payments via digital wallet.

Spend Instantly—Advantages and Disadvantages

Learn about the pros and cons of Spend Instantly in the table below:


Advantages	Disadvantages
- You don’t have to wait up to two weeks to gain access to your funds or credit. - With credit cards, you can quickly start accruing points and earning rewards. - You can pay effortlessly with your digital wallet, whether online or in-store.	- The feature doesn’t work with all types of Chase cards and accounts. - Spend Instantly may come with limited functionality and fund access. - Some merchants may not accept e-wallets, and you cannot enter the credentials on the website directly.

Digital Wallet vs. Virtual Card

A photo of a person using their smartphone

Source: Gilles Lambert

Digital wallets and virtual cards are among the most popular digital payment solutions. Despite sharing some similarities, they are different financial products with specific functions and features.

A digital wallet or e-wallet is an app that securely stores your payment information, such as credit or debit card details and bank account data. It enables you to make payments quickly and safely with your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Popular digital wallets include Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.

A virtual card is a unique set of card details, including a card number, expiration date, and CVV/CVC. Connected to a real bank account or credit line, it masks your actual payment info to keep it safe from hacking attacks and other forms of cyber crime. In most cases, you can close your virtual card after a single purchase, and some providers will even enable you to lock it to specific merchants.

All financial institutions and payment processors take precautions and employ security measures to protect their clients. However, online threats are on the rise. Recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) data reports consumers have lost nearly $8.8 billion to fraud in 2022, a steep increase of more than 30% from the previous year. Seeking methods to mask your payment details is not only a good idea, but an essential step to securing your finances and warding off threats.

Many banks offer virtual cards, but Chase is not one of them (according to the information available at the time this article was published). While adding your Chase card to a digital wallet provides a layer of safety, this payment method lacks convenience and control virtual cards offer besides security.

Virtual cards are an excellent long-term solution for making online transactions safer. Even though Chase does not offer virtual cards, independent providers like Privacy allow you to use this payment method with your existing bank account.

Privacy Virtual Cards—The Secret to Safer and Faster Online Shopping

Privacy Virtual Cards mask your card or bank account details, so your financial data is not visible online. These cards have unique credentials, including the card number, expiration date and CVV/CVC. You can use Privacy Virtual Cards at most local or global vendors that accept U.S. cards.

As a BBB^®-accredited business, Privacy upholds the highest standards of ethics and customer service. The company is also PCI-compliant and adheres to OWASP best practices, employing encryption and other robust security measures to keep the customers’ data safe.

The Ins and Outs of Privacy Cards

With Privacy, you can generate:

Merchant-Locked Cards—These cards can be used only with one vendor. If a cybercriminal breaches the merchant’s server and acquires the card details, they won’t be able to use them anywhere else.
Single-Use Cards—This card type is valid only for a single purchase. Even if a hacker gets hold of the number, they can’t use it as the card closes shortly after the transaction.

To prevent hidden charges and overspending, you can set spending limits on each individual card, in which case Privacy will decline all the exceeding costs.

You can also close or pause the cards at any time, which is helpful when you want to stop paying for an unwanted subscription or avoid overcharging.

Privacy—Additional Benefits

Besides effortless card management, Privacy entails many other benefits, including:


Benefit	How It Works	Why It Matters
Faster checkouts	With the Chrome, Firefox, or Safari browser extension, generate cards with one click and get your credentials auto-filled at checkout.	Make purchases quickly, securely, and effortlessly without memorizing or typing in card numbers.
Real-time notifications	Use Privacy on the go with iOS or Android apps. You can receive push notifications every time your cards are used or declined.	Generate cards and enjoy safer shopping wherever you are. The alerts help you detect suspicious activity timely and take action right within the mobile app.
Secure information management	Integrate Privacy with 1Password to safely store your payment details and other credentials.	You don’t have to switch between apps. Keep all your sensitive information in one secure place and access it with ease.

Privacy Eligibility and Pricing

To sign up for Privacy, you must be a U.S. resident over 18 years of age and have a checking account at a U.S. bank or credit union. You can fund your Privacy Virtual Cards with a debit card or bank account.

The Personal plan lets you create up to 12 virtual cards per month. It's free for domestic transactions and includes access to the browser extension and web and mobile apps alongside all mentioned features.

Privacy’s two other pricing plans include even more:

Pro ($10/month)—Includes up to 36 cards a month, 1% cashback on eligible purchases (totaling up to $4,500/month), and priority support.
Premium ($25/month)—Comes with the same features as Pro plus up to 60 cards.