Press Release

For secure online shopping: PostFinance launches virtual debit card with freely selectable limit

If you shop online, you’ll know that uneasy feeling: do I really want to enter my card details at an unfamiliar shop? Starting on 30 June 2026, PostFinance has an answer: in the PostFinance App, customers can open a virtual debit card with a limit of their own choosing. The card is separate from the physical main card and can be deleted in a matter of seconds if necessary.

The key points at a glance

  • The virtual PostFinance debit card is available from 30 June 2026 in CHF and EUR and can be opened and removed independently in the PostFinance App.
  • The virtual debit card is a standalone card with its own card number and a limit set by the customer, and is independent of the physical main card. This makes it suitable in particular for purchases in online shops.
  • The card can be added to Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay, which means it can be used both online and for contactless in-store payments.

The Swiss Payment Monitor 2026, published by the University of St. Gallen and Zurich University of Applied Sciences, shows that at 31.4 percent of all transactions, mobile payment is the most widely used payment method in Switzerland. At the same time, the study highlights the importance of security for online shoppers: faced with the need to transfer money to an unfamiliar provider abroad, most respondents would choose payment by invoice or credit card, as they see these options as the safest. PostFinance’s virtual debit card is a response to precisely this need, as it allows users to limit their own risk themselves. “Many people are reluctant to shop online because they don’t always want to disclose their card details. With the virtual card, we’re giving them a tool that allows them to manage the risk themselves, without having to forego cashless payments. At the same time, because there’s no plastic, virtual cards are sustainable,” explains Nils Zenhäusern, Head of Shopping Journeys at PostFinance.

How the PostFinance virtual debit card works

The virtual card can be opened with the PostFinance App, is linked to the account and is available in CHF or EUR. It can be added to Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay immediately after opening, which means it can be used both online and for contactless in-store payments. The virtual debit card does not replace the physical PostFinance Card – it complements it. The two cards work independently of each other, allowing parallel use. Users decide for themselves what they want their limits to be. If misuse is suspected, the app can be used to remove the virtual card in a matter of seconds, with no need for a phone call and without blocking the physical main card or account. Cash withdrawals are not yet possible upon launch, but will be available starting late this summer.

A gap currently filled mainly by neobanks

By adding virtual cards with a separately managed limit, PostFinance is responding to a gap in its own range of cards and to an increasing need for security as the importance of online payments grows. Until now, this has only been available from a few retail banks and from digital and neobanks.