When considering making a payment with a single-use virtual card, it is essential to remember that a single-use card serves as a delivery method.
A single-use virtual card can be chosen as a payment delivery method by the payor or the vendor.
There are a few ways your vendor can get a single-use virtual card when you are paying them:
- The payor can select this delivery method when making a payment.
- The vendor can choose to receive all their payments via a single-use card.
- Melio can change the delivery method from an ACH transfer to a single-use virtual card at no extra charge if you've uploaded an invoice with a link to the vendor's online payment portal where cards are accepted.
If the vendor has already selected a single-use virtual card as the delivery method, it will be pre-selected when you make a payment.
This article explains how you can choose to pay a vendor with a single-use virtual card.
❗Important:
- The vendor needs a point-of-sale terminal to process the single-use virtual card.
- The vendor should use the whole amount within a single virtual card transaction. It’s not possible to split the amount on the virtual card into different transactions.
- The payor can select a single-use virtual card as a delivery method only if making a payment via their bank account. It’s unavailable if you decide to pay with your card.
- Vendors retain flexibility: even if the payor chooses a virtual card, the vendor can switch to receiving payment via ACH transfer if it's not their preferred method.
How to pay a vendor with a single-use virtual card
1 - Select + New payment. This button is available on any Pay dashboard tab.
Alternatively, you can select Create a bill from the Bills tab.
2 - In the Bill details, fill in the Vendor business name field.
3 - Select +Add new vendor.
If you want to pay an existing vendor and change the payment delivery method to a single-use virtual card, check this article for instructions.
4 - Submit the payment details: Amount, Payment frequency, Due date, etc.
5 - Once submitted, select Continue to pay.
6 - When asked how you want to pay, select Bank account. The single-use virtual card is not available if you are paying with your card.
Then, select Continue.
7 - From the list of payment delivery methods, select Virtual card.
8 - You will be prompted to submit the vendor’s email address, and you only need to do so when paying a new vendor for the first time.
9 - After submitting all the details, select Continue.
10 - Select the date for your payment to be sent from the calendar that appeared.
11 - Add a memo if you want. Then, select Continue.
12 - Review all the payment details. If everything is correct, select Confirm and schedule payment.
If something is incorrect, you can return to the previous steps by selecting this icon at the top left of the screen.
That’s it. Your vendor will get an email with the single-use virtual card details.
Please note:
- All future payments to this vendor will be sent via a single-use virtual card.
- The vendor can change the delivery method to ACH transfer if they don’t want a single-use virtual card.
- If you need to change the delivery method for an existing vendor, please refer to this guide for instructions.
- If this is your first payment or we need more details, we’ll ask you to provide some legal information. We do this to ensure compliance and security, as we cannot process your payment without it. Learn more about how to submit these details.