How do I use virtual debit cards?

Please read the following article for details on how to use virtual cards with Baselane Banking. If you are new to virtual cards, see here, for more details on the benefits of virtual cards.

Please note that you cannot create a virtual debit card for a Savings account. Virtual debit cards can only be created for Checking accounts.

Creating a virtual card

If you already have a Baselane Banking Checking account, you can instantly create virtual cards by following these easy steps:

1. Log into Baselane
2. Go to the 'Cards' section on the Baselane Banking tab
3. Click 'Create Virtual Card'
4. Set up the card by defining the Checking account that the card should pull funds from, daily / monthly limits, and any auto-tagging rules for transactions (as shown in the below image)
5. Once created, click on the 'View Details' of the newly created card to see your card details, including card number, expiry date, CVV, and billing details

💡Tip: We recommend connecting your virtual card to a Checking account that is regularly funded: the virtual card can only pull funds from the account you associate it with, and transactions will fail if there is insufficient balance.

Setting my spending limits

Spending limits are in place if you would like to prevent potential overspending on a specific card. You can set daily limits (up to $5,000 / day) or monthly limits (no limit, but a $5,000 / day limit will be imposed). Transactions that exceed this limit will fail at the time of processing, with no charge to you. If you would like to request a higher daily limit, please reach out to support@baselane.com.

To change your limits:

1. Go to the Cards' section on the Baselane Banking tab
2. Click on the 'View Details' button for the specific card in the 'Cards' section of the Baselane Banking tab
3. Click on the pencil icon next to the 'Total Limit'
4. Enter your new limit, and click the check button to save

💡Tip: We recommend setting spending limits if you have cards that are used to Auto Pay recurring expenses or are on-file for third parties to use (such as contractors or tenants) to ensure that any unexpectedly large transactions are not processed without your approval.

Setting transaction auto-tagging rules

Auto-tagging rules can help automate bookkeeping by tagging all transactions for that card to a specific property or Schedule E category. The property and category tags are reflected in the Transactions and Analytics & Reporting tabs. Please note, that Checking accounts can also have auto-tagging rules. If you do not set any rules for a specific card, it will follow any rules that are set on the Checking account that the card is linked to.

To set up auto-tagging rules:

1. Go to the 'Cards' section on the Baselane Banking tab
2. Click on the 'View Details' button for the specific card in the 'Cards' section of the Baselane Banking tab
3. Please note that this will not affect the tagging of any historical transactions for the card

💡Tip: We recommend setting up dedicated virtual cards for recurring expenses that are paid by card (such as insurance or utilities) so that the transactions are automatically tagged to the correct property and Schedule E category.

Close or lock virtual cards

As a security measure, we make it easy for you to be able to lock / unlock or permanently close a card any time via your Baselane login!

To lock / unlock your card:

1. Go to the 'Cards' section on the Baselane Banking tab
2. Click on the 'View Details' button for the specific card in the 'Cards' section of the Baselane Banking tab
3. Click on the 'Lock Card' (or 'Unlock Card') button at the bottom of the screen
4. Enter in the 6-digit passcode that is sent to your phone

To close your card:

1. Go to the 'Cards' section on the Baselane Banking tab
2. Click on the 'View Details' button for the specific card in the 'Cards' section of the Baselane Banking tab
3. Click on the 'Terminate Card' button at the bottom of the screen
4. Enter in the 6-digit passcode that is sent to your phone
5. Please note, that terminating a card is irreversible, and once terminated, you will no longer see the virtual card listed on the 'Cards' section of the Baselane Banking tab

💡Tip: We recommend locking your card if you have noticed any suspicious behaviour across your Baselane account.

Do Virtual Debit Cards have a PIN?

Virtual Debit Cards are a new feature that have many benefits: to learn how to use them, see here.

Once you’ve created a virtual Debit Card, you may wonder why you were not asked to set a PIN for it. This is because virtual Debit Cards do not have PINs by default.

If you’re trying to use your virtual card and you’re asked to provide a PIN, please either:

• Bypass this by selecting ‘Enter’ to continue
• Enter ‘0000’ as the PIN code

If you’re still experiencing issues, you can always contact us for assistance. Email us at support@baselane.com, from Mon-Fri 8 AM - 8 PM EST. Call us at +1 (888) 586-1618 from Mon-Fri 9 AM - 4 PM EST.

Check out our how-to video about virtual cards below!
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