What you need to know
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How it works
- Whether you’re a new customer waiting for your physical card to arrive, or you don’t have your card with you, use the details found on your Absa Banking App to pay online.
- You can also load your card details onto digital payment service apps like Apple Pay, Bolt and Samsung Pay.
- Your digital card has exactly the same 16-digit card number, expiry date and CVV number as your physical debit or credit card.
- You’ll see all your active Absa cards on your banking app so you can delink any that you don’t want to use.
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Security Features
- For added security and control, you can lock and unlock your online shopping permissions in your Absa Banking App. By doing this, your card details can only be used where you have granted permission for use, e.g. cardless shopping.
- To shop online, simply unlock the permissions in your banking app. When you’re finished, lock your online shopping permissions again.
- This means that if anyone else tries to use your digital card for Card Not Present (CNP) fraud, the transaction will be denied because we will detect that your card is locked for that type of transaction.
- You can also lock and unlock for ATM, online and in-store use. To see what you’ve locked on each of your cards, click on the lock symbol next to your card in the banking app.
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What's next
- Next you’ll be able to use your digital cards in store too.
- When you shop, you’ll just use your mobile device through the Absa Banking App to make payments at any point of sale instead of needing to go through an independent digital payment app.
- Paying digitally will improve your security:
- No card and PIN entry means less chance of compromised card details.
- Two layers of security protecting your information: access to your phone and access to your banking app.
Digital Cards Frequently Asked Questions
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What you need to know about Absa Digital Cards
What is my Absa Digital Card?
- The Absa Digital Card is the electronic version of your physical plastic card
- Your Absa Digital Card and your physical plastic card have the same 16-digit card PAN (primary account number), CVV and expiry date.
What are the main advantages of my Absa Digital Card?
- Easy access: Use your digital cards instantly and whenever needed, saving you time.
- Avoid waiting time: Physical cards need to be embossed and couriered and this may take up to 7 business days. Use your digital card in the meantime.
Why are my Absa Digital Card important?
- It’s instantly available on your Absa Banking App
- You can use it in the absence of your physical plastic card.
How do I transact using my Absa Digital Card?
- Push your card to Apple Pay if you’re using an iOS device, Google Pay and/or Samsung Pay if you’re using an Android device
- Perform contactless transactions with your mobile device at a merchant point of sale or use your card details when you do an e-commerce checkout at selected merchants.
- Enable your card for mobile payments via the Absa Banking App to make payments using the Absa QR payment capability.
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How to find your Absa Digital Cards
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Virtual vs digital cards
What is the difference between a virtual card and a digital card?
- The digital card has the same PAN and CVV as the physical card
- The virtual card has a different PAN and CVV from the physical card
- Depending on the issuer, the virtual card’s CVV is dynamic and could be generated at the transaction point and is only valid for a prescribed amount of time, e.g. for a few minutes or for one transaction.
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Managing your Absa Card
What should I do if my Absa Card expires?
- You don’t need to do anything. We will replace the expired card with a new one which will be available for use immediately on your Banking App
- The new digital card automatically replaces the expired card in digital wallets and on merchant platforms.
What happens when I stop and replace my Absa Card?
- We will replace the stopped card with a new one
- The new digital card is immediately available on your Absa Banking App and automatically replaces the stopped card in digital wallets and on merchant platforms, provided:
- The reason for stopping the card is NOT fraud (in the case of a credit card) and
- NOT loss or theft (in the case of a debit card).
- If the reason for stopping your digital card is fraud, loss or theft, the card will be removed from the wallet and you will need to enrol a new card manually.
What happens when I upgrade my account?
- We will replace the old card with a new one
- The new digital card is immediately available on your Absa Banking App.
- The old card will be removed from any merchant platforms or subscriptions and you will need to enrol a new card manually.
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Tokens
What is a token?
- A token is a representation of the primary account number (PAN) and is part of the wallet device or merchant platform
- It can be used in place of a PAN when performing a transaction
- Your digital card is represented by the token which is valid for a specific device or merchant.
Where do I manage the tokens assigned to my Absa Digital Card?
You can manage your tokens the same way you manage your digital card in a wallet or merchant platform.- Log in to the Absa Banking App.
- Tap on the Card tile on the home screen.
- Select the card with assigned tokens you want to manage.
- Tap on Connections and select the wallet or merchant where you want to manage your card.
- Select the token you want to manage.
- Choose whether you want to enable, disable or delete the token.
If my token is disabled, will transactions be authorised?
No. If you have disabled the token, the transaction will be blocked. A token must be in an enabled state to transact. -
Merchants and wallets
How do I manage my digital cards added to wallets and merchant platforms?
- Log in to your Absa Banking App,
- Tap Cards at the bottom of your screen
- Select the digital card you want to manage
- Select Connections on the card menu to access the list of wallets and merchants linked to your digital card
- Tap Wallets to view devices linked to your wallet, or tap Merchants to view merchants saved on your digital card
- You can also choose to enable, disable or delete your digital card.
Which merchants and wallets can I manage on my Absa Banking App?
Merchants Token requestor name Token requestor ID Own Pay Own Pay 40020130963 Lottostar Lottostar 40020121440 Spotify Spotify 40010079990 Hollywoodbets Hollywoodbets 40020121732 PayPal PayPal 40010036958 Amazon Amazon 40010051602 Microsoft Microsoft 40010033267 Sony PlayStation 40010062878 Disney Disney Worldwide Services 40020000022 Netflix Netflix Inc 40010075839 Booking.com Booking 40010074923 Bolt Bolt Operation OU 40020101861 Digital wallets Apple Pay Apple Pay 40010030273 Samsung Pay Samsung Corporation 40010043095
50139059239Google Wallets Google Inc- Ecomm 40010059876
40010075001Garmin Pay Garmin Pay 40010069887 Do wallet apps and merchant platforms store my card details?
No, a token number is saved instead of the card number.
When the request to add your card to a wallet reaches Visa, Visa generates a token (which is a 16-digit number) and assigns it to the primary account number (PAN). Visa forwards the request to add the card to Absa for authorisation. Once the authorisation has been granted by Absa, Visa forwards the token to the wallet device or merchant platform.
Can merchants and wallet providers see or store my digital card details?- Merchants and wallet providers offer a passthrough service
- When your digital card is enrolled, the card details are encrypted and passed via the wallet app to Visa
- Merchants and wallet providers do not store or have sight of your digital card details.
Do I cancel my contract with a merchant if I delete my Absa Digital Card?
No. If you delete your digital card from an e-commerce platform the contract with the merchant remains intact. The token management feature does not manage the contractual relationship between you and the merchant. If your card is not in an enabled state, it simply means the bank will not honour the payment authorisation request.
Need more help?
For more information visit our Self servicing tools
Contact us:
Call us on: 0861 462 273
International: +27 11 354 4001
Email us at: contactcard@absa.co.za
