Recognizing the popularity of both travel rewards cards and digital wallets, Visa introduced its Digital Emergency Card Replacement, a new service that delivers a digital card replacement to travelers who have lost their physical credit or debit card.
Digital wallets have become an essential part of the travel experience for many, with 74% of U.S. travelers now using them on their trips,, according to 2023 data from Visa. Separate data from WalletHub noted that half of Americans plan to use credit card rewards points to pay for a vacation this year. The new Visa offering leverages these two trends to align with how people travel today.
The service highlights the increasingly blurry distinction between physical cards and their digital counterparts. The traditional method of replacing a card—sending it via U.S. mail—doesn’t work when the cardholder is traveling. Through the Visa service, travelers who lose a card can receive a digital replacement via text or email within minutes. The cardholder then authenticates and adds the new card into their digital wallet, gaining the ability to use the card right away.