Online payment service PayPal is set to launch a new virtual debit card in partnership with MasterCard, which will function as an ecommerce plug-in.
Already trialled by more than three million PayPal account holders, the new Scure Card works by detecting users' previous visits to an online retailer and filling in card details automatically.
The new card will work on internet retail outlets that accept MasterCard, regardless of whether or not the site accepts PayPal.
Functioning in a similar way to the single-use cards offered by Discover and Citi, the PayPal Secure Card is expected to garner a significant following and could simplify ecommerce transactions for millions of buyers.
A number of merchants are expected to offer discounts to holders of the new virtual card, the New York Times reports. PayPal users will also be able to purchase goods from ecommerce outlets that would not otherwise offer such services.
The online payment service, a unit of the internet auction site eBay, boasts an estimated 146 million account holders worldwide.
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