Capital One virtual assistant can now issue virtual card numbers

With more than eight in 10 Americans concerned about their ability to protect their card information online, Capital One says that many are steering their shopping to a handful of sites that they know and trust.

The bank is trying to give customers greater control and security over their online shopping by using the Eno assistant, via a browser extension, to let them make purchases without using their real credit card number.

Eno can instantly serve up unique, merchant-specific virtual card numbers which are saved for ongoing and future payments, with all charges appearing on statements as normal.

While the likes of Bank of America and Citi already use temporary card numbers for online shopping, the Capital One system boasts the Eno control panel, where customers can view and manage their entire virtual number portfolio.

Through the control panel, customers can lock and unlock their virtual numbers for specific merchants without affecting their actual credit cards. Plans are underway to add more features, such as the ability to set transaction limits, time limits on specific merchant cards, and create virtual cards for one-time use.

Separately, the bank is planning to add an augmented reality feature to its Auto Navigator car research service. The move will let customers scan cars via their mobile phones to view individualised information such as their pre-qualified financing, their estimated monthly payment and nearby dealerships.