Several major credit card issuers, including Creditcardsanytime, are offering customers the option of shopping online with virtual, single-use credit card numbers, which expire within one or two months.

Digits 7 to (a to 1) of your credit card number are your individual account identifying proof. The maximum length of a credit card number is 19 digits. Since the initial 6 digits of a credit card number are the issuer identifier, and the final digit is the check digit, this means that the maximum length of the account number field is 19 - 7, or 12 digits. Each issuer therefore has a trillion (10 raised to the 12th power, or 1,000,000,000,000) possible account numbers.

In a reality credit card numbers are single-use numbers that expire within a month or two of issue, and are used for shopping online in place of the number that's actually on your credit card. What's the point? The number is only good at the one web site where you make your purchase, and only for a limit period of time- so if hackers have obtained your credit card number during an online transaction, the next time they go to use it, it will not work.

When a customer receives their credit card statement after shopping with virtual credit card numbers he or she should verify about there purchasing details is all details are correct or not, if credit card holder find any thing wrong , he or she should be aware for next time, must be do need full about it, so that in future no body can't do nothing wrong. Some card issuers provides the virtual number used to make the purchase along side the charge, but only some card issuers provides free of cost this information, I think every bank and credit card companies should provide this service free of charges.

The aim To the hackers by using a different, random card number every time you shop online. A virtual number is only good on the Web site where you made your purchase. "There's no value to the number to any hacker," says, director of e-business for Creditcardsanytime, "because they can't take it anywhere else on the Web." An online purchase made with virtual card number shows up on a customer's card bill just like any other purchase. Some issuers even list the virtual card number next to the charge.

What is reason behind using Virtual Credit Card Numbers?

One of the important reasons why some people choose not to shop online is because of their fear of credit card theft and identity fraud. The potential for personal information to be found online is a real concern- and is proven by a survey, where over 7 percent of online shoppers surveyed claimed to be victims of credit card fraud.

Although mostly all credit card providers promise a zero liability policy for unauthorized charges and online purchases, consumers are still concerned because of the potential for further damage. Sometimes it is difficult to get errors removed from a credit report, for example, even after being the victim of identity theft. Using virtual credit card numbers can eliminate the potential for hackers to use the card data to make purchases and discover more information about a consumer.