Virtual Credit Card Glossary
Detailed explanations of core concepts in virtual credit cards and cross-border payments — essential reading for beginners, and a quick reference whenever experienced users hit an unfamiliar term.
Grouped by letters / numbers / key terms, 30+ terms in total. Follow the links for deeper reading.
A
AML (Anti-Money Laundering)
Anti-Money Laundering. The compliance framework every compliant virtual card platform must enforce, covering KYC, abnormal transaction monitoring, suspicious activity reporting and more. RDVCC strictly enforces its AML policy.
Apple Pay
Apple's NFC + online payment method. It doesn't issue cards itself — it stores your existing cards on the iPhone via tokenized encryption. RDVCC virtual cards can be added to the Apple Pay wallet (requires a US Apple ID + a matching US BIN).
AVS (Address Verification Service)
Address Verification Service — the bank service that verifies the cardholder's billing address. Most US-region platforms run AVS checks at payment, requiring the billing address to match the issuer's records. RDVCC US cards accept any US billing address.
B
BIN (card BIN range)
Bank Identification Number — the first 6-8 digits of a card number, identifying the issuer + card country + card type. The BIN is the core signal in platform risk control. RDVCC US cards carry BINs from US issuers, which is why they pass reliably on ChatGPT / Apple US and similar platforms.
C
CVV (security code)
Card Verification Value — the 3 digits on the back of the card (4 for Amex). Verifies that the cardholder physically holds the card during online payments. The CVV of RDVCC virtual cards is shown on the card detail page at /account/cards.
Chargeback (disputed transaction)
A "payment reversal" the cardholder requests from the issuer. Merchants with high chargeback rates get downgraded by card network risk control. RDVCC doesn't handle chargebacks directly (the issuer does), but users can file disputes through support.
Numbers
3DS (3-D Secure)
The second-step payment verification scheme from Visa / Mastercard. Besides the card number + CVV, the payment is verified on the issuer side (usually via a code sent to email / phone / app push). All RDVCC cards have 3DS on by default, with codes sent to the registered email.
E
EDD (Enhanced Due Diligence)
Enhanced Due Diligence. The deeper review of high-risk accounts within the AML process. If your account is flagged for EDD, new transactions may need case-by-case review plus additional documents.
ERC20
The token standard on Ethereum. USDT-ERC20 = USDT running on the Ethereum chain. On-chain fees are high ($5-20) and it's slower (5-15 minutes). RDVCC supports it but doesn't recommend it — TRC20 first.
F
FATF (Financial Action Task Force)
Financial Action Task Force — the global standard-setter for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing. RDVCC's AML policy follows FATF standards.
K
KYC (identity verification)
Know Your Customer. A legal requirement for every compliant payment platform to identify users' real identities. RDVCC Virtual Card collects basic cardholder information (name + mainland China mobile number) per the upstream licensed issuer's compliance requirements.
M
MCC (Merchant Category Code)
Merchant Category Code — the merchant's industry classification (4 digits). Each MCC carries a different risk level. E.g. 7311 = advertising services (high-risk), 5734 = software stores (ordinary). RDVCC can enable MCC whitelists on demand.
MCC 7311
The MCC for advertising services; ad platforms like Facebook / Google / TikTok all fall under this code. It sits in the "high-risk" class of card network risk control and is declined by default. Choosing "ad campaigns" as the purpose when opening an RDVCC card whitelists it automatically.
Mastercard
The world's second-largest card network. Mastercard passes more often than Visa in subscription scenarios like PayPal / Disney+ / Hulu / Apple Music, making it RDVCC's core backup card type.
P
PayPal
The US internet payment platform, one of the mainstream tools for cross-border e-commerce payouts. When verifying / binding a card on PayPal, Mastercard passes noticeably more often than Visa (PayPal has historically screened Visa harder).
Prepaid
The "top up first, spend later" card model. RDVCC virtual cards are prepaid — your USDT is credited into the account → card payments deduct from the account balance → the upstream issuer settles with the merchant. The opposite of the "credit / overdraft" model.
S
Sharp (image processing)
The Node.js image-processing library Next.js uses to convert images to WebP and resize them. Installed on RDVCC's server — the homepage hero.png is actually served as WebP, compressed from 1.67MB to 41KB.
Stripe
The US payment gateway; many overseas platforms (ChatGPT / Cursor / Notion / Midjourney etc.) charge through Stripe. Stripe risk control is strict and sensitive to card BINs. RDVCC US cards pass at 99%+.
T
TRC20
The token standard on the Tron chain. USDT-TRC20 = USDT running on Tron. On-chain fees are about $1, confirmed in 1-3 minutes. The preferred network for RDVCC USDT top-ups.
TPS (transactions per second)
Transactions Per Second. RDVCC's primary account database sustains 100+ tps writes; normal business runs far below that.
U
USDT (Tether)
Tether USD, the stablecoin pegged 1:1 to the US dollar. The core instrument for RDVCC top-ups. 1 USDT ≈ 1 US dollar (fluctuating 0.1-0.3%).
V
Visa
The world's largest card network, with the widest acceptance. RDVCC Visa virtual cards work on 99%+ of overseas platforms — the first choice for ChatGPT / FB ads / Apple US and similar scenarios.
Visa Global / Global Pay
"International" Visa cards issued by domestic Chinese banks (CITIC / CMB / ICBC etc.), but the BIN is still a mainland China BIN. On sensitive platforms like OpenAI / Apple US the approval rate is below 5%.
W
WebP
The image format from Google, 60-95% smaller than PNG. Next.js converts images to WebP by default. RDVCC's homepage hero.png went from 1.67MB → 41KB (WebP), lifting Core Web Vitals scores.
Key terms
Virtual credit card
A credit card that exists only as digital information (card number / CVV / expiry date), with no physical plastic. Fully equivalent to a physical card in every online payment scenario, but issued faster (minutes), usable one-card-per-purpose, with lower loss risk.
Upstream licensed issuer
A financial institution contracted with the Visa / Mastercard card networks and holding an issuing license. RDVCC is a compliant agent of such institutions — upstream handles issuing + settlement, while RDVCC delivers the product experience and support for Chinese-speaking users.
Double-entry bookkeeping
The core method of accounting: every transaction is recorded as both a debit and a credit, allowing two-way reconciliation. RDVCC's funds system uses double-entry bookkeeping and reconciles with the upstream issuer's funds every 10 minutes, keeping the book balance consistent with the actual balance.
Billing Address
The address entered at payment, used for AVS verification. For RDVCC US cards we recommend a real US address (commonly 1 Apple Park Way, Cupertino, CA 95014); the platform doesn't verify the address against your identity, but the ZIP and State must match.
US BIN
Card BIN ranges issued by US issuers. A hard requirement for ChatGPT / Apple US / FB ads and similar scenarios (other BINs pass below 50%). RDVCC's US virtual card is exactly this product.
Can't find the term you need?
This glossary is continuously updated. If you run into an unfamiliar concept that isn't covered on this page, contact support and tell us — we'll add it in the next update.
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