iOS 16 Beta 3: Apple to support virtual cards in Safari for online shopping

iOS 16 brings some new features to Apple Pay, such as a payment API for the CarPlay app, order tracking in the Wallet app, and even the Apple Pay Later service. However, Apple seems to have been making some other changes, as iOS 16 Beta 3 hints at support for virtual cards in Safari for online purchases.

As 9to5Mac saw in the internal code for iOS 16 Beta 3 released on Wednesday, Apple has been working on a new system that integrates virtual cards with Safari to improve the security of online purchases.

Some banks and credit card providers offer virtual cards as an option to generate a replacement number for your credit or debit card. This way, if your card data is compromised, you can simply cancel the virtual card number without having to ask your bank for a new card.

According to the code in the latest iOS 16 beta, Safari will eventually support virtual card numbers. Of course, Apple Pay already provides a security number for each transaction.

At this point, it’s unclear if the feature will be available to everyone or if it will require adoption by banks and credit card providers.