For people who have access to credit cards they have become an indispensable part of our everyday lives. This has been the case for a couple of decades as we went form only using the cards to buy big ticket items to the stage where we were using them for the weekly shopping. Debit cards of course made us even more likely to use plastic because of the lower charges and the fact that we were spending our own money without the threat of having to pay interest if we missed our payment.

With the advent of the Internet, credit cards have become almost essential to anyone who wants to participate in the Online world. Now that we can buy virtually anything we want from an online shop, visit communities and pretty much build a life in virtual reality, we can't be without a method of making payments over the Internet. Unfortunately for some, the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in this new world is hampered by the fact that no institution is willing to give them the credit they need. Obviously no credit means no plastic card to exchange money in the online world. Whether its because you have a bad credit rating, you are too young or the bank just seems to be having a bad day, not being able to get a credit card is no laughing matter.

Virtual credit cards, aptly named for something that is to be used in the virtual world, appeared on the market to bridge a gap that couldn't be filled by conventional products from the banks. These virtual credit cards are available to anyone who has the money to spend and the need to transfer money securely online. They work exactly the same as a regular card would when used online, you have a 16 digit number, expiry date and a security code so you have all the details you need to fill in at any checkout.

The different between these cards and the ones you would traditionally use apart form the fact that you can't use them for real world shopping is that you can only spend money that you have preloaded on the it just like a prepaid credit card for the Internet. This has advantages and disadvantages. Obviously you can't get into trouble by spending far too much money which you can't afford like you can with the real thing and the damage that anyone could potentially do if they stole your details is limited.

There's many companies offering a virtual credit card but you should be careful and buy from a respected name. Entopay are one such company I used in the past for a virtual visa card and know from experience that they provide a good service at a reasonable cost. Loading money onto a card is charged at 4.95% and spending money is free. This might sound quite expensive but in comparison to many on the market its remarkably cheap for what you get.

Another supplier you might want to take a look at are Neteller who have a great name in online money transfer and you can be sure will treat you fairly.

So there you have it. If you can't get access to a credit card for some reason but want to take part in the online world then you know have the option you have been looking for. Pick up a virtual credit card, load it with some money and you are free to access all the products and services that you have so far had to do without.