What is a VISA card? How to apply for a VISA card online?

Here's how a VISA card works and how it's different from other cards. We'll help you pick the card that can best support your financial needs and your lifestyle.

1. What is a VISA card?

1.1 What's the difference between VISA and MasterCard?

1.2 What is VISA debit card?

1.3 What is a VISA credit card?

2. Benefits of VISA cards

2.1 Simple international and domestic payments

2.2 High security

2.3 Manage your finance easily

2.4 User-friendly

3. How to use VISA cards

3.1 Direct payments at merchants

3.2 Online payments

3.3 Cash advance via ATMs

4. Which VISA cards we should use?

4.1 3 important factors in choosing your card

4.2 Requirements for HSBC VISA cards application

4.3 How to apply for an HSBC VISA card online

Both VISA and MasterCard are international payment cards, but they are made by different card issuers. They each work with different banks. They both have worldwide networks and are the most popular types of card.

You can get a debit card or a credit card from VISA or MasterCard. You should choose the type of card that will suit your spending and lifestyle habits.

The benefits that you get with your card will depend on which bank you're with, the type of card that you have, and where you are in the world. This means that HSBC and another bank could offer you a VISA or a MasterCard, but the benefits will be different.

For example, if you have an HSBC Premier World MasterCard then you'll get World MasterCard privileges. You'll also get exclusive promotions such as educational support for your children or cash advance services if you lose your card.

A VISA debit card directly links to your transactional account. That means, the money on the VISA debit card is your own, and you can use the card to withdraw, pay and transfer the money as much as your account balance. There are banks that don't put a limit on amount of money you can use in your bank account while others will require the debit cardholders to maintain a minimum account balance.

You can use your VISA debit card at any VISA-accepting points, for example, local and overseas ATMs with VISA/ PLUS logo, POS (Point of Sale) or for online payments.

Learn more about HSBC VISA Debit Card

VISA offers credit cards. Credit cards are a type of unsecured loan. You can use it to pay your bills and make purchases like you would with a debit card.

However, rather than using the money in your account, you'll get a credit limit. This determines how much money you can spend with your credit card. You cannot make transfers with a credit card, and we don't recommend that you use them to withdraw cash.

Learn more: What’s the difference between debit card and a credit card?

You'll usually have an interest-free period of up to 55 days depending on your card and card issuer. This is calculated from your last billing date until your upcoming billing date, plus a grace period of 25 days.

This means that as long as you repay before the payment due date, you are free from all financial charges. Otherwise, the bank's interest rates will be accrued on your outstanding balance as the result of missing the payment due dates or not fully paying off the amounts due every month.

Besides, VISA credit card often comes with exclusive programs such as instalment plans, reward points, cash back as well as other exclusive promotions.

Apply online today for an HSBC VISA credit card to receive cash back promotion up to VND 1,800,000!

VISA cards are useful for when you travel, work, or study abroad, and for when you make payments online. You can use them to make payments globally without cash or needing to exchange money. This type of card is accepted in many places, so you won't need to worry about how much cash you can take into another country when you travel.

VISA cards can also be used for domestic payments. You can also enjoy discounts when using it. We offer discounts of up to 40% off on food,  shopping, sports, beauty, entertainment, education, travel, and more at thousands of stores across Vietnam. Find out more by checking our daily offers.

Almost every VISA card is equipped with an EMV chip to prevent fraud and data theft.

You carry risk when you carry a lot of cash, whether it be dropping cash or having it stolen, never to be recovered. In the case you lose your card, you can immediately lock the card via the banking support center or the mobile banking app, preventing any loss of money. Note that your card will only be successfully locked when you receive a confirmation from the card issuer.

You can also set a transfer limit on your debit card or credit limit if it is a credit card for maximum security.

With any type of VISA cards, all your purchases get recorded online with all the essential details—where, when, how much. This helps you self-assess and reconcile your spending so that you can budget better.

In addition, you can make use of instalment plans offered by VISA cards to shop for your favorite items immediately and then spread the costs over several monthly payments, instead of paying all at once.

Using your VISA card responsibly with proper planning is a great way to get yourself a savings later down the road.

It's easy to understand how to use the VISA card: 

• Simple process even when using online
• Accepted form of payment in many countries worldwide
• Money transfer services and support costs when transferring money internationally

HSBC is offering a wide range of VISA Credit Cards to suit every lifestyle.

When you go shopping or pay for services at a store or service provider, usually, the store clerk will swipe the magnetic strip on the back of the card or insert the card into the POS or mPOS. Some cards will require you to enter a PIN to complete the payments, while others do not require this action.Some banks even offer the function of integrating VISA card into your phone, such as Samsung Pay technology, to help you pay via POS and mPOS without the need of physical bank cards.

You now can integrate HSBC VISA card's information into your compatible Samsung smart devices. Make fast and secured transactions just by simply tapping the device on a POS device.

Find out more about our service: Pay with HSBC Visa Card using Samsung Pay

So, what is POS?

POS (Point of Sale) is a payment terminal that takes credit or debit cards to make a payment instead of cash. The device can be held in hands and is usually placed at checkout counters at shopping points.

In addition to a traditional POS, the Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) is also a compact device providing convenient card payment services. Currently, you can use your VISA HSBC credit card paid via mPOS to convert any transaction with a minimum value of VND 3,000,000 into an instalment plan.

Find out more about instalment program at mPOS at HSBC

You can use VISA cards to make online payments for merchandise both domestically and internationally. Accordingly, you only need to provide your full name, card number, CVV, expiration date and 3D Secure Code to proceed with the payment. 

• Your card number is a 16 or 19-digit number on the back of your card. If you've got a debit card then your card number will be different from your account number.
• Your CVV is the 3-digit security code on the back of your card.
• The expiration date shows the month and the year that your card will stop working and is in the format MM/YY.
• 3D Secure Code will be sent by text message to your registered phone number with your bank.

You shouldn't disclose the information to anyone to prevent the fraud. 

You can withdraw money using VISA cards (except for VISA Prepaid) at any ATMs with international payment network logos such as VISA / PLUS. However, cash withdrawal fees will be applied as specified in the card issuer's fee schedule.

Choosing the right VISA card is important. Here are the 3 most important factors to consider when applying for your first VISA card.

• Your needs and lifestyle
• Card features and offers
• The convenience of application

Although nearly all banks in Vietnam have issued card lines associated with VISA, card scheme rules may differ from bank to bank. Different schemes will suit you better depending on your lifestyle: some examples include if you want to use your VISA card to pay for tuition, make purchases on instalments or want to travel long-term but are afraid of bringing a lot of cash.

Credit cards from different issuers may also vary in terms of features, limit, charges and fees, conditions for card registration or promotion programs. As each variant has its own advantages, you may want to search the information beforehand to find the right card that best suits your needs.

In case you can't make it to the bank during office hours to apply for a VISA card, there are several banks, including HSBC, that assist users in applying for a VISA card online, instead of only face-to-face applications in a branch.

Specific conditions depend on the bank and type of card you choose but you can refer to the general requirements below:

• Individuals aged 18 years or over
• Residential proof of current home
• Proof of work and income if opening VISA credit card

The steps to apply a VISA card online is quite simple just in 6 steps. You can refer to How to apply for VISA card Online.

After receiving your application, our bank staff will contact you to kick off document verification. The whole process is done entirely online, ensuring you will have a VISA card without moving your feet.

We hope this overview helps you to understand "What is a VISA card?".  VISA cards are a valuable tool to help plan and manage your financial goals.

Are you ready to get started?