Cards that let you switch off online purchases with no fees

Which cards let you disable online purchases?

The ability to switch off online purchases from your banking app has become a security selling point, but not all issuers offer it, and those that do sometimes hide fees. Openbank, BBVA, ING, N26 and Wise include it as standard; Bankinter, Carrefour Pass and Curve, on the other hand, don't offer it at all. Users looking for a card independent of their main account run into widely varying conditions.

The ones that do and the ones that don't

Based on experiences gathered so far, Openbank allows you to disable online purchases, as do Trade Republic, BBVA, ING, N26 and Wise. Even Correos (the Spanish postal service) makes the list. But the appeal fades when fees come into play: Carrefour Pass charges 29 euros every six months if unused, and Wizink Now will apply a 4 euro monthly fee from July. ING's option requires having an account with the same bank, which doesn't suit anyone wanting to link the card to another bank.

The problem of hidden fees

The ideal user wants a card that lets them switch off online purchases, can be used on credit with payment at the end of the month, and isn't tied to a specific account. That combination is hard to find without paying a price. The alternative of using a prepaid card like Openbank's —which can be switched on only to receive refunds— works but doesn't cover credit. The puzzle is set: security is achieved, but at the cost of fees or giving up certain antiestéticatures.

The trend suggests more and more banks will add the option, but the terms will change. What is free today may carry a fee tomorrow, as Wizink's move shows. Anyone who wants a card with full control will need to review the contract every six months.