What is card tokenisation? How your card number is kept safe
By SendPay Business · · 2 min read
- 1Your card appears in your app
- 2Tap it to pay in a shop
- 3See every payment as it happens
Tokenisation swaps a real card number for a stand-in number, called a token, that's only useful in one place. If the token is stolen, it can't be used like the real card, which is why phone wallets and saved-card checkouts use it.
How it works
- A card is added to a phone wallet or saved with a shop.
- The card network or a provider creates a token linked to the real card.
- Payments use the token; only the network and the issuer can link it back to the card.
- If the card is replaced, the token can often be updated so payments keep working.
Where you meet it
Every time you pay with a phone or watch, you're using a token. Many online shops and subscription services also store a token rather than your card number, so a data breach at the shop doesn't expose the card.
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Why it matters for businesses
Tokens reduce the card data a business has to protect, can lower fraud, and help recurring payments keep working when cards expire.
Where SendPay fits
SendPay platforms include cards, payment links and subscriptions under your own brand, powered by licensed partners. You can preview your platform before you launch.
How it works
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- 2Choose what it does
- 3Launch when you are ready
Why sign up
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SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank. Accounts, cards and payments are powered by licensed partners.
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Spotted a mistake or something out of date? and we'll fix it. How our guides are made
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank, and does not take deposits; regulated services on the platforms are provided by licensed partners. Other companies named in this guide are reference points only and are not affiliated with SendPay Business.