Virtual Account Number created with your credit card

[Sammy]

With many credit cards now, such as Citibank, you may create a Virtual Account Number with an expiration date two months ago, that is usable only with one merchant. Once you start using it online with a certain merchant, it will not be usable with any other merchant.

This protects you because even if your virtual account number is somehow misappropriated, it will work only at the merchant where you purchased goods, and in any case, only for a couple of months. And if something does happen, you may just block that virtual account number instead of having to start over with a whole new plastic credit card.