CARD FEE & MINIMUM

Virtual card issuing fees, minimum funds and total outlay

Check Pikabao Virtual Credit Cards’ fees separately from funds. Calculate each issuing or funding operation before submitting and reconcile it against the completed order.

By PIKABAO Data Research Group Last reviewed Card Issuance & Limits About 1175 words 6 min read

Issuing fees, card funds and funding fees

Issuing outlay includes card funds, the issuing fee and the card-funding fee. With $20 of funds, a $1 issuing fee and a 3% funding fee, the illustrative total is $21.60. Confirm the selected segment at submission.

Card funds
This is money allocated to the card for payments, not a platform fee or credit extended by a bank.
Issuing fee
Check it for each newly issued card. “From $1” does not mean every segment has a fixed $1 fee.
Funding fee
Calculate it on the funds allocated to the card and reconcile it with the account debit. Do not count the same fee twice.

Before issuing, check the funds allocated to the card, the selected segment’s issuing fee and the funding fee calculated on those funds. Their sum is the account outlay; only the allocated funds are available for subsequent payments.

These funds are not bank credit or a monthly allowance that resets automatically. Settled purchases reduce funds, and authorizations can reduce the available amount. Per-transaction and daily limits are separate checks.

Issuing fees and segment selection

The published issuing fee starts at $1 per card. Confirm the selected segment’s submission breakdown: “from” is not a fixed $1 price for every card. Issuing a new card after closing an old one is a separate operation.

Compare the networks, issuing regions and authentication accepted by the target merchant before comparing fees. A lower issuing fee does not mean better acceptance, and a higher fee does not make a card suitable for every merchant.

For the same segment with different funding amounts, inspect the issuing and proportional funding fees separately. A higher total may come from funds or proportional fees, not an increased issuing fee.

For multiple cards, list each purpose, merchant and quote separately. Two cards each receiving $20 with a $1 issuing fee illustrate $43.20 in total at 3%. One card does not automatically use the other card’s funds.

For monthly and annual merchant options, confirm the selected period first. Funds sufficient for one month may not cover a year, and changing periods can change the first charge. Calculate before submission.

Minimum funds versus minimum total outlay

An example with $20 on the card, a $1 issuing fee and a 3% funding fee requires $21.60. An account with $20 may meet an illustrative deposit minimum but still cannot cover the full issuing outlay.

Check three values separately on the current pages: the per-deposit receiving minimum, the segment’s minimum funds and the total issuing debit. Sender fees deducted from the transfer can also make the received amount lower than the sent amount.

For an existing card, use the funding page’s input requirements instead of applying the minimum issuing outlay. New issuance and funding an existing card contain different fee items.

References and operation links: Minimum card funds and actual billing budgets

The calculation base for the 3% funding fee

  1. Allocating $100 at 3% costs $3; new issuance also adds the selected segment’s issuing fee. Do not count “limit-service fee” and “card-funding fee” twice in one issuing operation: they refer to the same allocation charge.

  2. A $0 account-deposit fee does not make the whole funding process free. Sender withdrawal costs, network costs and card-allocation charges occur at different stages and need separate reconciliation.

  3. Funding an existing card with $100 illustrates a $103 account debit without another issuing fee. If the input, rate and total debit do not reconcile, retain the breakdown and resolve the difference before submitting.

References and operation links: USDT account deposit steps and amount checks

Fund movements and charging stages

The stages in the table describe separate operations, not monthly or annual fees. Idle cards do not automatically close and still use card slots. Manage merchant subscription renewals separately with the merchant.

OperationWhat to check
USDT deposited into the account$0 account-deposit fee; check sender costs and crediting conditions separately
Issue a virtual cardCard funds + actual issuing fee + funding fee
Fund an existing cardAllocated funds + 3% funding fee; no duplicate issuing fee
Return funds or request an external refundReturnable funds, waiting conditions and applicable charges

Before returning remaining card funds, check the returnable amount and pending transactions. Previously paid service fees are distinct from remaining funds, and an initial issuing total does not establish a refund amount.

Issuing examples and order reconciliation

The table assumes a $1 issuing fee to illustrate the calculation, not a quote for every segment. Read total account outlay separately from card funds; service fees already charged are not balance.

ItemIllustrative amount
Funds allocated to the card$20.00
Assumed issuing fee$1.00
Funding fee$20 × 3% = $0.60
Total account outlay$21.60
Card funds, excluding service fees$20.00

Allocating $100 instead illustrates $100 + $1 + $3 = $104. Retain the amount and order ID, then reconcile the account debit and card credit. Subsequent merchant purchases, taxes and currency conversion are not part of this issuing example.

If the account debit completes while issuance remains pending, track the original order instead of issuing again to test progress. Keep only necessary evidence and hide full card numbers, CVVs and verification codes.

Keep the card’s last four digits, issuing order ID, total account debit and card credit together. Different debit and credit amounts can reflect separately charged fees; the difference alone does not prove under-crediting.

For an unclear quote item, ask about its calculation base and whether the total already includes it. Add budget only for a confirmed separate item rather than adding a proportional fee twice.

References and operation links: CFPB · 12 CFR Part 1005 — Prepaid Account Rules (external source, for verification only, not an endorsement)

External materials explain general rules; they do not endorse Pikabao’s qualifications, rates or particular processing outcomes.

Review this operation before submitting

Confirm current amounts and segment conditions. Resolve questions through the original order or official support.

Refund policy → Card balance refunds · full rules
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