Are there any free, trustworthy, secure and privacy-respecting payment masking services, like privacy.com, available for regions outside of America? Like Europe, Asia, Australia and others.
I am in Australia currently, so Australian recommendations would be appreciated.
Is Apple Pay such a service?
Nothing quite like privacy.com unfortunately, but for disposable cards Revolut | All-in-one Finance App for your Money | Revolut Australia is a good option
It pretty much will be soon in the US but unfortunately not in Australia
Why? So frustrating
Thank you, hoping it’s free and comparable to privacy.com or Apple Pay. I assume I need to use Apple Pay when possible online, and if it isn’t available then I will use Revolut.
Thank you, I read the thread, and it has answered my suspicion, don’t use Revolut, which I didn’t trust in the first place, however, no one has answered: should I use Apple Pay, and does it mask my card from merchants (pretty sure it does)? The thread also doesn’t answer my question, whether there are alternatives? I think I found some online based in Australia. Feel free to close this as a duplicate.
What is the point of Apple Pay then? Does this number prevent my debit card from being exposed in a data breach? In other words, how does Apple Pay improve security?
And how does Google Pay compare to Apple Pay?
Answer from Bing Chat:
Apple Pay serves as a secure and convenient digital payment method. Let’s explore how it enhances security:
Tokenization:
When you add your debit or credit card to Apple Pay, it doesn’t store the actual card number on your device or Apple’s servers.
Instead, it generates a unique device account number (also known as a token) for each card. This token is specific to your device and is used for transactions.
Even if a data breach occurs, the stolen token cannot be used to make purchases without your device’s authorization.
Biometric Authentication:
Apple Pay relies on biometric authentication methods such as Touch ID (fingerprint recognition) or Face ID (facial recognition).
These features ensure that only you (the authorized user) can initiate transactions.
Even if someone gains access to your device, they cannot use Apple Pay without your biometric authentication.
Secure Element and Secure Enclave:
Apple Pay leverages the Secure Element (a dedicated chip) and the Secure Enclave (part of the device’s hardware) to store and protect sensitive information.
The Secure Element securely stores your payment data, including tokens and cryptographic keys.
The Secure Enclave ensures that your biometric data (fingerprint or face scan) remains isolated from the rest of the system, enhancing security.
Dynamic Security Codes:
For in-store transactions, Apple Pay generates a dynamic security code for each transaction.
Unlike static CVV codes printed on physical cards, these codes change with every transaction, making them useless for fraudsters even if intercepted.
No Card Details Shared with Merchants:
When you use Apple Pay, the merchant never receives your actual card number.
Instead, they receive the token or dynamic security code, ensuring that your sensitive information remains private.
Lost or Stolen Device Protection:
If your device is lost or stolen, you can remotely disable Apple Pay using Find My iPhone or a similar feature.
Without your biometric authentication, no one can use your Apple Pay even if they have physical access to the device.
In summary, Apple Pay significantly improves security by using tokenization, biometric authentication, secure hardware components, dynamic security codes, and limited data sharing with merchants. While no system is entirely foolproof, Apple Pay provides robust protection against card fraud and data breaches.
Not sure how it achieves “limited data sharing with merchants”. Plus as Jonah said the token can be tracked across my different purchases.
