How to shop in international stores with a dollar balance
International online stores and apps usually show prices in US dollars. A virtual Visa card with a dollar balance pays those prices as they are, with no conversion between the price and your balance.
Why a dollar balance helps when shopping abroad
When a store lists a price in dollars and your money is in another currency, the final charge depends on the conversion rate on the day. With a dollar balance, a dollar price is charged as is, so you know in advance how much leaves the card.
Guarapay issues a virtual prepaid Visa card with a US-dollar balance in about two minutes. You top up your balance in the app and pay online wherever Visa cards are accepted.
If a store bills in another currency, Visa converts the amount to dollars on the purchase date, so it is worth checking which currency the checkout uses.
Step by step: your first purchase abroad
- Open the Guarapay app or the Telegram mini app @guarapay_bot and create an account.
- Complete identity verification.
- Issue the virtual card; the issue fee is US$ 10 on Standard or US$ 100 on Premium.
- Top up your balance in the app with at least US$ 10, enough to cover the order and US$ 0.25 per approved purchase; the top-up fee is 2%.
- Check the dollar balance available in the app before going to checkout.
- At the store checkout, pick payment by card and, if offered, choose to pay in US dollars.
- Enter the card number, expiry date and security code, and confirm with 3-D Secure if the store asks.
Before you place the order
Check the full order total, including shipping, before paying. Shipping costs and any import duties depend on the store and on the rules of your country, not on the card.
The card has a monthly spending limit of US$ 10,000 on Standard and US$ 100,000 on Premium, and in the app you can set your own lower monthly cap and a per-purchase cap.
There is no monthly fee; each approved purchase costs US$ 0.25, taken from the balance with the purchase. You get an alert in the app for every payment.
Common mistakes
- Paying in another currency when the checkout offers dollars; the amount is then converted to dollars on the purchase date.
- Topping up exactly the price of the item and forgetting shipping and the purchase fee.
- Mistyping the expiry date or security code; copy the card details straight from the app.
If something goes wrong
If a purchase is declined, the money stays on your balance. If you were charged but the payment failed, support returns the amount to the card balance. Some merchants may decline cards according to their own rules.
The notification for each payment arrives in the app right away, so you can check the amount charged as soon as you place the order.
FAQ
Do I pay a conversion when the store charges in dollars?
No, the balance is in dollars, so a dollar price is charged as is; only a charge in another currency is converted by Visa on the purchase date.
Can I buy physical goods with a virtual card?
Yes, the card is virtual but pays online orders wherever Visa is accepted; shipping and any import duties depend on the store and your country.
What if the store declines the card?
The money stays on your balance; some merchants decline cards according to their own rules, so you can try paying in dollars or contact support.
Is there a monthly fee for the card?
No, there is no monthly fee; you pay the issue fee of US$ 10 (US$ 100 on Premium), the top-up fee of 2% (1% on Premium) and US$ 0.25 per approved purchase.