How to keep spending under control with a separate card
Leisure, games and online shopping are easy to overspend on when they share a card with everything else. A separate virtual Visa card with its own dollar balance and your own limits keeps that money apart.
Why a separate card for a separate budget
When subscriptions, games and online shopping are paid from the same card as rent and groceries, it is hard to see how much really goes on extras. A card used only for that spending makes the number visible.
Guarapay issues a virtual prepaid Visa card with a US-dollar balance in about two minutes. It is prepaid, so it can only spend what you put on it: there is no credit line and no bill at the end of the month.
You get an alert in the app for every purchase, so each payment from this budget shows up the moment it happens.
Step by step: setting up a spending budget
- 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.
- Decide how much you want to spend on leisure and online purchases this month.
- In the app, set your own monthly cap and a per-purchase cap below the card limit.
- Top up your balance in the app with only the planned amount, at least US$ 10; the top-up fee is 2%.
- Use this card only for that spending and check the purchase alerts in the app.
Limits that work for you
The card has a monthly spending limit of US$ 10,000 on Standard and US$ 100,000 on Premium. Inside that, you set your own lower monthly cap and a cap per purchase, so one impulse buy cannot take the whole budget.
If you want a break from spending, freeze the card in one tap: purchases are declined while it is frozen, and you unfreeze it when you are ready. Online purchases can also be confirmed with 3-D Secure.
There is no monthly fee, so a card that sits unused costs nothing to keep; each approved purchase costs US$ 0.25, taken from the balance with the purchase.
Habits that help
- Top up once at the start of the month with the amount you planned, instead of adding money every time the balance runs low.
- Keep subscriptions on this card too, so renewals count against the same budget.
- Freeze the card for a while if you notice you are spending more than you wanted.
If plans change
If something is left at the end of the month, it stays on the card for the next one, so you can top up less next month or adjust your caps in the app whenever you like.
The card works online wherever Visa cards are accepted. Some merchants may decline cards according to their own rules.
FAQ
Can I set my own spending limit?
Yes, in the app you set a monthly cap and a per-purchase cap below the card limit of US$ 10,000 on Standard or US$ 100,000 on Premium.
Can I spend more than I topped up?
No, the card is prepaid: a purchase larger than the balance is declined and the money stays on your balance.
What happens when I freeze the card?
Purchases are declined while the card is frozen; your balance stays on the card, and you can unfreeze it in one tap.
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.