Apple Pay / Google Pay provisioning
Provisioning is the process of adding a payment card to a mobile wallet such as Apple Pay or Google Pay, so it can be used to pay from a phone or watch.
What it means. When a card is "provisioned" to a mobile wallet, the wallet stores a secure digital version of the card on the device. The actual card number is not stored on the device or shared with the merchant; instead the wallet uses a device-specific token — a substitute number tied to that device — so payments are made without exposing the underlying card details. This tokenisation is a key reason mobile-wallet payments are considered more secure than handing over a card number directly.
How it works. A cardholder adds a card to Apple Pay or Google Pay; the wallet and the card issuer verify the card and set up the token, sometimes with an additional identity check; and from then on the device can pay contactlessly in shops or authorise payments in apps and online. The token is tied to the specific device, so a compromised merchant or a lost phone does not expose the real card number, and the token can be removed remotely if the device is lost. The underlying card continues to work independently of the wallet.
Where it fits. Mobile-wallet provisioning has become a standard expectation for payment cards, physical and virtual alike. For a card to be genuinely useful today it generally needs to work with Apple Pay and Google Pay, letting the holder pay from the device they already carry rather than reaching for a physical card. It pairs closely with virtual cards, which can be issued digitally and provisioned to a wallet immediately — no plastic required — so a card can go from issued to usable in person within moments.