How many times have you been shopping online, only to abandon your potential purchases because you didn’t want to get up to find your credit card? Or maybe you were even concerned about the security of the website, and didn’t want to hand over your credit card number. Well, Capital One just introduced a new web plug-in that will solve both problems for you.
The new program, called Eno, was unveiled at SXSW in Austin last week. The feature is actually the bank’s digital assistant, and operates through text messaging as well as a plug-in for the Google Chrome browser (though there are plans for all browsers in the near future). The intelligent assistant not only makes online shopping easier, but will also revolutionize credit card security for all Capital One users.
Why You Need It
According to a Baymard Institute study in 2017, as many as 69.2% of online shoppers abandoned their carts. Of those, 18% did so because they didn’t feel that they could trust the site on which they were shopping, and didn’t want to hand over their credit card information. Eno seeks to eliminate this issue entirely for Capital One card holders.
Once downloaded through your Chrome browser, the primary feature of Eno is that it will detect online merchants’ checkout pages. Then, a popup will appear that gives cardholders a “virtual credit card number.” Essentially, the bank’s assistant will create a temporary-use credit card number, expiration date, and security code in real time, which you can use to make your online purchases if desired. This allows you to still spend on the credit card of your choosing, but without handing over your actual credit card number.
If you want to abandon your purchase or even use your plastic card’s information, you can dismiss Eno’s pop-up. However, if you want to utilize the optional virtual numbers, you can do so with a simple click of the mouse.
These virtual numbers have a number of different uses, too. Let’s say that you want to allow a child, friend, or even an employee to use the credit card in question. If you hand over your card’s information, you’ve essentially given that person unrestricted access to your account. Whether they use the card responsibly, and ensure the safekeeping of your account’s personal information, is yet-unknown.
By using Eno, however, you can grant access to your credit card account in a controlled manner. You’re handing over a faux card number and expiration date, which only works for as long as you want it to work. If you choose to delete that virtual number for any reason and at any time, the account is safe from unauthorized charges. This can be done immediately with a simple click, and you don’t even need to change your physical card number or call the issuer.
Safer and Easier
Eno can make online shopping easier, too, in addition to improving security. Since your account information is securely stored in the plug-in, you don’t have to worry about searching for a credit card the next time you are browsing a merchant’s website. The app will easily insert your virtual payment information on-demand.
When you inevitably update your credit card number in the future – either because of a fraud concern, expired card, or other account change – you won’t have to worry about going through every single website to change your stored information. Rather than manually changing the card info on all of your commonly-shopped websites (such as Amazon, for example), Eno will update everything for you. All of your online relationships and virtual card numbers are saved in a personal, secure portfolio, which will automatically update on its own.
Online shopping is becoming more and more prevalent. However, this also raises new concerns for the security of our financial accounts, as well as matters of convenience. Capital One’s new intelligent assistant, Eno, seeks to improve both through its new browser extension. It will be interesting to see the impact of virtual card numbers through the app, as well as hear what Capital One cardholders think about the program.
