Can funds be spent both in person and online?
Short answer
Yes, funds can be spent both in person and online using your physical Ramp card. These funds draw from your allocated budgets for various purchases like travel or meals, while virtual cards are specifically reserved for online-only spending.
How it works
Corporate cards function across multiple payment channels:
- In-person purchases: Physical cards work at any merchant that accepts Visa, including retail stores, restaurants, gas stations, and service providers.
- Online purchases: The same cards process transactions through eCommerce websites, subscription services, and digital marketplaces.
- Mobile payments: Cards added to digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay) work for both contactless in-store payments and online checkout.
The card network processes all transactions uniformly, regardless of whether the card is physically swiped, tapped, or entered online.
How it works on Ramp
Ramp cards support spending across all channels with consistent controls:
Physical cards:
- Work at any merchant that accepts Visa
- Support contactless payments through mobile wallets
- Can be used online by entering the card number manually
Virtual cards:
- Designed primarily for online purchases and subscriptions
- Support both single-use and recurring transactions
Unified controls:
- Spending limits apply regardless of transaction channel
- Merchant category restrictions work for both in-person and online purchases
- Real-time transaction alerts fire immediately whether the purchase happens in a store or online
- Receipt collection happens automatically through the mobile app or email forwarding for all transaction types
Visibility:
- All transactions appear in the Ramp dashboard within seconds
- Transaction details include merchant name, amount, and category for both in-person and online purchases
- Accounting teams see the same level of detail and control across all spending channels
Common scenarios
Employee travel: An employee uses their physical Ramp card to pay for a hotel in person, then uses the same card online to book a flight and pay for ride-sharing through an app.
Department subscriptions: A marketing manager uses a virtual Ramp card for monthly SaaS subscriptions online, then adds the same virtual card to Apple Pay to purchase supplies at an office supply store.
Mixed purchasing: A team member orders office supplies online using their physical card number, then uses the physical card at a local vendor the same day. Both transactions follow the same approval rules and appear in real time.
Related questions
Employees usually cannot choose a fund at the time of purchase, but they may be able to reassign a transaction afterward if they have access to multiple funds.
Read moreMost corporate spend platforms do not support splitting a single transaction across multiple funds at the point of purchase. Card networks process each transaction as one authorization, so the charge must be settled against a single funding source.
Read moreWhen you use a physical card, the merchant submits the transaction for authorization, the issuing bank verifies the card and available funds, approves or declines the transaction, and settles the payment within 2–3 business days.
Read moreThe transaction is automatically declined at the point of purchase. The system blocks the charge in real time, preventing the purchase from going through and ensuring spending stays within approved limits.
Read more