No Credit Card, No Problem: The Loophole MESHERs Are Using to Shop Online (and Sign Up for Free Trials)

Frustrating, right?

Turns out there’s a lot you can’t do online without a credit card. And with bank fees the way they are, I get why most people don’t even bother trying to get one.

But I’ve got some good news: There are legit workarounds you can use to shop online and claim those free trials. The best part? They don’t even require a bank account.

Curious? Read on!

Story time:

I recently partnered with a US company that builds websites for free as long as the client signs up for hosting using our Bluehost affiliate link. I bring them clients, napata commission. Sweet deal.

So when I landed that first client, you bet I was excited.

Until…

Ikafika time ya client kulipia hosting. He had the money, but iko Mpesa. I tried to convince him anitumie nilipe na account yangu, but that just raised red flags for him. His energy changed instantly. Suddenly, the whole “free website” offer started looking like a scam. And honestly? I don’t blame him ju ile dust scammers wanaonyesha watu online…wacha tu.

Tuff situation, but let’s put a pin on that story for now.

This isn’t an isolated case. I’m sure a lot of you have struggled to pay for something online (or flat out gave up) because of that “Enter your card details to proceed” screen. It often pops up when:

● Signing up for Free trials for tools like Canva, Grammarly, or ChatGPT (even if you plan to cancel before they start charging you)

● Buying digital assets like templates, stock images, and plugins

● Buying stuff from online marketplaces like Alibaba, eBay, and Amazon

● Paying for subscription services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Spotify

● Buying courses online

Well, there’s the issue I hinted at earlier: banks don’t exactly make things easier. Requirements ni kibao, interest iko juu, and don’t get me started on those annual fees.

Don’t believe me? Take a quick look at the requirements for getting KCB’s Classic Visa Card or other similar cards. Even the “more accessible” ABSA Classic Credit Card has a minimum income requirement of Ksh 40,000 (Ksh 20,000 if you’re already an ABSA customer).

That alone disqualifies most MESHERs. My client didn’t qualify either, since hustle yake bado haikua inaingiza that much money (this is why he was interested in the free website offer in the first place).

Plus ata ukimeet izo requirements, you still have to deal with the paperwork and the lengthy application process. It’s just too much hassle, especially when you’ve got a biz to run.

With credit cards so tough to get, some people have resorted to shortcuts like fake virtual credit card numbers.

How do these work?

Well, see for yourself: Google “free virtual credit card numbers”. Utaona site after site promising instant card details you can use to unlock free trials for paid tools. You visit the site, select the card type, and it instantly generates a card number.

Shida ni moja:

Izi stuff zinaeza kueka kwa ngori coz you’re essentially committing credit card fraud. Plus, most platforms have caught up with this loophole. Every time a user enters their card details, they do a small authorization charge ku-verify ka card ni legit. Ka card number yako ni fake, watajua alafu upigwe lifetime ban. Not worth the risk.

Back to the story I was telling you earlier:

With the client threatening to pull the plug, I scrambled to keep the deal alive. “Give me just one day. I’ll sort it out,” I assured him, sounding way more confident than I felt. Truth is? I had no idea how we were going to pay for the hosting.

But hey, confidence ni kila kitu kwa izi streets. Plus ka kuna skill unafaa kua nayo kwa biz, ni kujua kusolve problems through research.

So after some digging, I came across prepaid cards and virtual cards:

● A prepaid card works exactly like it sounds: you load it with money before using it. This is unlike a credit card, where you spend the money and then repay the bank later, typically with interest.

● A virtual card, on the other hand, is a digital version of the physical credit and debit cards we’re all familiar with. Iko na card number, expiry date, na CVV (i.e. the security code) just like the plastic one some of you have in your pockets. Basically, ni “soft copy” version ya credit ama debit card.

Both can be used to pay for things in the same way you would with a normal card on websites, apps, and subscription services.

Learning about these two options saved the deal. I did some more digging and came across a virtual card that works for my client: the Eversend virtual card.

Acha tuone how it works and why it made sense for my client, alafu nikupee other options unaeza tumia kushop online ama ku-sample free trials.

Quick Disclaimer before we get to the tools: Hatujalipwa ku-hype hizi tools, na hatusemi ni must uzitumie. So before you settle on any of them, fanya homework yako: Pitia reviews kwa PlayStore/AppStore, soma terms and conditions, alafu u-choose yenye ina-fit needs zako ama hustle yako.

This is a prepaid USD debit card. That means you only spend what you've already loaded onto the card. And since ni virtual card, it’s 100% digital.

Kitu nlipenda most na ii card is how easy it is to use. Even my client, who had never even heard of virtual cards, didn’t need much hand-holding. All he had to do was:

1. Download the Eversend app from PlayStore (it’s also available on the App Store)

2. Create an account

3. Find the "Cards" tab, click on the "Create new card" button, and follow the simple prompts to generate his virtual card

4. Use M-Pesa to load it with just enough to cover the hosting costs and transaction fees

5. Make the payment directly on Bluehost’s website.

I also love the fact that it works on pretty much any site you can think of, not just Bluehost. Because it's a legit USD Visa card, it gets accepted on most international platforms that usually require credit cards. Unaeza check the complete list of sites it works on by clicking this link.

Kitu ingine ilinibamba na ii card ni haina requirements kibao:

● You don’t pay a card creation fee; they waived it.

● You only need $2 to get started: $1 covers the setup fee, while the other remains in your card ju haiezi kaa ikiwa zero.

● The maintenance fee is just $1 per month. And, it’s charged only when the card is active. That means you can freeze or deactivate your card to avoid the monthly fee when you're not using it.

Overall, this is one of the best virtual cards for online shopping. It’s also a great way to sign up for free trials of tools like ChatGPT Plus, Canva Pro, Grammarly, etc.

This is a virtual visa card linked to your M-Pesa account. As you might have guessed, unaifund directly from your Mpesa wallet, which means akuna story na banks. It comes with everything you’d expect from a “real” card: a 16-digit card number, the expiry date, and a CVV.

To set it up, download the Mpesa App alafu ufuate izi steps:

1. Log in and select the Grow tab.

2. Go to the GlobalPay tab and activate your M-PESA GlobalPay

3. Follow the simple prompts to finalize the setup and enter your PIN

4. Wait for Safaricom to send your card details via SMS

It’s that simple!

One thing I like about this card is that haina monthly maintenance fee. This is perhaps the one area imetoa the Eversend virtual card we discussed earlier. But then again, huezi tumia M-Pesa GlobalPay on Bluehost. This is the only reason we didn’t use it for my client. Honestly though, that has more to do with Bluehost’s strict payment policies than any fault with the card itself.

This prepaid virtual visa card is yet another option unaeza tumia ku-shop online. You can access it via the Chipper Cash app, na haina monthly maintenance fees. And like the other cards we’ve looked at, unaeza i-fund from M-Pesa.

Here’s how to create one:

1. Download the Chipper Cash app from PlayStore or the App Store

2. Verify your identity (you’ll need your ID and a selfie)

3. Fund your Chipper wallet via M‑PESA (they’ll give you the paybill number)

4. Generate your USD card

5. Use it anywhere Visa is accepted online

The only potential issue ni utahave ku convert Ksh to USD within the app to make international payments. And even that is super simple.

And that’s a wrap for this discussion!

We’ve looked at a few smart workarounds for shopping online without a credit card, but I’m sure there are more out there.

Tried something better? Faced unexpected hiccups with the ones I’ve recommended?

Drop your wins (or warnings) in the comments. Your experience might just save a fellow MESHER a lot of hassle. Cheers!