You can now add your True Link Visa® Prepaid Card to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet and pay with a tap of your phone or smartwatch wherever contactless payments are accepted.
In this article you'll learn how to add your Card to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet step by step, what happens if your Card is ever replaced, and what to do if something doesn't go as expected.
What this means for you
An easier way to pay. Instead of pulling out your Card and swiping or inserting it at checkout, you hold your phone or watch near the card reader.
Tap to ride. Many local buses and trains now accept tap to pay at the fare gate or on board. With your Card in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet, you can tap to ride.
Your physical card lasts longer. Every purchase made with your phone is one less swipe or insert, so your physical card wears out more slowly. If your physical card is ever damaged, you can typically keep paying with your phone while the replacement is on the way.
Paying with your phone uses the same balance as your physical card, the same Card settings apply, and purchases made with Apple Pay or Google Pay will show up in your transaction history alongside purchases made with your physical card.
Before you begin
- Your Card must be activated and open. If your Card hasn't been activated yet, or if it's temporarily deactivated, reported lost or stolen, in blocked due to fraud, or closed, it can't be added to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet.
- Have your physical card in hand. You'll type in the 16-digit card number from the front of your Card, plus the expiration date and the 3-digit security code from the back.
- Make sure we have your current mobile number. To confirm it's really you adding the Card, Apple or Google may ask for a one-time verification code. We send that code by text message to the mobile number on your account. If the number we have is old or missing, the code can't reach you. To update it, call our Customer Support team at 1-800-299-7646 and press 9, Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time. We'll ask for your name, the last four digits of your card number, and the last four digits of your Social Security number before we make the change.
How to add your Card
Setup happens in the Wallet app that came with your phone: the Wallet app on an iPhone, or the Google Wallet app on an Android phone.
Option 1 – Apple Wallet on iPhone or Apple Watch
- Open the Wallet app on your iPhone and tap the + button in the top right corner.
- Tap Debit or Credit Card.
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Your iPhone will ask you to place the phone on the back of your Card. Skip this. True Link Visa Cards can't be read this way, so tap the blue Enter Card Details Manually link at the bottom of the screen instead. - Type in your name and your 16-digit card number, then tap Next.
- Type in the expiration date and the 3-digit security code from the back of your Card, then tap Next.
- Read the terms and conditions, then tap Agree.
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If you're asked to verify your Card, you'll see a screen titled Card Verification with one option: Text Message, followed by the last four digits of the mobile number we have on file. Tap Continue. -
A text message from True Link labeled "Your True Link Verification Code" will arrive within a few moments. Your iPhone will usually fill in the code for you. If it doesn't, open the text, then type the code into the Verification Code box and tap Next. - If you have an Apple Watch paired to your iPhone, you'll be asked whether to add the Card to your watch, too. Tap Add Card to add it, or Not Now to skip.
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Done! Your Card appears in the Wallet app with a message from True Link: "True Link Visa Card" is ready for Apple Pay.
To pay, double-click the side button on your iPhone (or the side button on your Apple Watch), then hold it near the card reader. Apple's guide, Make purchases using Apple Pay, walks through it with pictures.
Option 2 – Google Wallet on Android
- Open the Google Wallet app and tap Add to Wallet.
- Tap Payment card, then New credit or debit card.
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Your phone's camera will open so you can scan your Card. We recommend tapping Enter details manually instead and typing the 16-digit card number, expiration date, and 3-digit security code yourself, since the camera can occasionally misread a digit. -
Confirm your billing address. Google shows the name and address you've used for other payments on your phone. Make sure this is your own current address; tap the pencil icon to change it if needed. Then tap Continue. - Read the terms and conditions. Tap More to page down to the end until the Accept button appears, then tap Accept.
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If you're asked to verify your Card, you'll see a screen titled Your bank needs to verify it's you with one option: Text me a code, followed by the last four digits of the mobile number we have on file. Tap Continue. A text message from True Link will arrive within a few moments. Type the code into the app.
If the last four digits shown don't match your current mobile number, call us at 1-800-299-7646 and press 9 to update your number, then start again from step 1.
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Done! Google Wallet shows a checkmark, your Card, and the message Card added to Wallet & is ready to tap to pay.
The Google Wallet pictures above are Google's examples, so the name, address, and card design are placeholders. On your phone, you'll see your own details and your green True Link Visa Card.
To pay, unlock your phone and hold the back of it near the card reader. Google's guide, Tap to pay with your phone, walks through it with pictures.
What happens if your Card is replaced
In most cases, you don't need to do anything with your phone when you get a replacement Card.
- Damaged or expiring Card. Your replacement keeps the same 16-digit card number, so the Card in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet keeps working the whole time, even while the new card is in the mail.
- Lost or stolen Card. The Card is paused in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet while it's reported lost or stolen. Once you activate your replacement Card, it typically starts working again in your wallet app on its own. You don't need to remove or re-add anything.
- Card closed because of a fraud dispute. When a Card is closed as part of a fraud dispute, you'll need to add your new replacement Card to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet yourself once it's activated, using the steps above.
If something isn't working
- The verification code never arrived. This could be because the mobile number on your account is old or missing. Call us at 1-800-299-7646 and press 9 to update it, then try adding the Card again.
- The Card is in your wallet app, but it won't work when you try to pay. Open the wallet app and tap the Card. If you see a prompt to verify the Card, it was added but never verified, and it can't be used until verification is finished. Follow the prompt to finish. If there's no prompt, check whether your Card is currently active; a Card that is temporarily deactivated, reported lost or stolen, or closed stops working in your wallet app, too.
- You see "Card Not Added – Contact your card issuer for more information." Occasionally Apple or Google declines a request, and the only button offered is Add Card Later. If this happens, please call us at 1-800-299-7646 and press 9. We'll look into it and do our best to get your Card set up in your wallet app. This help is provided on a best-efforts basis; we can't guarantee that every Card can be added to every device.
- I got a message that True Link has suspended use of this card. This means your Card's status changed: it's temporarily deactivated, reported lost or stolen, or closed. Once your Card is active again, your phone typically gets a notification that it's ready to use. If you're not sure why your Card was deactivated, please contact the person who helps manage your Card, or call us.
If you see a transaction you don't recognize or believe is incorrect, contact our Customer Support team by calling 1-800-299-7646 and press 9 — we can help you review it and file a dispute.
Please be aware
- Each device is added separately. If you want the Card on both a phone and a watch, or you get a new phone, add the Card to each device separately using the steps above.
- Keep your physical card. Some stores don't accept tap to pay yet, and most ATMs still require the physical card.
- Text message rates may apply. Standard text message rates, fees, and charges from your mobile carrier may apply to the verification code. Verification by text message isn't always required by Apple or Google.*
If you have any questions about using your True Link Visa Card with Apple Pay or Google Pay, please don't hesitate to contact our Customer Support team at 1-800-299-7646, Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time.
*Standard text message rates, fees, and charges may apply. SMS verification is not always required by Apple and Google.
Apple Wallet, Apple Pay, Apple Watch, iPhone, Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Wallet, Google Pay, Android, Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.