Systems and methods for ghost card creation via a browser extension

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing a set of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a machine to:

detect, via a web browser extension, that a user is accessing a payment webpage of a website associated with a merchant, the payment webpage being accessed via a computing device associated with the user;

request, via the web browser extension, authentication credentials associated with an account of the user;

after receiving and verifying the authentication credentials, create, by the web browser extension, a merchant-specific virtual card linked to a pre-existing payment instrument associated with the account, wherein creating, by the web browser extension, the merchant-specific virtual card comprises:

placing, via the web browser extension, within a proximity of a payment card entry portion of the payment webpage an icon that, when selected, allows the user to select a payment card from a list of payment cards,

wherein the list includes a balance of at least one of the payment cards,

wherein the payment webpage includes a virtual cart;

automatically enter, in a payment section of the payment webpage, information associated with the merchant-specific virtual card;

detect, via the web browser extension, contents of the virtual cart;

analyze the contents of the virtual cart and financial information associated with the user to generate customized budget information for the user;

display, via the web browser extension, the customized budget information;

receive, by a server, an authorization request for a transaction using the merchant-specific virtual card; and

authorize, by the server, the transaction based on a balance of the pre-existing payment instrument.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the machine to charge the pre-existing payment instrument for the transaction.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the machine to:

in response to a triggering event associated with the merchant, cancel the merchant-specific virtual card but keep the pre-existing payment instrument available for use.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the machine to:

identify that the user is subsequently accessing the payment webpage; and

automatically enter the information associated with the merchant-specific virtual card.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the machine to:

in response to the user accessing the website, automatically enable an interactive window, wherein the interactive window includes personalized information associated with the user;

receive, via the interactive window, a question related to items associated with the transaction and a budget of the user; and

cause answers to be displayed.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the machine to:

receive a transaction request from the merchant using the merchant-specific virtual card; and

charge the pre-existing payment instrument linked to the merchant-specific virtual card for the transaction.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the machine to:

display a payment instrument icon on the payment webpage; and

request the user to specify parameters of the merchant-specific virtual card,

wherein the parameters include a credit limit and an expiration date, wherein the credit limit and the expiration date are bounded by the credit limit and the expiration date of the pre-existing payment instrument.

8. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause a machine to:

detect, via a web browser extension, that a user is accessing a payment webpage of a website associated with a merchant, the payment webpage being accessed via a computing device associated with the user;

request, via the web browser extension, authentication credentials associated with an account of the user;

after receiving and verifying the authentication credentials, create, by the web browser extension, a merchant-specific virtual card linked to a pre-existing payment instrument associated with the account, wherein creating, by the web browser extension, the merchant-specific virtual card comprises:

placing, via the web browser extension, within a proximity of a payment card entry portion of the payment webpage an icon that, when selected, allows the user to select a payment card from a list of payment cards,

wherein the list includes a balance of at least one of the payment cards,

wherein the payment webpage includes a virtual cart;

automatically enter, in a payment section of the payment webpage, information associated with the merchant-specific virtual card;

detect, via the web browser extension, contents of the virtual cart;

analyze the contents of the virtual cart and financial information associated with the user to generate customized budget information for the user;

display, via the web browser extension, the customized budget information;

receive, by a server, an authorization request for a transaction using the merchant-specific virtual card; and

authorize, by the server, the transaction based on a balance of the pre-existing payment instrument.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the machine to charge the pre-existing payment instrument for the transaction.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the machine to:

in response to a triggering event associated with the merchant, cancel the merchant-specific virtual card but keep the pre-existing payment instrument available for use.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the machine to:

identify that the user is subsequently accessing the payment webpage; and

automatically enter the information associated with the merchant-specific virtual card.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the machine to:

in response to the user accessing the website, automatically enable an interactive window, wherein the interactive window includes personalized information associated with the user;

receive, via the interactive window, a question related to items associated with the transaction and a budget of the user; and

cause answers to be displayed.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the machine to:

receive a transaction request from the merchant using the merchant-specific virtual card; and

charge the pre-existing payment instrument linked to the merchant-specific virtual card for the transaction.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the machine to:

display a payment instrument icon on the payment webpage; and

request the user to specify parameters of the merchant-specific virtual card,

wherein the parameters include a credit limit and an expiration date, wherein the credit limit and the expiration date are bounded by the credit limit and the expiration date of the pre-existing payment instrument.

15. A computerized method comprising:

detecting, via a web browser extension, that a user is accessing a payment webpage of a website associated with a merchant, the payment webpage being accessed via a computing device associated with the user;

requesting, via the web browser extension, authentication credentials associated with an account of the user;

after receiving and verifying the authentication credentials, creating, by the web browser extension, a merchant-specific virtual card linked to a pre-existing payment instrument associated with the account, wherein creating, by the web browser extension, the merchant-specific virtual card comprises:

placing, via the web browser extension, within a proximity of a payment card entry portion of the payment webpage an icon that, when selected, allows the user to select a payment card from a list of payment cards,

wherein the list includes a balance of at least one of the payment cards,

wherein the payment webpage includes a virtual cart;

automatically entering, via the web browser extension in a payment section of the payment webpage, information associated with the merchant-specific virtual card;

detecting, via the web browser extension, contents of the virtual cart;

analyzing, via the web browser extension, the contents of the virtual cart and financial information associated with the user to generate customized budget information for the user;

displaying, via the web browser extension, the customized budget information;

receiving, by a server, an authorization request for a transaction using the merchant-specific virtual card; and

authorizing, by the server, the transaction based on a balance of the pre-existing payment instrument.

16. The computerized method of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:

in response to a triggering event associated with the merchant, canceling the merchant-specific virtual card but keep the pre-existing payment instrument available for use.

17. The computerized method of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:

identifying that the user is subsequently accessing the payment webpage; and

automatically entering the information associated with the merchant-specific virtual card.

18. The computerized method of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:

in response to the user accessing the website, automatically enabling an interactive window, wherein the interactive window includes personalized information associated with the user;

receiving, via the interactive window, a question related to items associated with the transaction and a budget of the user; and

causing answers to be displayed.

19. The computerized method of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a transaction request from the merchant using the merchant-specific virtual card; and

charging the pre-existing payment instrument linked to the merchant-specific virtual card for the transaction.

20. The computerized method of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:

displaying a payment instrument icon on the payment webpage; and

requesting the user to specify parameters of the merchant-specific virtual card,

wherein the parameters include a credit limit and an expiration date, wherein the credit limit and the expiration date are bounded by the credit limit and the expiration date of the pre-existing payment instrument.