A multi-use card is the shortened name for a multi-use virtual card, a card number issued without plastic that remains valid for many transactions until it reaches its expiry date, hits its limit or is cancelled. The main entry describes how these cards are issued and controlled.
The term is used in contrast to a single-use card, which is created for one payment and closes as soon as that payment has been authorized. Businesses choose a multi-use number for spending that repeats: a software subscription, an advertising account, a travel agency's bookings with one airline or a regular supplier who keeps the number as a card on file. Giving each supplier its own number means that a compromised or disputed card can be closed without disturbing any other payment, and that every charge is automatically attributed to the right supplier or budget.
Issuers attach spend controls to each card, such as a monthly limit, a permitted merchant or merchant category and an end date. Among virtual cards generally, the multi-use type is closest in behaviour to an ordinary physical card, which is also, strictly speaking, a card for multiple uses.