Who Are Drops and Why Affiliates Should Never Buy Cards Off the Street

To run ads on Facebook and other sources, affiliates need bank cards. When working with large traffic volumes, cards have to be purchased from sellers or issued through services. Some sellers buy access to bank accounts from regular people and then resell them to affiliates for ad spend. 

In this article, we explain why selling access to your cards is dangerous — and how affiliates can save time when dealing with sellers of "fresh bins". 

What is a drop?

A drop is one of the most popular commodities on the internet's black market. It's a person who shares their personal data in exchange for payment and takes on the risks that may follow.

Drops are frequently used to open bank accounts. Cards are issued in their name, and funds are then transferred and withdrawn without fear of scrutiny from tax authorities or financial monitoring services.

Once a person allows an account to be opened in their name and hands over their online banking credentials to a third party, they lose control of the situation. Large volumes of money transfers and "dirty" funds can pass through their cards. Over time, a significant share of drops end up facing issues with tax authorities or law enforcement. 

Some affiliates also deal with drops. They buy cards from sellers or rent them directly from the cardholders. Technically, this is illegal — but if access to the account is transferred directly by the owner, the risks are considerably lower. 

Typical spam in affiliate chats

The challenge of finding payment instruments for effective ad spend is especially relevant for affiliates who actively work with Facebook. Due to heavy competition, the algorithms frequently ban cards and entire BINs from certain banks. Still, it's important to understand that using someone else's payment method carries real risks.

A drop manager reselling cards

Cardholders often go dark after receiving payment for the "rental." After that, you won't be able to get a 3DS code or an online banking login confirmation. They can also vanish into thin air after an affiliate loads several thousand dollars in Facebook campaign spend. In that case, recovering the money is simply not an option.

To avoid these headaches, it's better to issue cards in your own name or use virtual card issuance services. Payment services built for affiliates often don't require personal data, so the affiliate takes on no risk. Below is a curated list of trusted platforms. 

• AdPay Cards 🇺🇦
• Kartex 🇺🇦
• Spendge 🇺🇦
• Ezzocard 🇺🇸
• Bankera 🇱🇹
• Xpensee 🇺🇦 (promo code PALAIRUSNYA = 10 free cards + 0% commission for 7 days).

Find more services with no ties to the aggressor country in the article: Total Ukrainianization of Affiliate Marketing: 45+ Alternatives to Russian Software

Using card issuance services adds to your costs, but access to the cards won't disappear the way it does with a drop. It's better to pay a premium for stability than to lose an ad account with solid spending limits the moment a cardholder stops responding. 

The risks of selling your cards

The drop problem in Ukraine has existed for a long time, yet it receives almost no media coverage. The Cyber Police website provides a detailed breakdown of how drops are typically used. People sell access to their cards for 100–200 UAH without realizing the consequences. 

Most people who share their banking details are unaware of the liability they face for illegal actions carried out using their accounts. Even the Cyberpolice's own website states that law enforcement officers come to them first. The account owner bears responsibility for any illegal actions performed with their payment instrument. 

If someone sold their card due to a lack of awareness, law enforcement recommends cutting ties with the "employer" and reporting the incident to the Cyberpolice and the bank. 

The consequences of a card being used by third parties can vary widely. If an arbitrageur bought it and ran ad campaigns for a month, there likely won't be any issues. But if several million hryvnias were funneled through the account and police then show up at the door — proving one's non-involvement will be extremely difficult.

Also keep in mind that access to a card may be purchased by a drop broker who will resell it to 10–15 clients, and the consequences can be far more serious than simply having someone pay for Facebook ads from the account. No amount of money is worth that risk. 

It's better to get cards for media buying through specialized services rather than sourcing them from individuals. If someone offers to buy access to your bank account for UAH 2,000, don't hesitate to block them.