Card Security Code

The Card Security Code (CSC), sometimes called Card Verification Value (CVV), Card Verification Value Code (CVVC), Card Verification Code (CVC), or Verification Code (V-Code or V Code) is a security feature for credit or debit card transactions, giving increased protection against credit card fraud.


There are actually several types of security codes:

The first code, called CVC1 or CVV1, is encoded on the magnetic stripe of the card and used for transactions in person.
The second code, and the most cited, is CVV2 or CVC2. This CSC (also known as a CCID or Credit Card ID) is often asked for by merchants for them to secure "card not present" transactions occurring over the Internet, by mail, fax or over the phone. In many countries in Western Europe, due to increased attempts at card fraud, it is now mandatory to provide this code when the cardholder is not present in person.
Contactless Card and Chip cards may supply their own codes generated electronically, such as iCVV or Dynamic CVV.
The CVC should not be confused with the standard card account number appearing in embossed or printed digits. (The standard card number undergoes a separate validation algorithm called the Luhn algorithm which serves to determine whether a given card's number is appropriate.)

The CVC should not be confused with PIN codes such as MasterCard SecureCode. These codes are not printed or embedded in the card but are entered at the time of transaction using a keypad.