What is the CVC or CVV on credit cards?

If you shop online regularly, you’ll know that most stores ask for a three-digit code—the CVC—to validate the payment when you’re paying for your order by credit card.

But have you ever wondered what the CVC on your credit card is and what it’s used for? Then keep reading!

CVC stands for card verification code. It’s a three-digit numerical code printed on the back of credit, debit, and prepaid cards.

Although this number is usually found on the back of the card, including on cards from Visa and Mastercard, on American Express cards it’s on the front.

This code is simply a security measure to verify the authenticity of the card in transactions where it’s not being used physically, such as online purchases, and to demonstrate that it’s the cardholder using it in order to avoid fraudulent transactions. Each card has its own unique and non-transferable CVC or CVV.

Some banks offer options such as a dynamic CVC, which is generated randomly for each transaction. This is a safer alternative because it doesn’t reveal the CVC of the physical card.

Did you know that credit or debit cards have more than one CVC or CVV? Depending on the type of transaction you’re doing, you’ll use one or the other.

These are the two types of CVCs:

• CVV type 1: The CVC is located on the magnetic stripe of the card and is used for physical transactions such as payment at a store using the POS. In this case, it’s not necessary to provide the CVC, since the POS terminal reads it through the magnetic stripe. Normally, the CVC corresponds to the last four digits of the card number. 
• CVV type 2: This is the CVC used to pay for online purchases. The CVC is randomly generated by an algorithm and is then printed on the back of the card. This is a three-digit code to verify card ownership in online transactions.

There are also other names for the CVC depending on the type of card being used:

• CSC: for Mastercard debit cards.
• CVC2: for Visa cards.
• CID: for American Express cards.

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Learn the basics

As mentioned above, the CVC is a security measure to verify the authenticity of credit or debit cards used in online transactions and to prevent fraud.

To use the CVC of the card, all you have to do is make a purchase online and then provide the CVC in the payment window once you’ve entered the number and expiration date of the card.

Once the process is completed, you may need to authorize the purchase via text message or your bank’s mobile app.

All credit, debit and prepaid cards have a CVC, although often it can’t be read due to wear and tear on the card.

If you find yourself in this situation, contact your bank to request a new card so that your CVC can be read easily.

In case of theft or loss of a card, or if the CVC has simply been erased due to wear and tear, the CVC can’t be recovered, since it’s a unique code. 

In these situations, you can request a duplicate card from your bank with a new CVC.

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