Card security code: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 19:27, 14 November 2024

Revision as of 21:17, 16 November 2024

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[[file:CIDSampleAmex.png|thumb|On [[American Express]] cards, the card security code is a printed, not embossed, group of four digits on the front towards the right]]

[[Kano biru|A]] '''card security code''' ('''CSC'''; also known as '''CVC''', '''CVV''', or [[#Naming|several other names]]) is a series of numbers that, in addition to the [[bank card number]], is printed (but not [[Paper embossing|embossed]]) on a [[credit card|credit]] or [[debit card]]. The CSC is used as a security feature for [[card not present transaction]]s, where a [[personal identification number]] (PIN) cannot be manually entered by the cardholder (as they would during [[payment terminal|point-of-sale]] or card present transactions). It was instituted to reduce the incidence of [[credit card fraud]]. Unlike the card number, the CSC is deliberately not embossed, so that it is not read when using a mechanical [[credit card imprinter]] which will only pick up embossed numbers.

These codes are in slightly different places for different card issuers. The CSC for [[Visa Inc.|Visa]], [[Mastercard]], and [[Discover Card|Discover]] credit cards is a three-digit number on the back of the card, to the right of the signature box. The CSC for [[American Express]] is a four-digit code on the front of the card above the account number. See the figures to the right for examples.