Card Verification Number

A card security code (CSC; also called card verification data [CVD] or a card verification number, card verification value [CVV], card verification value code, card verification code [CVC], verification code [V-code or V code], card code verification, or signature panel code [SPC]) is a security feature for "card not present" payment card transactions instituted to reduce the incidence of credit card fraud.

The CSC is in addition to the bank card number which is embossed or printed on the card. The CSC is used as a security feature, in situations where a PIN cannot be used. The PIN is not printed or embedded on the card but is manually entered by the cardholder during point-of-sale (card present) transactions. Contactless card and chip cards may electronically generate their own code, such as iCVV or a dynamic CVV.

CSC was originally developed in the UK as an 11 character alphanumeric code by Equifax employee Michael Stone in 1995. After testing with the Littlewoods Home Shopping group and NatWest bank, the concept was adopted by APACS (the UK Association of Payment Clearing Services) and streamlined to the three-digit code known today. MasterCard started issuing CVC2 numbers in 1997 and Visa in the United States issued them by 2001. American Express started to use the CSC in 1999, in response to growing internet transactions and card member complaints of spending interruptions when the security of a card has been brought into question.

In 2016, a new e-commerce technology called Motioncode was introduced, designed to automatically refresh the CVV code to a new one every hour or so.

The codes have different names:

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