What Is Card Verification Value (CVV)?

When you're shopping online, want to pay for something at a store, or send money to a friend, you must give them your credit card number and personal information. That's how they know it's you and not someone else. What if someone got your credit card number and some personal information? They could still use that information to buy things online, in stores, or even send money. Luckily, there's a way around this: the card verification value (CVV). The CVV is an extra security feature on every credit, debit, and ATM card. It is used with your credit card number and personal information to verify whether or not you are indeed the person using your card. Without the CVV value provided by the physical holder of the card, no one can purchase anything from merchants remotely without being physically present at their business location. You'll be asked to provide your CVV number when you attempt a credit card. This is a security code that helps protect you against fraud—and it makes sure you have the card in your possession when making purchases online. So what's in a name? Well, there are quite a few names for your CVV number, including card verification value (CVV), card verification code (CVC), and card security code (CSC). Don't let all these names confuse you—they all refer to the same thing: a number printed on the back of your credit or debit card to help verify that it's authentic before processing a transaction. CVV codes are the best. No, really. They're essential. You see, they're generated by the issuer and calculated by encrypting the bank card number with the service code, expiration date, and a secret encryption code known only by the issuer. This is then converted to decimal code to create a three- or four-digit code. Why are CVV codes so important? As they let you know if someone's trying to use your credit card without your permission! If someone were to try and buy something online, for instance, and didn't enter their CVV code correctly, it would tell you that something was up—and then you could call up your bank immediately to ensure everything is okay!