To help reduce fraud in the card-not-present environment, credit card companies have introduced a card code program. Visa® calls this code Card Verification Value (CVV); MasterCard® calls it Card Validation Code (CVC); Discover® calls it Card ID (CID). The card code is a three- or four-digit security code that is printed on the back of cards. The number typically appears at the end of the signature panel.
For Visa®, MasterCard®, and Discover® cards, the card code is the last 3 digit number located on the back of your card on or above your signature line. For an American Express® card, it is the 4 digits which appears on the FRONT above the end of your card number.
This helps validate that a genuine card is being used during a transaction, especially in situations like mail orders, telephone orders or Internet orders where the card is not present. All MasterCard® cards, both credit and debit, were required to contain CVC2 by January 1, 1997; all Visa® cards must contain a CVV2 by January 1, 2001. Beginning in October 2003, Discover® requires the card code for all Discover® transactions. By using the card code results along with the Address Verification Service (AVS), we can make more informed decisions about whether to accept transactions and reduce fraudulent transactions.