Credit Cards: CCV Numbers

Recently there have been a number of changes made to how credit cards are used in an attempt to make the cards more secure. These include the chip-and-pin system and the use of CCV verication. This is a number usually printed on the signature strip at the back of the card. The CCV number actually stands for Credit Card Verification or Card Code Verification number.

As this is a number printed directly on the card it is generally used to check that the card is physically in the posession of a person placing an order over the telephone or on the internet. It should be noted that the CCV number is sometimes referred to as the CVV — Card Verification Value code and to complicate matters further different card issuers may call the code by a different acronym (as you will see below).

What follows a brief guide to the major credit cards, where their CCV numbers are located and where they can be found.

Visa Cards

Visa Card CCV

We'll start with the most popular of the credit cards, the Visa card as this provides the template for how CCV numbers are located on most other card types.

If you flip a visa card over then you will notice a string of numbers on the top of your signature strip. The first of these will either be the complete card number (or just the final four digits of the card number). Following these are three separate digits and these is the CCV numbers of your Visa Card. It should be noted that Visa themselves refer to the CCV/CVV number as CVV2.

MasterCard Cards

Mastercard CCV

As the second commonest card type MasterCard cards actually follow the same pattern as that of the Visa card above. The CCV numbers are found at the top of the signature strip on the back of your card. Again the CCV number is a sequence of three digits that follows either your full card number or just the last four digits of your card number.

MasterCard themselves refer to the CCV/CVV number as the CVC2 Code.

Discover Credit Card

Discover Credit Card CCV

If you're from the US then you may well carry a discover card. Though originally introduced as a rival to Visa and MasterCard, in terms of its CCV number the discover card follows the same model as it's rival in that the CCV number is the last three digits on the top of the signature strip found at the back of the card.

Diners Club International

Diners Club CCV

The Diners Card also has its CCV located at the end of the numbers printed on the signature strip found on the back of the card.

AmericanExpress (AmEx)

American Express CCV

The AmericanExpress card differs from all the other cards. If you look at the signature strip on the back of the card there are three numbers at the end, like all other cards. However, these are not the CCV digits.

Instead, you will find a sequence of four numbers printed directly onto the front of the card slightly above and to the right of the card number itself (see image). This is the AmEx CCV number which is a sequence of four rather than three digits.

AmericanExpress refer to the CCV/CVV number as the CID number/code.

As well as the acronyms CCV (Credit Card Verification number), CVV (Card Verification Value code); Visa's CVV2, MasterCard's CVC2 and AmEx's CID code the CCV/CVV number may also be referred to as CV2. Just remember that all these acronyms refer to the same thing and this guide will tell you how to find that number on your own card.