Free Β· Daily basics Β· 1 min
What Is CVV / CVC / CVV2?
All are "card security codes": a value computed from the PAN + expiry + a secret key to prove the card is genuine and present. Visa calls it CVV, Mastercard calls it CVC. There are two kinds: one hidden in the magstripe, one printed on the back that you type.
| CVV / CVC (CVV1) | CVV2 / CVC2 |
|---|
| Where | Inside the magstripe track | Printed on the back, 3 digits (Amex 4, front) |
| Used for | Card-present swipes | Online/phone (card-not-present) |
| Storable? | Transient | β Never store (PCI) |
Remember: CVV2 is the printed code proving you physically hold the card for card-not-present payments; a mismatch maps to response code N7, and PCI rules say CVV2 must never be stored.
π Related: DE39 response codes (N7), transaction lifecycle.