Card security code is a three or four digit number (it is not part of the credit card number) that appears on the credit card. Card security code provides some assurance that the physical card is in the possession of the buyer as the card security code appears only on the card and not on receipts or statements.
Card security code has various names, depending on the card type. Visa calls it CVV2 and MasterCard calls it CVC2. To ensure that your customers see a consistent name, PayPal recommends using the term "card security code".
On most cards, the card security code appears on the back of the card (usually in the signature field). All or part of the card number appears before the card security code. For American Express, the four digit number is printed on the front of the card, above and to the right of the embossed account number.
CSC Results
If you submit the CVV2 parameter, the cardholder's bank returns a Yes/No response in the CVV2MATCH response value, as described in the table below.
CVV2MATCH Value | Description |
Y | The submitted value matches the data on the file for the card. |
N | The submitted value does not match the data on file for the card. |
X | The cardholder's bank does not support this service. |
