Card Verification Code (CVC)/Card Verification Value (CVV)
Also: Card Verification Code, CVV2, CVC2, CID, CAV2
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A three or four-digit value carried by a payment card and used to check that the card itself is in the hands of the person making the transaction. Two different values share the name. CVV1 (CVC1) is encoded in the magnetic stripe and validates card-present transactions. CVV2 (CVC2), called CID by American Express and Discover and CAV2 by JCB, is printed on the signature panel or card face and is used for card-not-present transactions such as e-commerce and MOTO. Both are Sensitive Authentication Data, so PCI DSS prohibits storing either after authorization, even in encrypted form.