CVVn

CVVn is not a widely standardized term in the credit and debit card industry. In practice, “CVVn” may appear in some merchant, issuer, or gateway documentation to refer to a card verification value in contexts specific to that provider, or as a label for a dynamic or otherwise evolving CVV value. Because it is not defined by major networks, its precise meaning can vary and should be confirmed with the relevant party.

The commonly used concept is the card verification value (CVV), a three- or four-digit number used to verify that the customer has physical access to the card during a card-not-present transaction. CVV codes are typically designated as CVV, CVV2, CVC2, or CID depending on card brand. The codes are not the same as the card number, expiration date, or PIN.

Some issuers and systems implement dynamic or one-time CVV values that change for each transaction or within a time window. This dynamic CVV is sometimes described as dCVV; in some documents it may be labeled as CVVn. Dynamic CVVs aim to reduce fraud in online or phone transactions, but deployment is not universal and may require special hardware, apps, or integration with the payment network.

Security considerations include PCI DSS requirements, which prohibit storing CVV values post-authorization. Merchants should minimize collection and transmission of CVV data and prefer tokenization or other risk-based approaches. If CVVn is encountered, its handling should follow the issuer’s or processor’s guidance and applicable security standards.

Related terms include CVV, CVV2, CVC, CID, dynamic CVV, PCI DSS, and 3-D Secure.