Identity theft, data theft and even card cloning have been some of the main current problems facing financial institutions and debit and credit card users. Due to this, the security protocols of these plastics are updated, improved and find new ways to increase their protection at the time of a purchase.

This is the case of the famous CVV, which for many became known until Internet shopping became popular, but which in reality has existed for several years as one of the most traditional security systems and which, even today, continues to be updated to deal more effectively with attacks on card users.

A little history of the CVV

CVV means Card Verification Value, which could be translated as: Card Verification Value, this “Value” being referred to is always numeric. Over the years it has been known in different ways: CVD, CCV, CVN, CSC, CID or CVVC, but the most common and common to find is CVV on Eracvv a very well-known online platform.

It must be remembered that online transactions this year were still relatively recent and that people used to buy by phone or physically going to stores.

The reason why CVV is known by so many different acronyms is because, when this prevention system became popular, each issuer appropriated a different one, for example:

  • Visa used the CVV ( Card Verification Code )
  • Mastercard CVC ( Card Validation Code )
  • American Express CSC ( Card Security Code ), then changed the code on the front of their cards, changing the name to CID ( Card Identification )

Although there is still no standardization of the name, what is common is that all cards have this code, which generally consists of 3 or 4 numbers and which serves as a security protocol to obtain a confirmation from the client before performing a transaction; But, with the passage of time and the marked division between physical and digital purchases, it was subdivided into two different types of code, type 1 and type 2.

What are the differences between CVV type 1 and CVV type 2?

There are many ways that debit or credit card users have to avoid fraud, but the way that card issuers implement actions to avoid them is through the CVV that forces the user who tries to buy to have the card physically in front of him to be able to provide this code and authorize the transaction, but what happens when the purchase is in a physical store? Well for that the CVVs were divided into type 1 and type 2.

The CVV type 1 is a code that is encrypted on the second track of the magnetic stripe of a debit or credit card, it usually has more than the 4 visible numbers that the cards have, and it serves to authenticate the purchases that are made physically in an establishment.

When entering the debit or credit card to a point of sale terminal, the reader obtains this type 1 code and it is sent to the issuer who, after verification, returns another code to validate that it is correct and thus be able to complete the transaction. The problem with this code is that if the card is faithfully cloned, these same type 1 codes are obtained, which are valid before the issuers and that is why fraud occurs in physical purchases.

The CVV type 2 is a code that today is becoming more and more used to make purchases over the Internet or by phone. It is that 3 or 4 digit code that we see on the front or back of our card.

These numbers do not appear in relief like the card numbers or expiration date, the reason is to avoid the copy or cloning of the card, so it can only be used if we physically have the card and see the number to be able to enter it. The problem with this code is that anyone can see it and that is where it has its vulnerability.