CCV stands for Card Verification Value, which is a security feature for card-not-present transactions where a personal identification number cannot be used. It is a series of numbers that is printed on a credit or debit card, in addition to the bank card number. The CCV is also known as the Card Security Code (CSC), CVV, or CVV2. The CCV is a three- or four-digit number on VISA, MasterCard, and Discover branded credit and debit cards, and a four-digit numeric code on American Express branded credit or debit cards. It is located on the back of the card, next to the signature box for Visa and Mastercard, and on the front of the card, just above and to the right of the account number for American Express. The CCV is used to verify that a payment card is actually in the hand of the merchant, and to protect against credit card fraud.