The three-digit card verification value is commonly used as a security tool for phone or online orders, to ensure the purchaser is in possession of a genuine card. Some in-store merchants may also use CVV2 as a security measure to ensure the card is not counterfeit.

CVV2 is the last 3 numbers on the back of Visa cards, printed at the end of the signature panel or in a white box outside the signature panel (as shown below). When CVV2 is used to complete a Visa transaction, it helps to prevent card fraud.