Does anyone know why I now have to verify my cards while shopping online?

To protect you

Do you mean the 3 digit number on the back of the card? Is that what they are asking for? It’s an added level of security that ensures that you are in physical possession of the credit card, rather than someone who has gotten the credit card number and expiration date fraudulently from some other source. Not a perfect solution, but an additional layer of security.

@lilycoyote this is different to that. When you make a purchase after entering your details in the vendors website and clicking buy you are taken to Mastercard or Visa’s website and enter 3 random letters from a password before the purchase is completed.

You must have one of those untrustworthy faces.

It is surprising that you are only discovering this – I have been asked for the security code for quite a few years now.

What do you mean “3 random letters from a password”? Where do you get the password?

@La chica the first time you use a website that uses the service you create a password by answering questions about your account that aren’t on the card (ie birthday, address etc).

I’m not convinced it actually makes the transaction anymore secure.

Lilycoyote, excellent and correct answer. john

I have to verify the cvv code with ordering pizza now. The codes rub off.

@john65pennington: Um no. If you read @Lightlyseared‘s last answer, I think you’ll notice that this is actually completely different…

@everyone At this point I’m not sure anyone knows exactly what AshlynM is talking about. She is the one who asked the question and she has yet to come back and clarify exactly what she is talking about.

She is talking about 3D Secure

Hey everyone. It seems there’s some confusion about my question. @LightlySeared – this user is correct.

Sometimes when I want to checkout online, it will ask me to sign up with Master Card Secure Code and ask me to put in my security code, which is not the same thing as the 3 digit number on the back of your card.

I’m just wondering why I have to do this now instead of checking out directly. I also wonder why Paypal can’t be used instead of the Master Card Secure thing. I thought Paypal was secure.

http://www.mastercard.com/us/personal/en/cardholderservices/securecode/index.html

Things like Verified By Visa are an added security feature so that no-one else could use your card if they got hold of the card number. No-one else is likely to know your password (unless you have a keylogger virus on your computer).