Short answer
No legitimate shop sells CVV or CVC numbers. A CVV is a 3 or 4 digit code printed on a payment card. It exists to prove the buyer holds the card. Sites that list CVV numbers for sale trade stolen payment data. Buying from them is a federal crime in the US under 18 U.S.C. 1029. The cardholder did not agree to the sale.
What the code does
Visa labels it CVV2. Mastercard labels it CVC2. American Express prints a 4 digit CID on the front. The code is not written to the magnetic stripe and not stored on the chip. A merchant that asks for it runs a card-not-present check.
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PCI DSS Requirement 3.3.1 bars storage of the card verification value after authorization. That rule is why a leaked database with full card numbers and codes sells for more than one without them. It is also why a shop that offers the codes cheap is offering records that failed a prior check.
Why cheap listings are cheap
- Dead cards. The issuer closed the account before the buyer tests it.
- Bulk dumps. The same record appears in several storefronts.
- No refund path. Escrow claims on these sites do not survive a dispute.
- Issuer blocks. Velocity checks and 3-D Secure stop the first charge.
- No support. The seller has no identity and no address.
What to check as a merchant
- Run the address verification check and the CVV check together. One alone misses mismatch.
- Set velocity limits per card, per IP, and per shipping address.
- Require 3-D Secure above a set order value.
- Log the authorization result code. Do not log the CVV.
- Review orders that pass AVS and fail CVV at the same time.
If your card data leaks
Call the issuer and ask for a replacement card. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, liability for unauthorized credit card charges caps at $50. Report the incident to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Keep the card number out of email and chat. A caller who asks for the 3 digit code by phone is not the issuer.