Discover how credit card validation codes work and protect against fraud. Learn about their placement, security role, and examples to secure online transactions.

Hanna Horvath is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Red Venture's senior editor of content partnerships. Fox Money is a personal finance hub featuring content generated by Credible Operations, Inc.

When you make credit card purchases online or over the phone, you'll often need the card's security code to complete the transaction. The security code helps to protect you from credit card fraud and ...

Credit card security codes are three-digit codes on the back of your card (four-digits on the front if you have an American Express card) used to verify that have the physical card. You typically ...

Candice Reeves is a financial writer based out of Nova Scotia. She specializes in personal finance, investing, and cryptocurrency. Her work is featured in leading publications across various ...

Don’t ignore potentially fraudulent credit card transactions; instead, take advantage of the protections and refund processes available through your card issuer. Confirm that the transaction is indeed ...

A pending transaction is a charge that shows up on your credit card statement but hasn’t been reduced from your balance yet. Merchants may also place a pending transaction — or hold — on your account ...