John Miller, Credit Cards Moderator
@john_miller
No, online purchases do not require a credit card PIN. Instead, you may be asked to provide the 3 or 4-digit CVV in order to confirm your identity. The CVV is usually found on the back of your card.
PINs are required for cash withdrawals at an ATM, or to verify in-person transactions. When you input the PIN at the POS, it is then compared to information stored on the card’s embedded chip, and the transaction is either approved or denied. This isn’t possible for online transactions, since there’s nothing on the website that can actually read the information stored on the chip.
It's important to keep your CVV safe in order to protect your credit card. Don't jot it down where others might see it, and only share it when making secure online or phone transactions with trustworthy merchants. If, by chance, your CVV gets into the wrong hands and is used for an unauthorized purchase, you can rest easily knowing that your card has a $0 fraud liability benefit. This means that you won't be liable for any fraudulent transactions.
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