Popular payment instruments in the Russian Federation are bank cards of the MasterCard, Visa and MIR payment systems. 38.5% of them are connected specifically to MasterCard technologies. Most banks in Russia work with it. Accepted for payment in shopping centers, businesses, ATMs, etc. It is enough to find the payment system (PS) logo on the terminal or ATM.

The principle of operation of the payment system

Payment system- this is a set of certain rules and technical means that allow making payments with a bank payment card between the buyer, a trade or service organization providing him with services and goods, and the financial institution that issued this card to the client. acts as a payment instrument for accessing funds in the bank. A card that provides access to the client’s own money is called a card, and a card that provides access to borrowed funds is called a card.

The principle of operation of any payment system is to ensure interaction between banks, which, due to their significant number in the banking industry, cannot establish communication with each other. A simple example of such a calculation: a buyer pays at a supermarket with a card belonging to one bank through the terminal of another bank. The international payment system takes on the function of communication between banks: it contacts all participants in the settlement and distributes money between them. Approximately the same thing happens when performing other operations: receiving cash from an ATM of a third-party bank, making payments on the Internet, etc.

Features of the payment system (PS) Mastercard

The payment currency is: euro for MasterCard, dollar for Visa. Therefore, MasterCard banking products are more profitable to use for trips to European countries. In the USA, when using them, there is a double conversion of foreign currency funds (from € to $). Within Russia, cards of both systems work with the national currency of the Russian Federation - the ruble.

It is worth noting that since Visa has a more extensive network of devices (terminals, ATMs) around the world, its bank cards have become more widespread. But in Russia, almost every terminal or ATM has the logo of both systems, so the functionality of their payment instruments is almost the same. When choosing a bank card for use within the Russian Federation, the client must be guided by the list of privileges provided to the client by each system.

Important

A distinctive feature of MasterCard is the absence of a limit on cash withdrawals, while Visa cards have such a limit of $10,000 per month.

Types of bank cards from Mastercard

1. Mastercard Maestro

This card is mistakenly considered to belong to a separate payment system, since it has its own logo. However, she... This special highlighting was made to emphasize its differences from other cards of this PS:

• It does not contain personal information
• Not accepted for payment by all terminals
• Not serviced at all ATMs

Its significant advantage is that it is the only instant-issue card among all those owned by Mastercard. You can use it immediately after receiving it.

1. MasterCard Standard

Entry-level card, most common throughout the world. It is convenient and safe, allowing the owner to control costs.

Issued in the form of debit or credit. With a low cost of service, it has a wide range of possibilities:

• Accepted for payments around the globe at retail outlets and service centers where the corresponding logo is present
• Online payment possible
• Cash withdrawals from MasterCard-branded ATMs around the world
• Bonus and discount programs from partner companies
• Blocking a card if it is lost or stolen

1. Gold Mastercard

Prestige class card – (₽ $ € ₣ £) and a symbol of the financial well-being of its holder. Convenience for him is the special status of this card, which provides priority in service, discounts, special offers and privileges in trading companies. Its advanced service functions (free mobile banking, Internet banking and SMS notifications) ensure safe use around the clock.

1. Platinum Mastercard

Premium category cardholders have even greater opportunities than Gold or World. Among the unique privileges, it should be noted the opportunity to become a member of a closed travel club that organizes trips to anywhere on the globe, gifts and discounts from partner companies, etc.

1. World Mastercard

Premium segment map. Designed for people who constantly travel around the world and are concerned about comfort, as well as the safety of their funds. The cardholder has permanent travel insurance. Its peculiarity is that it cannot and should be, otherwise problems may arise with paying at the hotel and renting a car abroad. Provides a range of bonuses, privileges and discounts in trading companies and service centers in different countries of the world.

1. World Mastercard Black Edition

A premium category card that combines a sophisticated and attractive design and the presence of privileges that can suit a wealthy cardholder. Provides comfort in rail and road travel and air travel, bonus programs and discounts when traveling around the world, access to a closed travel club, concierge service, as well as some additional prospects for doing business.

1. World Elite Mastercard

A status banking instrument that provides high-quality services, unique advantages and opportunities to its owner. By becoming a holder of this card, the client receives new prospects for managing financial flows, business, shopping, leisure and travel.

MasterCard is one of the most widely known payment systems in the world today. Its ATM network includes more than 900,000 service locations on all seven continents. About 30% of all cards in the world are issued by the MasterCard payment system. MasterCard was founded in the 1940s, when several American banks began giving their customers personally-issued paper that could be used in local warehouses as cash. Franklin National Bank in New York formalized the practice by introducing the first real credit card in 1951. In 1987, MasterCard became the first payment card that was issued in the People's Republic of China. And in the Soviet Union, the first MasterCard card was issued in 1988. Today, MasterCard offices are located all over the world, including France, Canada, Belgium, Australia, Brazil, Dubai, Thailand, Japan, South Africa and India.

The main activity of the corporation is the introduction and promotion of modern technological developments in the standards of plastic cards. Currently, MasterCard is taking active measures to transfer its products to new, safer and high-performance technologies, using chips.

1.MasterCard standard card is the most widely used card all over the world. It combines the optimal cost of service and a wide range of services provided. It can be debit or credit. The card can be used to pay at all merchants, restaurants and ATMs. By becoming the owner of a MasterCard standard card -you will have a convenient and modern means of payment at your disposal.

The card is accepted worldwide:

1.At all retail and service points (with the MacterCard logo) without restrictions

2. Payment for goods and services in online stores is provided

3cash can be withdrawn from an ATM of any bank around the world

Card users MasterCard standard bonuses and discounts are provided when paying for goods in partner networks. The card has a high degree of security, since it is possible to block the card if it is stolen or lost.

2.MasterCard Maestro

Map MasterCard Maestro is an electronic debit card of the MasterCard payment system. Information about its owner (first and last name) is printed on the card. From the moment the client applies to the bank for the card until it is received, no more than 10 days pass.

It is accepted for payment at any retail outlets that support this card (look for the corresponding logo) without any restrictions, and is used to withdraw cash from ATMs and cash points (cash point). The number of ATMs accepting MasterCard cards is almost 24 thousand. Payment for goods and services on the Internet are not provided. All operations on the card are carried out with mandatory electronic authorization and the mandatory entry of a PIN code. This significantly increases the level of security of the card. The Maestro card is equipped with a chip and a magnetic stripe, or one magnetic stripe.

Maestro card (maestro card) is very popular in Russia. Most salary projects are implemented through it.

The Maestro card is identical to the Elektron card of the VISA payment system

3. mastercard gold card

Mastercard Gold card is a prestigious class card, a symbol of prosperity, status and impeccable financial reputation. The convenience of using the Mastercard Gold card lies in its special status and privileges, which can be used when making payments in retail chains, and also provides the ability to control the expenditure of funds. Additional service functions Such cards make it a safe and reliable keeper of your budget. It provides users with 24/7 support and opens up new business opportunities.

4. mastercard platinum (mastercard platinum)

MasterCard Platinum– a premium class card of the MasterCard payment system. Holders of this card have even more opportunities and privileges than holders of Gold or World cards. Among the additional opportunities available to card holders is the opportunity to join a closed travel club, thanks to which you can organize a trip to anywhere in the world .When paying for purchases in partner networks, gifts and discounts are provided.

5.mastercard world card

mastercard world card is a premium plastic card of the international payment system MasterCard. This card is specially created for those people who love to travel and who are concerned about the safety of their funds, therefore insurance must be included as a content. MasterCard World Card is always a physical card (and can never be virtual). The holder's name and card number must be pressed out, otherwise you are guaranteed to have problems with renting a car or hotel room while traveling. With this card you can make payments in any point in the world (of course, where they are accepted for payment). The card provides the opportunity to receive bonuses and discounts in various stores and retail chains in many countries.

6. World Black Edition MasterCard– designed specifically for those who travel a lot, who simply need comfort and who value the level of service. It is for such people that a combination of unique design, exclusive privileges and offers was created. With this card, you are guaranteed the comfort of flights and moves around the world. An integral part Using the card includes various bonuses and discounts, as well as 24-hour support and some business opportunities. There is also a concierge service on the card. The owner is given access to a closed travel club that will help you organize a trip anywhere in the world.

7. mastercard world elite- a product of the highest class. The card provides great opportunities to use first-class services around the world. The most, one might say, status card. The owner of this card opens up completely new opportunities for recreation, shopping, travel, financial management and business.

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When applying for a plastic card at a bank, sometimes you need to choose which payment system it will belong to: Visa or MasterCard. Since few people know what the differences are between these payment systems, we usually trust the recommendations of the bank manager. Subsequently, it is often necessary to issue another card, but from a different payment system, since it turns out that a bank card of the MasterCard payment system is more convenient to use for trips to Europe.
For the majority of plastic card holders who receive a salary, stipend or pension on the card, there is no need to make such a choice, since most often entry-level cards are used for these purposes, which can only be used within the country.

Payment systems Mastercard and Visa

The Visa payment system was first used in the United States, and therefore the dollar is used for its settlements in international financial activities. The main currency of the MasterCard bank card is the euro. This is the main criterion for the difference between these two systems, which must be taken into account if you are going to use the card abroad. However, a Sberbank MasterCard card issued for use within the country can use the national currency - rubles.

It can also be noted that bank cards of the Visa payment system are more common and therefore have a wider network of ATMs, terminals and other devices around the world. However, within our country, the logo of both systems is available at almost every terminal and ATM, and within the country this factor loses its relevance.

The capabilities of bank cards of different systems are almost the same, but each payment system has its own list of “incentives” and bonus programs for cardholders, which allows them to receive discounts on purchases of goods in many online stores, gas stations, etc. Sometimes this is the decisive factor when choosing a card for use within the country. There are also a number of differences between MasterCard bank cards and cards of other payment systems, which will be discussed below.

MasterCard Worldwide is an international payment system that unites 22 thousand financial institutions (banks) in 210 countries. Almost a quarter of the world's bank cards use the MasterCard payment system. The world championship belongs to the China UnionPay payment system (China), and the second place belongs to the Visa payment system. These data are a convincing argument in favor of the MasterCard card, since anywhere in the world you can use a card from this system, withdraw cash from an ATM, pay for services or buy goods. But still, some features should be paid attention to.
As mentioned above, when using a MasterCard card in the USA, a double currency conversion will be made, from euros to dollars. Therefore, bank cards of the Visa payment system, which use the dollar for payments, are still “more familiar” in this country. The situation is different in Europe, where the euro is used almost everywhere.
Cards of this system do not have limits on cash withdrawals from ATMs. For Visa cards, the cash withdrawal limit is $10,000 per month.

If you have ever paid for purchases on the Internet, then you know that on the back of the card there should be a bank card code CVV2/CVC2. These are three numbers located next to the strip where you signed. This abbreviation encodes another difference between these systems. CVV2 (Card Verification Value 2) is used for Visa cards, and CVC2 (Card Validation Code 2) is used for other payment systems.

The Internet does not stand still; work is constantly underway to improve payments using a bank card on the Internet. Instead of CVV2 and CVC2 codes, new generation secret codes are now used - 3-D Secure Technology. The innovation of this method of protection is that to confirm payment, instead of the CVV2 and CVC2 codes, a one-time password is used, sent by the bank as an SMS message. Again there is a difference. For cards of this payment system this technology is called Security Code, and for Visa cards it is called Verified by Visa.
Perhaps this is where the features and differences of these systems that are noticeable to ordinary users end.

Пожалуй, на этом и заканчиваются особенности и отличия этих систем, заметные рядовым пользователям.

Entry-level bank cards Maestro

Банковские карты начального уровня Maestro
We can only add that they have no significance for the everyday normal use of a bank card. Можно лишь добавить, что никакого значения для повседневного обычного использования банковской карты они не имеют. Cards of any international payment system can be used absolutely equally to pay for goods, utilities, withdraw cash from an ATM, connect Internet banking or SMS banking to the card, etc. Another thing is the list of capabilities of the card itself. Карты любой международной платежной системы абсолютно одинаково можно использовать для оплаты товаров, коммунальных услуг, снимать наличные в банкомате, подключить к карте интернет-банкинг или смс-банкинг и др. Другое дело, перечень возможностей самой карты. They depend on the type of card (credit, debit), the “privilege” of the card, the cost of annual maintenance and other factors.

- this is the most affordable card with a low annual maintenance cost. A slightly outdated system is used to verify card authorization when conducting monetary transactions. But this restriction ensures increased safety of your funds, even if you lose your bank card, since the card can only be used if it is physically present. Simply put, insert it into the ATM and dial the PIN code.

Perhaps the most popular card of this system is the card MasterCard Standard. This is due to the fact that it contains quite a lot of features at an optimal price. Unlike the Cirrus/Maestro card, this card can already be used to pay for purchases in online stores, book a hotel room, pay for air tickets, rent a car, pay with a card and withdraw cash from ATMs, including abroad.

"Gold MasterCard" and "MasterCard Platinum" cards

For trips outside the country, you can get a Gold MasterCard from Sberbank. You can select the card account currency: rubles, US dollars or euros. The card is protected by an electronic chip. Additional cards can be issued if the main card is lost. The overdraft limit is also determined individually; it can be used within the framework of a salary agreement, etc. The cost of servicing this Sberbank card is 3,000 rubles per year.

The cost of annual servicing of a Gold card is determined by the bank that issued it. But, on average, it is 3,000 rubles per year. However, the card's capabilities justify the cost. Just the possibility of urgently replacing a lost card is worth it, since this can save large sums on the card account. And significant discounts when purchasing goods in many stores more than pay for this amount within a year. Free information about the movement of funds on the card account, various types of insurance and privileges, both in Russia and abroad, noticeably distinguish this card.

Among the elite cards we can call the Platinum card. Owners of such a card receive individual service from the bank, and Platinum credit cards have a fairly high overdraft limit. When traveling, the holder of such a card also receives insurance. Retail chains offer various discounts for this bank card. The Platinum bank card is a plastic card for a modern business person.

Virtual cards

Many banks that issue plastic cards offer their clients the opportunity to create additional virtual cards for online payments. Bank cards of the MasterCard payment system also provide the possibility of issuing a virtual card.
A virtual bank card is a reliable way to protect funds in your main bank card account.
The virtual card details are used only to pay for goods and services on the Internet, and a certain amount is first transferred to the virtual card, after which the balance of the virtual card becomes “zero”.
A virtual card is issued for a short period of time (usually 3 months) and its balance cannot exceed the limit you set.
Issuing an additional virtual card, depending on the bank, can cost 50-200 rubles. But, for the sake of security of payment from a card account on the Internet, such an amount is completely justified.

Publication date: 19/02/2013

Depending on the type of card, its capabilities will depend, including the cost of annual maintenance and the cost of re-issuing the card, for example, if it is lost.

If you lose your bank card, you will have to get a new card with a new number and PIN code. The card account number will remain the same. If the card is lost, the bank will only temporarily block the account.

When you receive any MasterCard payment system card, the bank gives you a “secret” envelope containing the card’s PIN code, as well as the card’s account number.

The main advantage of electronic money is that it is impossible to lose an electronic wallet, like a bank card, and you do not need to enter the secret code CVV2 (Visa cards) or CVC2 (MasterCard cards).

Both for opening and closing a card, the bank has certain rules that are detailed in the agreement.

Non-cash payments are distinguished by speed, accuracy, transparency, and hygiene. Bank cards are rapidly replacing paper money. It is no longer just a means of payment; it allows you to manage accounts remotely, receive cashback, discounts, and access to private events.

Sberbank offers clients a line of plastic media taking into account different needs, capabilities and wishes. The cards range from unnamed instant issuance cards with a minimal set of functions to privileged ones, the service of which provides personal advice on investments, twenty-fold cashback, and a multimillion-dollar overdraft.

Mastercard Standard from Sberbank combines all the popular functions. Why is he attractive? What opportunities are useful to know about?

What kind of card is this?

The product operates in an international payment system that services plastic, but does not issue it independently and transfers this function to various banks.

The Sberbank MasterCard Standard card performs the main tasks of a payment instrument:

• cashless payments at checkouts and in online stores in all countries;
• payment of taxes, fines, duties, utilities, cellular communications;
• transfers to individuals and legal entities;
• receiving cash.

From the MasterCard system, clients with standard plastic receive the following opportunities:

• 24/7 technical support in all countries;
• transfers within the payment system with a minimum commission of 1% (minimum 25 rubles), regardless of the issuing bank; for the Russian Federation, an important condition is that both cards are issued in the country;
• cashback MasterCard Rewards;
• the possibility of transfers within the system without commission to 17 countries, without indicating the recipient’s plastic number; It is enough to link cards to Odnoklassniki or VKontakte accounts;
• incentives in the form of discounts on purchases in stores, cafes, and entertainment venues.

Additionally, holders of a MasterCard issued by Sberbank enjoy:

• highly liquid “Thank you” cashback of at least 0.5% of the purchase amount (within promotions up to 30%);
• PayWave contactless payment option;
• a remote account in the Internet bank and a mobile application that provides full control and the ability to manage your accounts with Sberbank in real time.

Types of media in Sberbank

MasterCard distinguishes several levels among its products:

• Standard;
• Gold;
• 4 types of premium cards.

Standard includes a set of classic functions for comfortable non-cash payments and transfers in different countries.

Based on MasterCard Standard, Sberbank has diversified its entire product line. Clients can choose an offer that suits their situation.

This approach allows you to pay only for the options you need. Many people use the free version of the map.

Current offers:

• debit;
• credit – mass and pre-approved offer;
• Youth – debit, credit;
• – debit, credit.

Any card from the list can have an individual design.

Debit

MasterCard Standard is the most popular and in demand debit card participating in payroll projects of commercial organizations. For public sector employees they were replaced with MIR in 2017.

Youth plastic has similar functionality to the basic Standard, but is available at a reduced annual maintenance cost. You can apply for it only until you are 24 years old.

Momentum has the least capabilities; it can replace a wallet for clients whose expenses do not exceed 100 thousand rubles per month. The product is serviced free of charge.

Credit

Sberbank offers to issue a credit card on general or special conditions. Every citizen of the Russian Federation aged 21 to 65 can apply for MasterCard Standard under a mass offer. To obtain it, it is important that there are no negative events in your credit history. The size of the limit will depend on your verified income.

Instant cards are only available with a valid approval.

They have simplified issuance conditions compared to other classics. Between the ages of 21 and 30, it is not necessary to confirm employment and income. A certificate from the university is enough. However, the limit will be minimal, usually 15 thousand rubles.

Current Sberbank clients may qualify for special conditions for receiving a credit card:

• free service;
• reduced interest rate on the loan;
• increased card limit.

Most users of Sberbank services accumulate some positive history and receive an offer for a credit card before showing their own initiative.

Regardless of the terms of issue, credit cards:

• for non-cash payments, they have interest-free installments from 20 to 50 days (depending on the date of payment);
• they do not provide a grace period when withdrawing from an ATM or paying for gambling services;
• offer participation in the bonus program Thank you; The service is free and requires registration.

Conditions

Let's compare Sberbank MasterCard Standard cards with each other:

	Debit
	Standard	Youth	Contactless	Momentum
First year service, rub.	750	150	900	For free
Maintenance in subsequent years, rub.	450	150	600	For free
Additional card	Yes	No	Yes	No
Validity	3 years
Currency	Ruble, US dollar, euro
Reissue in case of loss or change of full name, rub.	150		250	A new card linked to a new account is issued free of charge
Cash withdrawal from ATMs of third-party banks	1%, minimum 100 rub.			1%, minimum 150 rub.
Fee for cashing out over the limit	0,5%			0,75%
Daily limit on cash withdrawals by card	150 thousand rubles.			50 thousand rubles.
Monthly maximum issuance	1.5 million rubles.			100 thousand rubles.
Monthly limit on plastic payments	Not provided			100 thousand rubles.
Cost of the full mobile banking package, rub./month.	60
Age limit, years	From 14	14–25	From 14
Receiving cash if you have problems with your card abroad	Commission 6 thousand rubles. for each transaction, the maximum amount is 5 thousand US dollars or the equivalent in another currency, within the balance on the card.			Is not provided

	Credit
	MC Standard pre-approved	Momentum	MC Standard mass offer	Youth
Age, years	21-65			21-30
Credit limit, thousand rubles.	Up to 600		Up to 300
For existing clients only	Yes		No
Annual service tariff, rub.	For free		750
Service in the first year for those who issued plastic in 2018	For free
Validity	3 years
Currency	Ruble, US dollar, euro
Re-issue in case of loss, change of last name, first name, rub.	150	For free	150
Loan rate, % per annum	23,9		27,9
Penalty fee, % per annum	36
Withdrawal from Sberbank ATMs	3%, minimum 390 rub.
Cashing out at third-party ATMs	4%, minimum 390 rub.
Limits:
daily allowance, at Sberbank ATM, rub.	50 thousand
total per day, rub.	150 thousand
Emergency receipt abroad in case of problems with the card	Maximum amount is US$5,000 or equivalent, limited by available funds. Commission 6 thousand rubles.
Mobile bank	For free

The price of an individual design for any Standard is 500 rubles for the initial application and 450 for each subsequent application, upon reissue.

Maintenance cost

The basic option costs 750 rubles per year; the bank offers preferential conditions to certain categories of clients; an additional fee is charged for the possibility of contactless payment. Details in the table above.

Cash withdrawal limit

Among debit cards, MC Standart Momentum has the smallest limit - 50 thousand rubles per day, 100 thousand per month. From the rest you can withdraw up to 150 thousand daily, up to 1.5 million monthly. Cashing out in excess of the limits is permissible within the available balance with payment of a commission of 0.75% for Instant plastic, 0.5% for other debit cards.

Sberbank MasterCard Standard credit cards have no monthly limit; the daily allowance is 150 thousand rubles. The total credit limit is set individually, depending on confirmed income and banking history; for cards under the general offer it is limited to 300 thousand rubles, for pre-approved cards - 600 thousand.

Bonuses and discounts

Sberbank also offers to connect “Thank you” cashback. Points will be automatically accumulated in a separate bonus account for each payment made using the card in stores, cafes, gas stations, hairdressers and other establishments. The minimum amount is 0.5% of the purchase. When paying with points, the rate is 1 Thank you = 1 ruble.

The bank has a large number of partners who regularly hold promotions and award increased points. The list of companies and their offers changes frequently; check the latest information on the Sberbank website. There are several filters in the Thank you section of the program. Select your region.

The site introduces participants, their rules, which partners award bonuses, in what amount, who accepts them for payment, and under what conditions.

To participate, the client can participate in a rather convenient way - through Internet banking, a mobile application or an ATM - in the Thank you from Sberbank section:

• provide your phone number;
• confirm your agreement with the rules.

The payment system has its own partners, including cinemas, restaurants, and shops. They offer discounts for cashless payments. The official MasterCard website provides a current list of promotions. Holders receive discounts simply by paying with a card.

In addition to numerous high-quality household items, care items, toys and other things, the assortment includes a wide range of certificates from chain stores and salons for different amounts. For example, Euroset 3000 rubles, Mediamarkt 5000, Detsky Mir 1000 or 3000 rubles, Sportmaster, Adidas, etc.

How to get

At any Sberbank branch that works with individuals, you can apply for a personalized MasterCard Standart. To issue a debit card, a passport is sufficient, or in the case of temporary registration, also a certificate.

When considering the possibility of issuing credit cards, employees analyze your solvency. If you do not receive a salary from Sberbank, provide a certificate of income.

You will be informed of the estimated production time for the card. On the day of its arrival at the department, you will receive an SMS notification and can pick it up by presenting your passport. You will also be informed if the decision to issue the card is negative.

You can pick up a non-registered Momentum on the day you apply. The debit card is issued within 10 minutes based on the passport. To apply for Credit Momentum, in addition to your passport, a valid pre-approval is required. The absence of a name on the front side of the plastic does not prevent payment via the Internet.

Pros and cons of the card

Among the advantages of Standard MasterCard we note:

• the ability to pay for purchases in retail and online stores in most countries of the world;
• attractive cashback from Sberbank, as well as from MasterCard;
• discounts from partners;
• the presence of basic MC Standart, as well as its varieties designed for different target audiences;
• the possibility of free transfers between Sberbank clients, between MasterCard clients issued by different banks in the Russian Federation, through social networks;
• a minimum commission of 1% for transfers within the payment system, regardless of the issuing bank in the Russian Federation.

Flaws:

• impossibility of payment in Crimea;
• high interest rates on loan products.

Some properties of standard cards are perceived by some clients as disadvantages. We'll call them features and see what users say about them.

Bank card when paying for goods or services on the Internet. This secret code is better known as CVV2 (for Visa cards) or CVC2 (for MasterCard cards), consists of 3 digits and is present on the back of almost all bank cards with some exceptions. Let us next consider the main purpose of the security code and its location on cards of various payment systems.

What is the security code CVV2, CVC2, CID

If you have made payments online at least once (not through online banking, but, for example, when paying on an online store website or when topping up a cell phone account), then you had to take out your credit (or payment) card and fill out a form payment on the website using her details. Usually you are asked to enter the card number, holder name, expiration date and secret code.

You may come across different names for this code, but its purpose is always the same - it is an additional security element that ensures the security of payments on the Internet or in any other remote way (without the presence of the card and its owner during the payment).

A lesser-known method of card payments is the so-called Mo/To (mail order/telephone order) - ordering by mail or by telephone (subscription to periodicals, etc.), which is not developed in Russia due to its insecurity (card details are sent by letter , by telephone or fax).

Based on the value of this code, bank card authentication. It is not present as part of the information on the magnetic stripe or in the chip, you will not see it on the receipt and it cannot be changed like a PIN code. This is secret information that cannot be read from the card, but it can only be transmitted by the card owner himself (only during payment on the site). If card data is stolen on the Internet (see security aspects below) or its theft, the attacker becomes aware of the card details, including its secret code, after which it will not be difficult for him to withdraw all your money. Fortunately, additional technologies have appeared, such as 3d-Secure, which significantly increases the security of online payments.

IMPORTANT! Do not confuse the PIN or card number (last digits) with the security code (card authentication code).

Each payment system has its own name for the secret security code.

• for VISA this is the code CVV2(Card Verification Value 2);
• at MasterCard - CVC2(Card Verification Code 2);
• at American Express - CID(Card Identification).

The name CVV2 / CVC2 contains the number 2 due to the presence of the code CVV1 / CVC1 (or simply CVV / CVC), which is used to verify the authenticity of the card when paying directly at retail outlets with a card. CVV or CVC is generated by the issuing bank of the credit or debit card and encoded on its magnetic stripe.

American Express cards are rare in Russia; there are also a number of international payment systems (for example, the Chinese UnionPay), but we will not consider them due to the fact that they practically do not exist in the Russian Federation.

Other variations of security code names: Credit Card ID (CCID), Card Verification Data (CVD), Card Verification Value Code (CVVC), Verification Code (V-Code, V Code), Card Code Verification (CCV).

What if there is no security code on the card?

Not all cards have a code to verify its authenticity. For example, it is not available on entry-level debit (payment) cards VISA Electron, Mastercard Cirrus Maestro, MasterCard Electronic.

They are not intended for payments on the Internet, but are used to withdraw cash from ATMs or to pay for goods and services at retail outlets. Although, for example, with the release of VISA Electron, the CVV2 code is still generated, even though it is hidden on the card, and the possibility of paying on the Internet is determined by the bank that issued this card (check this possibility when you issue the card).

On the other hand, you have the opportunity to pay with such cards only in those online stores that support the appropriate payment system (for example, Maestro) - they will accept payment without entering the CVV2/CVC2 codes, but this option is very rare. They mainly accept classic, gold, and platinum cards: Visa (Classic, Gold, Platinum) and MasterCard (Unembossed, Standard, Gold).

Where is the card security code?

Three-digit code CVV2/CVC2 (Visa/MasterCard) located on the back of the card on a paper signature strip and located after the card number, usually the last 4 digits of the number are indicated there (see material about for a more detailed study of the elements of your card). For American Express cards it is already four-digit and is located on the front side on the right.

On virtual map(issued virtually and used for secure, usually one-time payments, do not have a tangible medium) CVV2 or CVC2 can be found either by phone in the form of an SMS message or you will see it on the screen during registration.

Examples of security code locations:

1. Security code on the Visa card

2. Security code on the MasterCard card

3. Security code on the American Express card

Security aspects of payments on the Internet

For the owner of a card (especially a credit card), security when making online payments on the Internet is important. A security code is one way to ensure it, but it cannot protect against theft of money from.

The thing is that an attacker only needs to know the card details (they are all present on it) to gain access to the money. They can get them using so-called social engineering (for example, phishing), when, under the guise of messages from official and well-known sites (portals, services), scammers send out letters en masse asking for their passwords, logins, and including credit card details (sending to fake pages on the Internet), thereby playing on the elementary network and financial illiteracy of people (more about card fraud).

By giving away your data in this way, you can lose all your money in your account. Not only credit card data can be stolen online, but also cards from wallets and pockets. In this case, the safety of your money will depend on how quickly your credit card is blocked.

With the development of financial technologies, network technologies are also developing. In particular, new versions of Internet browsers have the ability to inform about visiting a suspicious site (anti-phishing).

Payment systems, in turn, are actively introducing new technology 3d-Secure(called: Verified by Visa for Visa, MasterCard Secure Code for MasterCard), complementing standard methods of protecting card payments. Before each operation, a one-time password is generated and sent to the cardholder’s cell phone (only to a number previously linked to the card, where, for example, SMS messages are received when the SMS notification service is activated), and payment will only take place after the sent password is entered into the appropriate form.

This technology provides the highest level of security today, although it does not protect 100%, so it is recommended to choose banks that support 3d-Secure (by the way, according to the rules of international payment systems, each bank must implement this technology, which is not always done by banks ).