2009
Table Of Contents
- Virtual Terminal User’s Guide
- Preface
- Getting Started with Virtual Terminal
- Security Features
- Setting Up Your Account Before Using Virtual Terminal
- Performing Transactions Using Virtual Terminal
- Performing Secondary Tasks Using Existing Transactions
- Withdrawing Funds
- Virtual TerminalResponse Codes and Messages
- Canceling or Reactivating Your Virtual Terminal Service
- Index
Virtual Terminal User’s Guide 9
2
Security Features
When you process an order with Virtual Terminal, PayPal verifies the customer’s credit card
and billing address to prevent credit card fraud.
This chapter discusses the security features PayPal uses to verify this information:
z Card Security Code
z Address Verification System
Card Security Code
Card security code (CSC) is an anti-fraud security feature. It helps to protect against fraud by
helping to ensure that a person cannot use credit card details to make a transaction without
being in possession of the actual card itself.
When you process an order using the Virtual Terminal, you enter the credit card’s CSC on the
Enter your order page.
z For Visa, MasterCard, and Discover, three-digit CSC is printed on the back of the card
immediately next to the card’s account number.
z For American Express, the four-digit CSC is printed on the front of the card above the
card’s account number.
When you finish entering an order in Virtual Terminal, the CSC you entered is checked by
PayPal and a CSC response code is displayed. This code tells you about the status of the CSC
check. For details about what the codes mean, see “Card Security Code Responses” on
page 42.
Address Verification System
Address Verification System (AVS) matches the number portion of the customer’s billing
address that is on file at the cardholder’s issuing bank against the billing address you enter in
Virtual Terminal. If the information does not match, the transaction is declined.
NOTE: AVS is primarily available for US-based cards, with limited international support.
When you finish entering an order in Virtual Terminal, PayPal performs the AVS match and an
AVS response code is displayed. The code tells you what part of the entered customer’s billing
address was matched by AVS. If you want to only accept AVS positive transactions, then you
should process Authorization and Capture transactions based on the response. For details
about what the codes mean, see “Address Verification System Responses” on page 43.