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

Time and time again, we as members of Congress grapple with the unanswered question of mass shootings: How do we save lives? One answer is simple. Let’s require merchant codes that show when a gun is ...

Most businesses that accept credit cards are assigned a merchant code, sometimes called a merchant category code. It’s a four-digit number that tells the credit card processing companies a little bit ...

Major credit card companies are moving to make a merchant code available for firearm and ammunition retailers in order to comply with a new California law that will allow banks to potentially track ...

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 ...

Mastercard, Visa, and American Express are reportedly preparing to equip California firearms and ammunition retailers with a merchant code that would track gun purchases. This comes as a new state law ...

The Florida Legislature has started hearings on Senate Bill 214, a measure that would ban flagging unusual gun purchases made with credit cards. But before I tell you why you should care about that ...

Ever swiped your credit card expecting cashback, only to check your statement and realise—wait, where’s my rebate? That’s ...

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.