The CVV on an American Express card is a four-digit number printed on the front of the card. This is different from Visa and Mastercard, which print a three-digit code on the back. If you’re filling out an online checkout and can’t find it, you’re probably looking at the wrong side.
Where to Find It on the Card
Flip your Amex card to the front and look for a four-digit number printed above and to the right of your main card number. On most Amex card designs, it appears in small, flat print rather than raised or embossed digits. Some newer card designs shift the placement slightly, but it stays on the front face of the card.
American Express officially calls this the Card Identification Number, or CID, rather than CVV. In practice, online checkout forms use the terms CVV, CVC, security code, and CID interchangeably. They all refer to the same thing: the short verification number that proves you have the physical card in hand when making a purchase online or over the phone.
Why Amex Uses Four Digits
Visa and Mastercard use a three-digit code on the back of their cards. American Express uses a four-digit code on the front. The extra digit provides a slightly larger pool of possible combinations (10,000 vs. 1,000), which makes the code marginally harder to guess. Both systems serve the same purpose: preventing someone who only has your card number from completing a transaction without the physical card.
Virtual Cards and the Amex App
If you use an Amex virtual card number for online purchases, you won’t need to memorize or look up a CID. Each time you pay with your virtual card number, Amex dynamically generates the four-digit code and populates it at checkout automatically. You can access your virtual card number through the Amex mobile app or your online account.
If Your Code Is Worn Off
Credit card security codes are printed in flat ink, which means they wear away faster than embossed numbers. If the four-digit code on your Amex card is no longer legible, you can request a free replacement card at americanexpress.com/cardreplacement. If the card is still in your possession and just damaged, Amex will issue a new one while letting you keep using the old card until the replacement arrives. If you no longer have the card, you’ll need to call Amex directly to request a new one.
Entering It at Checkout
Most online checkout forms have a single field labeled “CVV,” “CVC,” or “Security Code” and expect three digits. When the site detects an Amex card number (which starts with 3), the field typically adjusts to accept four digits instead. If a site rejects your code, double-check that you’re entering all four digits, not just the last three. Some older or less common payment forms don’t accept American Express at all, which can also trigger an error that looks like a CVV problem.