22
Pro tip: your card's security code is not the same as your PIN
I was helping my aunt set up a new online account for her bank in Phoenix, and she kept typing her 4-digit PIN into the CVV field for 15 minutes straight. It matters because the CVV is the 3-digit code on the back of the card, and mixing them up just locks you out. Has anyone else had to explain this to a family member more than once?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
the_elliot7d ago
My mom did the exact same thing trying to buy groceries online last month. I read an article that said this mix-up is super common with people who don't use digital payments often. They just see a box asking for numbers and assume it's the secret code they already know. It took three tries before she let me read the screen to her. Banks really should make the labels clearer for stuff like that.
6
carr.james7d ago
It's part of a bigger thing where forms just expect you to know their secret language. They'll ask for a "CVV" or a "routing number" like everyone was born knowing what box that goes in. You see it with older folks a lot, but honestly, some of those checkout pages are designed by people who never help their own family figure it out. The gap between how tech works and how regular people use it just keeps getting wider.
2