Fri, January 10, 2025 at 2:41 AM UTC If you’ve ever purchased anything online or over the phone and paid with a credit card, you more likely than not have been asked for your card’s security code.

Credit card authentication is a way of verifying that a person attempting a credit card transaction is who they say they are and that they are authorized to use that card.

That 16-digit number on your card is living on borrowed time — and what replaces it could save you thousands.

Jason Fernando is a professional investor and writer who enjoys tackling and communicating complex business and financial problems. Toby Walters is a financial writer, investor, and lifelong learner.

Mastercard has announced plans to remove the 16-digit number from their credit and debit cards by 2030 in a move designed to stamp out identity theft and fraudulent use of cards. The numbers currently ...