Glossary
Card verification
Card verification is the check a platform or its payment provider runs to confirm a card is real and that you are the one holding it. It usually combines a match on the card number, security code and billing address with a small temporary authorisation, and often a confirmation step handed off to your own bank.
GlossaryPrivacyBillingSafety
Where you see it
It happens the first time you add a card, in the seconds between pressing buy and the purchase completing, when the page may jump to your bank's screen or ask for a one-time code. A small pending entry can appear in your banking app shortly afterwards.
Why it matters
That temporary authorisation is not a purchase and normally disappears on its own, but it is frequently mistaken for a duplicate charge. If verification does not pass, the account can still exist while every paid feature stays closed, and the fix sits with the card issuer rather than the platform.