Card Not Present (CNP)

A card not present transaction (CNP) is a remote purchase whereby the payment card and cardholder are not physically present for visual examination at the merchant’s point of sale, for example purchases which are made over the internet, telephone, or by mail, fax, or mail-order. CNP transactions can be a major route for card fraud, as it is difficult for a merchant to verify whether or not the cardholder is actually authorising a payment (compared to a card present transaction, whereby the payment card and cardholder are both present so the PIN and/or customer signature can be verified).