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Card Not Present (CNP)

A card not present transaction is a payment identification method wherein the physical card – usually a credit or debit card – was not present at the time of purchase. More specifically, a CNP transaction means a credit or debit card was not physically swiped or inserted into a payment terminal. While convenient, CNP transactions may be more susceptible to fraud, not having the same kind of security protections as CP.

Examples of CNP transactions include electronic payments, automated payments, purchases made by mail, over the phone or online checkouts, mobile pay applications and mobile devices.