how can i find out my credit card verication number?

klftwo...

Here is a page from USA Backgrounds' site which illustrates
the location of the credit card verification number, or "CVN",
short for "card verification number" on your card:
https://www.usabackgrounds.com/card_security.htm

As they note, this is an extra security measure to ensure
that you have the actual card in your possession, and did
not obtain it from someone's statement in their trash,
or off of a receipt. This is a fairly common type of 
criminal activity, and would provide someone with a valid
credit card number, but not the CVN number, which is only
on the card itself. 

This extra validation is commonly and increasingly used when
purchases are made via phone, internet, or other means where
the card itself cannot be seen.

To quote this cached page of the Damashi site:
"According to all of the major credit card companies, these
 verification numbers are the wave of the future. The CVN
 doesn't tell us anything about you, it's only purpose is
 an additional level of security, in the event of a
 fraudulent charge, to protect you."
http://216.239.53.100/search?q=cache:-iXUMIXtl0kC:www.damashi.com/misc/cvn.html+%22credit+card+verification+number%22&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

The CVN can be 3 or 4 digits, depending on the card you have.

Searches done, via Google:

"credit card verification number"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22credit+card+verification+number%22

If you would like further information in regard to
this question, please feel free to post a request
for clarification BEFORE rating this answer.

sublime1-ga

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Request for Answer Clarification by klftwo-ga on 27 Sep 2002 19:27 PDT

if i forgot my credit card verification number how can i get it back online?

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Clarification of Answer by sublime1-ga on 27 Sep 2002 21:26 PDT

klftwo...

If you forgot the CVN number, the simplest, and most likely,
the only way to retrieve it is by looking on the card. If you
no longer have the card, it should be reported as lost or 
destroyed, and a new one should be obtained from your provider.
Your credit provider will not provide you with the number, since
they assume you have the card, and that, if you don't, it should
be replaced. In short, the only place to obtain the CVN is from
a credit card in your hand.

sublime1-ga