Recollect a CVC for a Saved Card

In this guide, we will use Credova Elements SDKs to recollect a CVC for a saved card — attaching a freshly re-entered CVC without asking the customer to re-enter the whole card. This uses the cards.updateCvc() method, available in both the JavaScript and React SDKs.

Updating the CVC does not verify it by itself. See Verification happens at authorization, not at update below before you treat a successful update as an approved card.

How it works

1. Mount a standalone CardVerificationCodeElement and have the customer enter their CVC.
2. Call publicsquare.cards.updateCvc(cardId, cvcElement).
3. PublicSquare confirms the card belongs to your account, then the CVC is attached directly from the customer's browser — it never touches your servers or PublicSquare's, so your PCI scope doesn't change.
4. The CVC is attached to the card and is ready for the next charge. Call updateCvc() right before you charge the card.

Getting Started

To get started, you will need a Credova Account.

Sign Up

Sign In

Get your Publishable Key

This uses the same Publishable Key as Collect Cards. Go to your Developers section and click Reveal for your Publishable Key and copy the value.

This guide assumes you've already completed Collect Cards and have a saved card's id to work with.

Mount the CVC Element

Mount a standalone CardVerificationCodeElement — the same element used in Collect Cards, just on its own, without the rest of the card form.

JavaScript

index.html

<div id="cardVerificationCode"></div>

index.js

import { PublicSquare } from '@publicsquare/elements-js';

let publicsquare;
let cvcElement;

async function init() {
  publicsquare = await new PublicSquare().init('<PUBLISHABLE_API_KEY>');

  cvcElement = publicsquare.createCardVerificationCodeElement({});
  cvcElement.mount('#cardVerificationCode');
}

init();

React

App.jsx

import React, { useRef } from 'react';
import {
  PublicSquareProvider,
  CardVerificationCodeElement,
} from '@publicsquare/elements-react';

export default function App() {
  const cvcRef = useRef(null);

  return (
    <PublicSquareProvider apiKey={apiKey}>
      <CardVerificationCodeElement id="cardVerificationCode" ref={cvcRef} />
    </PublicSquareProvider>
  );
}

Call updateCvc

Once the customer submits the form, call cards.updateCvc() with the card's id and the mounted CVC element:

JavaScript

index.html

<!-- Form from above -->
<button id="submit">Submit</button>

index.js

async function init() {
  ...
  document.getElementById('submit').addEventListener('click', submit);
}

async function submit(cardId) {
  const response = await publicsquare.cards.updateCvc(cardId, cvcElement);
  if (response.error) {
    // handle the error — see "Handle the response" below
    return;
  }
  // proceed to charge the card
}

init();

React

App.jsx

export default function App() {
  const { publicsquare } = usePublicSquare();

  const submit = async (cardId) => {
    const response = await publicsquare.cards.updateCvc(cardId, cvcRef.current);
    if (response.error) {
      // handle the error — see "Handle the response" below
      return;
    }
    // proceed to charge the card
  };

  return (
    <PublicSquareProvider apiKey={apiKey}>
      ...
      <button onClick={() => submit(cardId)}>Submit</button>
    </PublicSquareProvider>
  );
}

Handle the response

updateCvc() resolves rather than throwing, whether the update succeeds or fails — check response.error instead of wrapping the call in try/catch:

Success

{
  "id": "card_AjkCFKAYiTsjghXWMzoXFPMxj",
  "type": "card",
  "created_at": "2024-06-24T13:51:24.980Z",
  "modified_at": "2026-09-21T13:51:24.980Z"
}

Error

{
  "error": {
    "error": "not_found",
    "data": { ... }
  }
}

A successful response means the CVC was accepted and attached to the card — it says nothing about whether the CVC is actually correct.

When to recollect

The recollected CVC is attached to the card for the next charge. The card does not keep it indefinitely, and there is no expiration event or webhook.

Call updateCvc() immediately before you charge the card. If time passes between the update and the charge, prompt the customer for their CVC again and call updateCvc() a second time. Treat an earlier update as if it never happened rather than relying on it.

A CVC is optional for a saved card. You can save and charge a card without one. See Saving a card without a CVC.

Verification happens at authorization, not at update

A successful updateCvc() response is not an approved card. It only confirms the CVC was attached to the card — the card issuer doesn't check it until you actually charge the card.

updateCvc() never contacts the card network — it just attaches the CVC. The CVC is only validated when the next charge on that card goes through Process Card Payments or Authorize and Capture Payments and reaches the issuer. Just like a first-time card charge, a succeeded payment status doesn't guarantee the CVC matched — read cvv2_reply on the resulting card, or verification.result.card_security_code if you ran a verification, to see whether the issuer confirmed it. See Read the Verification Result for the full set of values that field can return.

Security

The CVC goes directly from the customer's browser to Basis Theory. It never reaches your servers or PublicSquare's, so re-collecting a CVC doesn't change your PCI scope.

Conclusion

Following this guide, you've attached a freshly collected CVC to a saved card. Charge the card right after the update using Process Card Payments, and check the resulting cvv2_reply to confirm the issuer accepted it.