A comprehensive guide to carding: directions, methods, and practical implementation

[Professor]

Introduction: Deconstructing the Myths and Realities of the Underground Industry​

Carding isn't a monotonous activity, but an entire ecosystem with its own hierarchy, specializations, and constantly evolving methods. Success in this field is determined not so much by luck as by a systematic approach, technical literacy, and an understanding of the business processes of security systems. Disagreements on forums arise not only from differences in experience but also from radically different working conditions: geographic location, access to tools, budget, and goals radically alter the effectiveness of certain methods.

A detailed analysis of the main directions​

1. Retail Carding – a classic with a twist​

Process architecture:
Receiving card data → Preparing the workspace → Selecting a store and product → Placing an order → Organizing delivery → Receiving and distributing goods

Store complexity levels:
Level 1 (Low): Small local online stores, niche sites

• Security: Often basic SSL, no 3D-Secure, simple AVS checks
• Pros: High probability of success for a beginner
• Cons: low liquidity of goods, suspicion of large orders
• Examples: regional boutiques, handmade goods websites, small online stores

Level 2 (Medium): Mid-sized national chains, popular online retailers

• Protection: 3D-Secure v1, basic fraud systems, behavioral checking
• Pros: quality product, good selection
• Cons: Requires high-quality imitation of behavior, fresh cards
• Examples: medium-sized chains of electronics, clothing, and household appliances

Level 3 (High): International giants, luxury brands

• Security: Multi-factor authentication, AI fraud monitoring, device pairing
• Pros: maximum profit, liquidity of goods
• Cons: Almost inaccessible for beginners, requires experience and special tools
• Examples: Amazon, Apple, Nike, high fashion brands

Practical techniques for the clothing industry:
A. The "Drop Shipping for Carders" method

• Find a buyer BEFORE placing an order
• You arrange delivery directly to the buyer's address
• Receive payment in crypto before completing your order
• Advantage: no risk of storage and reshipment of goods

B. Partial Fulfillment Technique

• The order consists of 5-7 items of varying value.
• 2-3 positions - target expensive goods
• The rest are small inexpensive things
• Logic: The system is less likely to reject orders with a mixed basket

C. Geographic Matching Strategy

• British bank card → UK store
• Delivery to an address in the same city where the cardholder is registered
• The order time corresponds to the time zone of the country of the card
• Efficiency: Increases success by 40-60%

Logistics organization:
Drop system:

• Clean drops - rented apartments, hostels (risk: surveillance cameras)
• Bribed couriers – employees of delivery services (risk: blackmail)
• Automatic parcel terminals - size and weight restrictions
• Abandoned addresses - requires precise calculation of the time of receipt

The "Boxing" method is interception from the courier:
Order → Tracking the tracking number → Dejudging at the address → Pick up from the courier

• Requires good operational work
• Often used for expensive compact goods (electronics)

2. Alternative directions: digital goods and services​

2.1. Subscriptions and SaaS (Software as a Service)
Market Features:

• Digital delivery is instant
• High demand for business-level accounts
• Often weak verification for trial periods

Popular categories:

• Design and media: Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva Pro, Figma
• Developer Tools: GitHub Copilot, JetBrains All Products Pack
• Marketing: Semrush, Ahrefs, Google Workspace Business
• Cloud Services: AWS, Azure, DigitalOcean Credits

Account Stacking Technique:

1. Register for a trial period with a card
2. Cancel your subscription before being charged
3. Repeat in 2-3 months with the same card
4. Selling an account with "frozen" premium features

2.2. Hotel and Airline Ticket Booking
Specifics:

• High average bill
• Difficult cancellation/refund for the victim
• Opportunity for monetization through travel agencies

The workflow:
Book a room/ticket → Find a buyer → Change booking details → Receive payment.

The “Flexible Booking” technique:

• Booking with free cancellation
• Finding a buyer between booking and check-in/departure
• Name change on a reservation (cost: $10-50)
• Advantage: zero risk if there is no buyer

2.3. Digital goods (Gift Cards, game currency)
Features:

• Instant conversion to cash
• High demand for untraceable gift cards
• Risk of rapid blocking if fraud is detected

Layered Redemption Strategy:

• Buy Amazon Gift Cards → Buy Gift Cards from Other Retailers → Sell
• Makes it difficult to track the chain
• Reduces the risk of end card blocking

3. Log Processing – Technical Focus​

3.1. Log Classification
Type 1: Banking Logs

• Access to online banking
• Withdrawal via internal transfers
• High risk of rapid detection

Type 2: Fullz/Dumps

• Full card details + owner information
• Used for cloning physical cards or online transactions
• Require verification through special services

Type 3: Кожи (COJ — Carding Online Jobs)

• Card data collected through phishing or malware
• Varying degrees of freshness and validity
• Checking through small charges ($1-2)

3.2. Infrastructure for working with logs
A. Anonymity:
Basic scheme: Real location → VPN (2-3 hops) → SOCKS5 proxy → Workstation

• Virtual machine: a fresh snapshot for each session
• Anti-detect browsers: Multilogin, Indigo, GoLogin
• Change the fingerprint: Canvas, WebGL, fonts, resolution, time zone
• Hardware modifiers: MAC address spoofers, GPS virtualization

B. Verification tools:

• CC Checkers: Specialized Scripts for Balance Checking
• Binbase: Determine bank and card type by BIN
• Small charge services: verification through micropayments ($0.1-$1)
• AVS Validation: Address Matching Check

B. Automation:

• Bots for bulk log checking
• Scripts for bypassing captcha (2Captcha, AntiCaptcha API)
• Parsers for collecting data about stores and their protection

3.3. The “Carding Farm” Method
Organizing a small “farm” for processing logs:
5-10 workstations → Single log database → Automatic distribution of tasks → Centralized collection of results

• Requires an initial investment of $2,000-5,000
• Allows you to process hundreds of logs per day
• Profitability with proper setup: 5-15% successful operations

4. New and niche directions​

4.1. Cryptocurrency direction
. Operating schemes:

• Direct crypto purchases to cards: KYC compliance is a challenge
• Payment for crypto services: node hosting, commission payments
• Via P2P platforms: risk of rapid account blocking

Mixer Utilization Technique:
Card → Purchase crypto on a regulated exchange → Transfer to mixer → Withdraw to wallet

• Reduces traceability
• Requires an understanding of how blockchain analytics works

4.2. Pharmaceutical direction

• Buying prescription drugs online
• High marginality
• Legal risks are above average
• Requires specialized drops

4.3. Charity Fraud

• Donations on charity platforms
• Refunds to controlled cards
• Used to launder card data
• Low amounts but minimal checks

A Practical Guide: From Zero to Your First Operation​

Phase 1: Preparation (1-2 weeks)​

Step 1: Educational background

• Studying the basics of payment systems (authorization, clearing, settlement)
• Understanding security mechanisms (3D-Secure, AVS, CVV, Risk Scoring)
• Researching the legal implications in your jurisdiction

Step 2: Organizing your workspace
Hardware:

• A separate laptop/computer for operations
• At least 8 GB of RAM, SSD for quickly dumping images
• A hardware VPN router (optional)

Software:

• VMware/VirtualBox with virtual machine templates
• Anti-detect browser (start with free alternatives)
• A package of tools for checking proxies and cleaning metadata

Step 3: Building an anonymity system
Level 1 (basic): Residential proxy → VPN (double hop) → Virtual machine
Level 2 (advanced): 4G/5G modem with SIM card rotation → Anti-detect browser with device emulation
Level 3 (professional): Own proxy servers in different countries → Customized OS builds

Phase 2: Getting Started (Initial Operations)​

Budget planning for a beginner:
Total budget: $300-500
Distribution:

• Tools and software: $50-100
• Proxy/VPN: $20-50/month
• Test cards/logs: $50-100
• Reserve for failures: $200

Algorithm of the first operation:

1. Buy 5-10 cheap, proven cards (cost $2-10 each)
2. Selecting a Tier 1 Store (Small Local Retailer)
3. Placing an order for 20-50% of the card balance
4. Delivery to a clean drop (you can use your friends' addresses with their consent)
5. Analysis of the result regardless of the outcome

Phase 3: Scaling and Optimization​

Transaction Logging:
| Date | Store | Amount | Card (first 6 digits) | Result | Reason for Refusal | Profit |

Key Metrics for Analysis:

• Success Rate: percentage of successful transactions (target: >15% for a beginner)
• Average Order Value: the average value of successful orders
• Card Utilization: percentage of card balance used
• Time to Detection: time from operation to blocking

Optimization strategies:

• A/B testing of security bypass methods
• Seasonal Analysis – Improving Success During Holiday Periods
• Geographic targeting — working with regions with low levels of fraud monitoring

Risk Management and Security​

Personal safety:​

• Never store transaction logs on the main device.
• Use disk encryption for production machines
• Separate identities for different directions
• Beware of exit scams on forums and in stores

Operational Security (OpSec):​

1. No cross-contacts – separate Telegram and email for different activities
2. Physical isolation - a separate room for equipment when scaling
3. Cryptography - encrypted communication channels only, PGP for important messages
4. Financial Intelligence - Cashing Out Through Multi-Layer Schemes

Legal aspects:​

• Know the punishment limits in your country
• Understand the difference between civil and criminal liability
• Have a plan in case of a search or arrest
• Important: In most countries, cooperation with investigators provides minimal relief.

Psychological aspects and long-term perspective​

The Carder's Emotional Cycle:

1. Euphoria of initial success → 2. Disappointment from a series of failures → 3. Apathy and burnout → 4. A systematic approach or leaving

Burnout Prevention Strategy:

• Regular breaks (the 50/10 rule - 50 minutes of work, 10 minutes of rest)
• Physical activity to reduce stress
• Financial planning - don't spend it all at once
• Continuous learning – security technologies change monthly

Long-term prospects:

• Average career in carding: 6-18 months before quitting or moving into related fields
• The accumulated experience can be monetized in legal cybersecurity
• Important statistics: 95% of newbies go into the red in the first 3 months

Alternatives and legal ways to apply knowledge​

If the technical aspect is more appealing than the criminal component:

1. White Hat Carding — testing security systems under contract with companies
2. Bug Bounty Programs – Vulnerability Search with Rewards
3. Careers in fraud monitoring – protecting payment systems
4. Security consulting for small and medium businesses

Conclusion: A sober assessment of the possibilities​

Carding is a complex, risky activity that requires constant training, investment, and nerves. Success here is determined not by isolated successes, but by a systematic approach, risk management, and the ability to adapt to changing conditions.

Here are some golden rules for those who decide to continue:

1. Invest only what you are willing to lose completely.
2. Document and analyze every transaction
3. Never break OpSec rules for the sake of speed or convenience.
4. Have a plan for exiting and legalizing the accumulated knowledge

Remember: the most successful in this field aren't those who make the most daring moves, but those who maintain their freedom and resources long enough to accumulate experience and capital for the next step, legal or not.

This material is provided for informational purposes only. The author assumes no liability for the use of the information provided for illegal purposes.