Address Verification Service (AVS)

What is Address Verification Service (AVS)?
Address Verification Service (AVS) is a standard used to match billing information on record with billing information at the point of sale in debit and credit card transactions. It is part of the current standards for handling credit and debit cards in retail.

In address verification service designs, the user enters a portion of the credit card billing information, typically a five-digit zip code, a street address, or a combination of the two. This data is sent to match the data in the bank. The game will facilitate authorization to use the card. Companies can set AVS security levels based on the requirements of their merchant service providers or banks.

Experts refer to the address verification service as a risk management tool for retailers. Services from large corporations specializing in e-commerce and point-of-sale commerce security. Other types of typical security conventions include the use of additional code written on the back of a card supplied by the user in a commercial transaction. Although the address verification service has now become a popular standard, some criticize it for its potential for false rejections and the possible inconvenience it could cause.

Some address verification service systems can be overridden at the point of sale by a cashier to alleviate this type of problem. In e-commerce transactions, address verification services compliance may be stricter due to the fact that there are no face-to-face in-person transactions.