Address Verification Service
The Address Verification Service (AVS) is an
extra security measure that could substantially reduce the number
of disputed transactions you have to deal with.
As the name suggests, AVS verifies a cardholder’s billing
address. The system works by checking the street address and
postcode supplied by the buyer, which are included in the message
you send during the normal course of a transaction
authorisation.
Criminals using stolen or counterfeit cards are unlikely to know
billing addresses. So, when the cardholder’s address has been
verified, you can feel confident that the purchase is legitimate.
This makes AVS especially useful in mail and telephone order and
e-commerce transactions, where you don’t see the card or
cardholder.
AVS is currently available to merchants in the UK only.