Address Verification Service (AVS) checks billing address details and returns results that let merchants accept, flag, or decline transactions.
At the same time, Card Verification Value (CVV2, sometimes called “Card Verification Code” or CVC2) verifies the card’s security code against issuer records, providing outcomes to help assess and mitigate fraud risks.
AVS and CVV provide fast and cost-effective fraud protection, especially for online transactions, and work best with tools such as
Guide
Boost payment security with 3D Secure support.
3D Secure
verification.
AVS
Address Verification Service (AVS) is a security feature used by Visa, Mastercard, and other major card networks to help verify that a cardholder’s billing address matches the address on file with the card issuer. AVS is essential in reducing fraud for card-not-present (CNP) transactions, such as online or Mail Order/Telephone Order (
Guide
MOTO transactions allow for simplified payments in the absence of a card.
MOTO
) payments.
When a customer pays for a transaction, you can collect their billing address details. Afterward, send this information with the API request so the payment processor can forward it to the card issuer during the authorization process. The card issuer checks the provided address (typically just the numerical parts of the street address and postal code zip_code) against the address associated with the card account. The issuer then returns an AVS response code avs_result indicating the level of match, which can help to decide whether to accept, decline, or flag the transaction for review.
You can trigger
Guide
Navigating card fraud: strategies and protocols for merchants.
velocity rules
if the AVS check results in a mismatch. Based on the AVS response, you can accept the payment, make an exception, or cancel the transaction.
While Visa and Mastercard both use AVS, they may have slightly different codes and processes, but the service operates similarly across both networks.
- Both Visa and Mastercard use response codes to indicate the result of the address check.
- Some issuers may vary in how they interpret AVS codes. Visa and Mastercard may handle edge cases differently, for example, in how they verify specific international addresses.
- Both networks emphasize using AVS as a component in their layered fraud-prevention strategies. Merchants can further protect transactions using AVS and other tools, such as CVV checks and 3D Secure (3DS).
Not all gateways, acquirers, and payment processors include AVS code results in their responses. Additionally, the AVS code values avs_result vary between providers that do provide this information. Solidgate processes and standardizes the AVS code results to simplify merchants’ workflows, mapping the provider’s original results into unified categories.
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| matched | AVS data is successfully verified. |
| partially_matched | Some AVS data was successfully verified, while others were not. For example, street address matches, but 5-digit and 9-digit ZIP codes do not. |
| not_matched | None of the AVS data was verified. |
| unsupported | AVS is not supported for this card. |
| unavailable | AVS check is not possible on the issuer's side, or the AVS for a US bank is not functioning correctly. |
AVS helps prevent fraud by giving an additional layer of verification in situations where the card is not physically present.
It is a relatively low-cost security measure that works quickly within the authorization process.
LimitationsAVS is mainly accessible in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. As address formats differ globally, AVS is frequently less reliable for non-U.S. addresses.
Furthermore, AVS is not flawless since a match alone does not guarantee the transaction’s legitimacy, and mismatches do not always indicate fraud.
CVV
Card Verification Value (CVV2, sometimes called “Card Verification Code” or CVC2) is a crucial security feature for credit and debit cards. It protects against fraud in card-not-present (CNP) transactions, such as online payments. The CVV code is a three or four-digit number printed on a payment card to help prevent
Guide
Navigating card fraud: strategies and protocols for merchants.
fraud
.
During a transaction, the customer’s CVV code is checked against the value stored by the card issuer. This security check helps determine the legitimacy of the transaction and assists in identifying potential fraud risks. The CVV is typically located on the back of the card, except for American Express, which displays it on the front.
Solidgate standardizes CVV validation results from various providers, ensuring consistent categories and simplifying workflows for merchants, regardless of whether the original responses include or vary in CVV validation values.
| Value | Description |
|---|---|
| matched | Customer’s CVV code matches the code stored by the card issuer, indicating a successful verification. |
| not_matched | Customer’s CVV code does not match the CVV code stored by the card issuer. This may indicate a higher fraud risk and often requires holding the order for further verification. |
| not_checked | CVV code is unavailable for verification. This result may arise from technical issues or incomplete data and may require resubmitting the authorization request. |
| unavailable | CVV code is not available or cannot be verified. This might happen due to system errors or when the card does not have a CVV code. |
| unknown | Issuer does not support CVV code verification, making verifying the code for this transaction impossible. |
These results are a valuable tool to:
- Assess transaction legitimacy: A matching CVV code
card_cvvprovides confidence that the customer has physical access to the card, reducing fraud risk. - Identify fraud risks: Non-matching or unavailable CVV codes may indicate potential fraudulent activity.
- Improve decision-making: By understanding CVV code results, merchants can decide whether to approve, decline, or further investigate a transaction.
- Always request the CVV code for card-not-present transactions to enhance security.
- Monitor and analyze CVV results to identify patterns of fraud attempts.
- For a comprehensive fraud management strategy, combine CVV code results with other fraud prevention measures, such as AVS checks and transaction
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Gain order insights and track actions for informed order management. monitoring .