Payments
AVS (Address Verification Service)
Updated
AVS is the check in which the card-issuing bank compares the billing address and postal code a buyer enters with the address it holds for the card.
When a checkout collects the billing street address and postal code, the issuer compares them with its records and returns a match result. The merchant, or its fraud tool, can then accept, review or block the payment.
Support varies by country and bank. Stripe notes that some countries do not use postal codes, some issuers do not verify the street address, and most cards issued in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom support street address checks.
A failed AVS check is a signal, not a verdict. Legitimate buyers mistype addresses or move without telling their bank, so blocking every mismatch turns away real customers. Many stores block only when both the postal code and the security code fail.
Frequently asked questions
- Does AVS check the shipping address?
- No. It checks the billing address against the card. A different shipping address is common for gifts and is not an AVS failure.
- Is AVS available outside the US?
- Partly. Stripe says most US, Canadian and UK cards support street address checks, while support elsewhere varies by country and issuer.
Sources
- Card verification checks — Stripe