Introduction

Address Verification Service (AVS) compares the billing address submitted by the cardholder with the address stored by the issuing bank. Visa Acceptance Solutions (including Cybersource) forwards the issuer’s AVS result in the authorization response. You control how that information is used in routing, risk decisioning, or decline logic.

This updated guide provides clearer expectations, reduces ambiguity around requirements that commonly cause client confusion, and highlights when to engage support—minimizing unnecessary redirects between Cybersource, processors, and issuing banks.

Overview

• Global Support: AVS is now supported by most issuers worldwide (previously limited to the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom).
• Issuer‑Returned Codes: The issuing bank returns an AVS code during authorization; Visa Acceptance includes it in your response.
• Optional Merchant Settings:
  • Ignore AVS — Process the transaction normally regardless of the AVS result.
  • Relaxed AVS — Make selected address fields optional.
• Processor Dependency: Not all processors support these features. Confirm support before enabling either option to avoid unnecessary delays or back‑and‑forth between systems.

Procedure

Step 1. Choose Whether to Use Ignore AVS or Relaxed AVS

• Ignore AVS — Directs Cybersource to disregard the AVS result entirely.
  • Helps reduce friction for cardholders.
  • May increase “soft declines” depending on issuer behavior.
  • Suitable when client experience and authorization success rates outweigh strict address matching.
• Relaxed AVS — Lets you specify which address components should be optional (for example, address line 2 or postal code).
  • Continued AVS analysis on remaining fields.
  • Fewer avoidable declines from non‑critical address elements.
  • Better alignment with regional differences in addressing conventions.

Step 2. Implement Ignore AVS by API (Optional)

Set the appropriate field to true for your integration method:

Step 3. Request Ignore AVS or Relaxed AVS at the Merchant‑Account Level (Optional)

If your processor requires account‑level configuration—or if you prefer centralized control—open a Support Case with Visa Client Services. Include:

Limitations

• Processor support may vary. Always confirm capabilities first to avoid unnecessary redirects or case escalations.
• AVS configuration does not override processor‑required fields; failing to include mandated fields commonly results in declines.