Understanding Address Verification Service (AVS) Result Codes

Introduction

This article explains how the Address Verification Service (AVS) works for both domestic and international transactions, and provides a complete reference of the result codes you may receive when processing payments. AVS helps reduce fraud by comparing portions of the billing address submitted in an authorization request against the address on file at the issuing bank. Results are returned for the street address and for the postal code.

Use this article to:

• Understand how domestic and international AVS responses differ
• Interpret AVS result codes returned in API replies
• Decide how to handle authorizations that fail AVS
• Identify the correct response codes for Visa, American Express, and Visa Acceptance Solutions (Cybersource) processors

Overview of AVS

Address verification is performed by comparing portions of the billing address from the request message with address data on file at the issuing bank. Authorization transactions will have an AVS check performed on them when possible, though not every international issuer supports AVS.

If AVS cannot verify the address but the authorization is otherwise valid, you may receive an AVS decline. You can capture authorizations that receive an AVS decline; however, these orders should be reviewed to ensure that they are legitimate. Settling authorizations that fail the AVS check might affect the fees charged by your bank. Contact your bank for details about how AVS management may impact your discount rate.

Classification of AVS Codes

AVS can be considered either domestic or international, depending on the location of the bank that issued the customer's credit card:

• If the issuing bank is in the U.S., the AVS is domestic.
• If the issuing bank is outside the U.S., the AVS is international.

You should be prepared to handle both domestic and international AVS result codes. You can receive international AVS codes even if the customer has a U.S. billing address, and you can receive domestic AVS codes even if the customer has a non-U.S. billing address.

Types of AVS Codes

• American Express card codes: F, H, K, L, O, T, V — For American Express cards only. You can also receive Visa AVS codes for American Express cards.
• International Visa codes: B, C, D, G, I, M, P
• Domestic Visa codes: A, E, N, R, S, U, W, X, Y, Z
• Visa Acceptance Solutions (Cybersource) codes: 1, 2 — Numeric codes that can be returned for any card type.

The international and domestic alphabetic AVS codes are the Visa standard AVS codes. For international cards, you can receive domestic AVS codes in addition to the international AVS codes.

Where AVS Codes Appear in API Replies

AVS codes are returned in the following reply fields:

• Simple Order API: ccAuthReply_avsCode
• SCMP API: auth_auth_avs
• REST API: processorinformation.avs.code

Complete AVS Code Reference

Enhanced AVS, AAV+, and Extended AVS

For information about Enhanced AVS, AAV+, and Extended AVS, refer to the Credit Card Services Implementation Guide.

Recommended Steps for Handling AVS Results

1. Review the AVS code returned in the API reply field associated with your integration.
2. Determine whether the response is domestic, international, American Express-specific, or a Cybersource numeric code.
3. Compare the response against your acceptance and risk thresholds.
4. Decide whether to capture, reverse, or review the authorization based on the result.
5. Contact your acquiring bank if you have questions about how AVS outcomes affect discount rates or fees.

Potential Client Questions

• What is an AVS failure code and what might cause it?
  • An AVS failure code occurs when the address information provided by the customer does not match the address on file with the card issuer. Common causes include incorrect address entry, outdated address information on file with the issuer, or discrepancies between billing and shipping addresses.
• How can AVS errors be resolved if the address is correct?
  • Ensure the address entered matches exactly with the address on file with the card issuer. Check for common issues such as abbreviations or misspellings. If the issue persists, contact the card issuer for further verification.
• Can AVS be disabled if it causes too many issues?
  • Yes. Refer to the support article "Can I disable Address Verification Services (AVS)?". 
• How can we avoid AVS errors with our secure acceptance settings?
  • Review and adjust your secure acceptance settings to ensure they align with the latest AVS requirements. Enabling relaxed AVS settings can help reduce strict matching criteria. Always balance these adjustments against fraud risk and consult your payment processor for guidance.

• What happens when AVS failure is showing a soft decline?
  • A soft decline occurs when a transaction has been authorized by the customer's card-issuing bank but rejected in the transaction processing systems due to a business rule setting. The authorization has completed successfully, placing a hold on funds in the customer's bank account, but settlement has not yet occurred. At this point, you may continue to process the sale by requesting settlement, or reject the sale by requesting an authorization reversal to remove the hold on funds in the customer's account. Refer to the support article "Soft Decline" for more details.