How AVS works
AVS checks numeric portions of the billing address—typically the street number and postal code—against issuer records.
Merchant implications
A mismatch does not always mean decline; many merchants use AVS as one signal within broader fraud rules.
Sources
FAQ
No. AVS is a risk signal, not proof of identity or delivery address accuracy.
Related terms
Explore related definitions
Card Verification Value (CVV)
Card Verification Value (CVV) is the three- or four-digit security code printed on a payment card, used to verify that the customer likely possesses the physical or virtual card during checkout.
Foreign Exchange Spread
Foreign exchange spread is the markup between the market reference rate and the rate applied to a merchant or payer during currency conversion, often combined with explicit FX fees in cross-border payments.
Interchange Fee
An interchange fee is a variable cost paid from the merchant acquirer to the card issuer for each card transaction, set by card networks and influenced by card type, region, and merchant category.
Cross-Border Payment
A cross-border payment is a transaction where the payer, merchant, acquirer, or settlement currency spans different countries, triggering FX conversion, local method requirements, and compliance checks.
3-D Secure (3DS)
3-D Secure (3DS) is an cardholder authentication protocol that adds a step-up challenge during online checkout so issuers can confirm the payer before authorizing high-risk transactions.
Payment Orchestration
Payment orchestration is the practice of routing each transaction through the optimal acquirer, method, or gateway path based on rules such as cost, authorization rate, geography, and redundancy requirements.
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Global card acquiring
Accept major card networks with routing, 3DS, and settlement built for cross-border sales.
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