This is a color brochure that you can download as PDF file.

Click here to download.

About us
The Visa Address Verification Service (AVS) was developed as a risk management tool for merchants doing business by mail or telephone. Available to U.S. merchants that accept Visa® and MasterCard® cards, AVS helps reduce the risk of unknowingly accepting fraudulent mail and telephone order transactions by facilitating verification of the cardholder's billing address with the card issuer. This address information helps you, the merchant, determine whether to accept a particular transaction or to take further follow-up action.

By giving you more options and enhancing your ability to make more informed sales decisions, AVS supports and adds value to your efforts to reduce fraud and related operating costs. AVS has helped thousands of merchants improve profitability - in fact, AVS users have enjoyed operating cost savings exceeding $76 million since 1990.

Verifying your customer's billing address for all your Visa or MasterCard mail and telephone order transactions makes good business sense and is one of the fastest, easiest, and most important risk management steps you can take.

Who should read this
The Merchant Guide to the Visa Address Verification Service was written for two merchant audiences: those currently utilizing this important risk management service, and those considering it, and is structured accordingly: Introducing AVS - for merchants unfamiliar with AVS who want more information about its benefits.

Using AVS - for merchants currently using or about to implement AVS who want more specifics. In either case, the Guide should be read by merchant staff responsible for: