Overview
AVS stands for the Address Verification System. AVS is a fraud-screening tool used to verify that the numeric street address and zip code provided by the customer matches the billing address information on file with the credit card issuing bank.
Your account can be configured to verify the address and zip code for each transaction that you run. The system can either reject the transaction if the billing address or zip code doesn't match, or notify you of a mismatch while still allowing the transaction to process (also known as AVS Bypass).
AVS helps reduce your credit card processing fees while adding a layer of protection against fraud.
As a best practice, we recommend requiring Address Verification as well as CVV on all keyed transactions.
New accounts established with PayJunction will have the ideal security settings for both fraud protection and fee reduction enabled by default.
AVS Security Instructions
PayJunction allows you to configure your AVS security settings "per each service, per each terminal." For example, if you have two terminal accounts (one for swiped transactions, and one for keyed transactions), you may have different AVS security settings for your Virtual Terminal services.
This step must be performed by a user that has Admin access.
- Click More, then Accounts on the left sidebar.
- Select your account (i.e. terminal).
- Under Security Settings, click Edit next to Virtual Terminal.
- Under Security & Form Settings you will see the AVS options.
- Click the Enable selection to turn the security settings on.
- Click the Disable selection to turn the security settings off.
- Click the Smart selection to make the security settings enabled but NOT required. With this setting enabled, AVS will only run if information is provided. If you want to adjust the details of what is checked, select Enable first, then follow the directions below before changing the settings to Smart.
- Click the Enable selection to turn the security settings on.
- Click Save Changes at the bottom.
- Repeat for PayJunction API or Hosted Payments if desired.
When You Click Enable:
Select the AVS Match Type in the drop-down menu according to your business needs:
| Bypass | Verifies the zip code but *will not* reject the transaction should it fail to match the information on file with the issuing credit card company. This leaves the responsibility of checking AVS response codes up to you as the user. |
| Match Address | Rejects the transaction if the street address provided does not match the street address on file with the issuing credit card company. |
| Match Address Or Zip Code | Rejects the transaction unless *either* the street address or the zip code match the billing address on file with the issuing credit card company. |
| Match Address And Zip Code | Rejects the transaction unless *both* the street address and the zip code match the billing address information on file with the issuing credit card company. |
| Match Zip Code | Rejects the transaction if the zip code provided does not match the zip code on file with the issuing credit card company. If your AVS security setting is configured to require a match (and is not in bypass mode), you may further customize the behavior of your AVS checks. |