AVS Use for Non Profit Credit Card Processing

The Address Verification Service (AVS) enables card-absent non profit credit card processing organization to check a cardholder's billing address as filed with the card issuer. An AVS request features the billing address and it can be communicated in one of two ways:

• Together with the authorization request, or
• By itself. The AVS service checks the address data and sends back a result code to the non profit credit card processing entity that shows whether the address provided by the customer matches the address on file with the issuer.

AVS is only available to merchant account users in the U.S. and Canada. In other locations, card issuer participation is not reliable.

AVS as Part of an Authorization Request

The AVS request of the non profit credit card processing organization can be facilitated either in real time or in a batch using an electronic POS terminal or personal computer. Real-time requests are usually used in transactions where the cardholder must wait online for the answer. The batch mode is better suited for lower cost orders where no immediate response is needed as is typically the case with mail and phone orders.

AVS as Part of an Account Verification Request

A non profit credit card processing entity can also send an AVS request separately from an authorization request by utilizing the so-called Zero Amount Account Number Verification Service. For example:

• The non profit wants to validate the donor's billing address prior to requesting an authorization, or
• The requester sends an authorization request together with AVS data and gets back an authorization approval, but also gets an AVS "try again later" response.

How Non Profit Credit Card Processing Entities Use AVS

Whether AVS is processed by itself or as part of an authorization request, the procedure is as follows:

• When a donor contacts the non profit to make a donation,
  • Confirm the typical payment information.
  • Ask the donor for the billing address for the card being used (that is, the billing address is where the donor's monthly statement is sent).
  • Enter the billing address and the payment data into the authorization system and process both requests together.
• The card issuer will reach an authorization decision quite separately from the AVS decision and compare the billing address sent with the billing address on file for that account. The issuer will then send back both the authorization decision and a single character alphabetic result code that shows whether the address given by the customer matches the address on file.

Non profit credit card processing entities should evaluate the AVS response code and take adequate action based on all payment characteristics and any other validation data received with the authorization (that is, expiration date, security code, etc.). An authorization decision always outweighs the AVS. Do not accept any payment that has been rejected, whatever the AVS response.