What is Address Verification?

Address Verification only request transactions are identical to Account Verification transactions. However, for United Kingdom (UK) issued Cards, Address Verification Service (AVS) data will be stripped from the request before sending to the Host Issuer (thus making the message a regular Account Verification).

In the response to the Acquirer, the Address Verification result in field 44.2 will be 'U' address not verified (not email address verification).

Processing code should indicate a purchase transaction. Field 3 should be 000000.

The Transaction Amount in field 4 must be zero.

Data field 18 contains a code indicating the Merchant's type of business. This code is also known as the Merchant Category Code (MCC). Merchant type can be any valid code for a Card-present or Card-not-present transaction.

The point-of-sale (POS) Condition Code must indicate Account Verification. Field 25 must be 51.

Address data (not UK addresss verification) must be present in field 123.

Address verification response code field 39 should be 85 (no reason to decline).

Field 44.2 - Address Verification Result Code is in the response message.

Field 51 - Request for Account Number verification without authorization, request for Account Number verification and address verification without authorization, or Request for Account Number and CVV2 verification without authorization.

Authorization Request with address verification

Processing code should indicate a Card-present or Card-not-present purchase transaction. Field 3 should be 00xxxx (purchase).

Expiry date is optional. Omit field 14 if not known or if track data is present.

Merchant type must be valid for a Card-present or Card-not-present transaction.

The POS Condition Code may indicate normal or mail/phone order.

Field 25 must be 00 (normal transaction) or 08 (mail/phone order/mail address verification/postal/letter/ us/form/service/system/post office/free/international/sender/gecode).

Address verification data must be present. Field 123 must be included.

The response includes an Address Verification Result Code in field 44.2.

Address verification Mail/Phone Order Transaction

Processing code must indicate a purchase transaction. Field 3 must be 00xxxx (cannot be 11xxxx).

Field 18 may contain an MCC which is listed in the MOTO Merchant Category Group. For a list of all valid MCCs, see the document, Visa Europe Merchant Data Standards.

POS Condition Code must indicate mail or telephone order; field 25 must be 08.

The request must not include a PIN. Fields 52 and 53 must not be included.

Address verification data is required. Field 123 must be present. Data field 44.2 contains a Visa-defined code that describes the results of a Visa address verification.

The Address Verification Service (AVS) can be used for all Merchants that include field 123 - Verification Data in their authorization or financial request messages.

It can also be used for MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and in the US, proprietary and private label transactions.

Verification requests

Verification requests: The following points apply on Verification requests:

Field 38 is used in "no reason to decline" responses to verification requests. That is, when the response code is 85.

Address verification: If STIP provides the authorization decision after the Issuer has supplied the address verification response (as in some Airline transactions);

The Acquirer receives the authorization code assigned by STIP instead of the code assigned by the Issuer: unless the host Issuer has inserted a response code in field 39 other than 00 or 85.

• Use any valid code for Authorization Requests that include address verification data in field 123.

Address verification requests support both Card-present and Card-not-present requests in all Merchant categories with or without authorization amount requests

• Use code 51 for Account Verification, and address verification request messages without authorization. Code 51 is only valid for Visa and MasterCard transactions

Note that although MasterCard AVS-only transactions are no longer supported, code 51 is used in account status inquiries.

CVV2 verification only requests: These request messages are used to check CVV2 data in a Card-present transaction at the Point-of-Transaction.

This is useful when the magnetic stripe cannot be read. Acquirers submit CVV2 verification only 0100 request messages, with a condition code of 51 in this field, a Transaction Amount of zero in field 4, and the CVV2 data to be verified in field 126.10.

Host issuers that perform their own CVV2 validation must be prepared to receive CVV2 verification only request messages.

Host issuer 0110 response messages must contain a Transaction Amount of zero in field 4, a response code of 85, and a valid CVV2 results value in field 44.10. If VEAS performs CVV2 validation on behalf of the Issuer, VEAS will check the CVV2 in all eligible request messages and provide results data in response messages.

Note that field 25 can contain any code except 51, and field 18 may contain any valid value. Address verification only requests must include field 123, field 25, which must be 51, and field 18, which may contain any valid value.

Acronyms used in data field descriptions for Address Verification

Field descriptions may include acronyms shown in the following table - Data field listing - acronyms used for account verification.

Acronym	"Definition"
3-D Secure	Three-Domain Secure (Merchant, Acquirer, Issuer)
AAC	Application Authentication Cryptogram
ACI	Authorization Characteristics Indicator
ACS	Access Control Server
ADM	Automated Dispensing Machine
AFD	Automated Fuel Dispenser
AFT	Account Funding Transaction
AML	Anti-Money Laundering
ARPC	Authorization Response Cryptogram
ARQC	Authorization Request Cryptogram
ATR	Assured Transaction Response
Auto-CDB	Automated Cardholder Database Service
AVS	Address Verification Service
AWK	Acquirer Working Key
BER	Basic Encoding Rules (as in TLV format)
BCD	Binary-Coded Decimal Notation
CAM	Card Authentication Method
CAVV	Cardholder Authentication Verification Value
CDB	Cardholder Database
CPS	Custom Payment Service
CRB	Card Recovery Bulletin
CRS	Chargeback Reduction Service
CSU	Card Status Update
CVM	Card Verification Method
CVN	Cryptogram Version Number
CVR	Card Verification Results
CVV	Card Verification Value
DCC	Dynamic Currency Conversion
dCVV	Dynamic Card Verification Value
DDA	Dynamic Data Authentication
DF	Data Filed (American Express)
EA Server	Extended Access Server
EIRF	Electronic Interchange Reimbursement Fee
FPI	Fee Program Indicator
GCAS	Global Customer Assistance Service
IARS	International Automated Referral Service
iCVV	Integrated Circuit Card (iCC) CVV
IWK	Issuer Working Key
MCC	Merchant Category Code
MCG	Merchant Category Group
MOTO	Mail Order or Telephone Order
MVV	Merchant Verification Value
OIF	Optional Issuer Fee
OCT	Original Credit Transaction
OTC	Over-the-Counter
PACM	Positive Authorization Capacity Management
PAD	Proprietary Authentication Data
PCAS	Positive Cardholder Authorization Service
PCR	Processing Centre Record
PIN	Personal Identification Number
PVKI	PIN Verification Key Index
PVS	PIN Verification Service
PVV	PIN Verification Value
RCRF	Regional Card Recovery File
RTS	Visa Europe Real Time Scoring
SDA	Static Data Authentication
SMS	Single Message Service
STIP	Stand-in Processing
TADC	Transaction Amount in Destination Currency
T&C	Travel & Entertainment
TC	For VSDC, TC = Transaction Certificate For VECSS, TC = Transaction Code
TID	Transaction Indicator
TLV	Tag-Length-Value (Format, see BER)
TVR	Terminal Verification Results
UCAF	Universal Cardholder Authentication Field (MasterCard)
VAT	Value-Added Tax
VCPS	Visa Contactless Payment Specification
VECSS	Visa Europe Clearing and Settlement Service
VIC	Visa Interchange Center
VIP	Very Important Person
V.I.P.	Visa Integrated Payments system
VROL	Visa Resolve Online
VSDC	Visa Smart Debit/Credit
VSEC	Visa Secure Electronic Commerce
VSS	Visa Europe Settlement Service
VMTS	Visa Europe Member Test System
XID	Electronic Commerce Transaction Identifier