AVS and CV2

The banking industry introduced AVS and CV2 a few years ago to help combat the growing problems with verifying the cardholder during a CNP transaction.

Address Verification Service (AVS): This allows you to check the numerics in the cardholders billing address with their card issuer. A successful AVS result shows that the person ordering knows the cardholder's address. This is a good indication that they are the true cardholder.

Card Verification Value (CV2): This allows you to check the additional 3 or 4 digit security code found on the signature strip on the back of the card. American Express cards have a 4 digit security code found on the front of the card just above the card number. A successful CV2 result indicates that the person ordering is in possession of the card at the time of the transaction.

Advantages of AVS and CV2:

• Quick Results: AVS and CV2 are carried out in real-time, so you receive the results at the same time as the authorisation results
• AVS and CV2 provide more information about the transaction: AVS and CV2 provide you with more information about the transaction so that you can quickly decide whether or not you need to carry out any further fraud screening checks.
• Failed AVS and CV2 are early fraud indicators: A failed or partially failed AVS and CV2 result is an early indication that the order may be fraudulent which can save you from carrying out longer manual checks.
• Detailed responses limit errors: Protx breakdown the results of AVS and CV2 into three catagories to cut down on the number of failed results due to customer error.
• Automatic fraud screening: You can set up a rule base on your Protx account to automatically accept or reject transactions based on the results of the AVS and CV2 results to save you from manually checking the results on every transaction.
• Provided to you on your Protx account free of charge: Protx provides AVS and CV2 automatically on all accounts free of charge.

Limitations of AVS and CV2:

• AVS is a UK scheme only: It is not possible to check AVS on overseas orders, so you should expect your overseas orders to return with a 'CV2 Match Only' result.
• Only the numerics of the AVS are checked: Only the numbers in the billing address are checked. Characters are ignored. So, for example, house numbers are checked but street names are not.

Protx recommends that AVS and CV2 are carried out on all transactions. Due to the limitations listed above, it is a good idea not to rely on them solely, but rather to use the results as part of your overall fraud screening process.

Please contact us for further information about AVS and CV2, the different responses sent to you by Protx and how to set up rules bases on your account.

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