Address Verification Service (AVS) is a security feature that helps protect your practice from fraudulent card transactions by verifying a patient's billing address during payment processing.
When a payment is processed, Practice by Numbers securely sends the patient's billing address to the payment processor, which compares the billing ZIP/Postal Code with the information on file at the cardholder's bank.
If the billing ZIP/Postal Code matches, the payment is approved. If it does not match, the transaction is declined.
AVS is enabled for all practices and works automatically—no setup is required.
How It Works
Charging a New Card
When adding a new payment card, a billing address section appears alongside the card information.
If the patient already has an address saved in their profile, the fields are automatically populated when available.
Complete the required billing address fields:
Country
Address Line 1
City
State
ZIP/Postal Code
Address Line 2 is optional.
Once the payment is submitted, the billing address is verified before the transaction is approved.
Charging a Saved Card
If the saved payment method already has a billing address on file, AVS runs automatically in the background.
If no billing address is available, you'll be prompted to enter it before the payment can be processed.
If a Payment Is Declined
If the billing ZIP/Postal Code does not match the information the patient's bank has on file, the transaction will be declined.
If this happens:
Ask the patient to verify the billing address associated with their payment card.
Confirm the ZIP/Postal Code is correct.
Update the billing address if necessary.
Retry the payment.
In many cases, correcting the billing ZIP/Postal Code resolves the issue.
Benefits of AVS
Address Verification helps your practice:
Reduce fraudulent or unauthorized card transactions.
Minimize payment disputes and chargebacks.
Improve payment security.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AVS enabled for my practice?
Yes. AVS is automatically enabled for all practices using Practice by Numbers Payments.
Do patients need to enter their billing address every time?
No. If a billing address is already saved with the payment method, AVS runs automatically without any additional steps.
Why was a payment declined?
The most common reason is that the billing ZIP/Postal Code entered does not match the address on file with the patient's bank. Verify the billing address with the patient and try the payment again.