What is an AVS fee?
A small per-transaction charge for the address verification service, the check that matches a cardholder's billing address on keyed and online transactions. It is a fraud-prevention step you generally want running.
From a merchant statement
Also billed as Address verification fee.
Who charges it and why
The card networks charge a genuinely small amount for the check; the processor rebills it, frequently at several times the underlying cost. Because the unit price looks tiny, the multiplication hides in plain sight on high-transaction accounts.
What fair looks like
Fair looks like the network's own charge passed through at cost, or absorbed into the rate. A security check that protects the processor's own risk book should not be a profit line.
Can you get rid of it
Turning AVS off to dodge the fee is the wrong trade, since it raises fraud and downgrade risk. The right move is pricing: on an interchange-plus account the check should cost what the network charges, and a statement review will show whether yours does.
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Frequently asked questions
What is an AVS fee?
A small per-transaction charge for the address verification service, the check that matches a cardholder's billing address on keyed and online transactions. It is a fraud-prevention step you generally want running.
Who charges the AVS fee and why?
The card networks charge a genuinely small amount for the check; the processor rebills it, frequently at several times the underlying cost. Because the unit price looks tiny, the multiplication hides in plain sight on high-transaction accounts.
Can you get rid of an AVS fee?
Turning AVS off to dodge the fee is the wrong trade, since it raises fraud and downgrade risk. The right move is pricing: on an interchange-plus account the check should cost what the network charges, and a statement review will show whether yours does.
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