Enrichment

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Include appropriate enrichment data (CVV, AVS, and network tokenization) to improve authorization rates.

Enrichment data is the verification information that accompanies an authorization request and gives the issuer confidence that the transaction is legitimate. The three primary enrichment signals are CVV, AVS, and network tokenization. Each has a defined role depending on whether the card number was just keyed by the cardholder or was taken from a token store. Please ensure that the data is always sent when appropriate.

CVV

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Send the CVV with the first transaction only.

CVV is the 3- or 4-digit security code printed on the card. It is collected once at the point of initial card entry to confirm the person entering the details has the physical card in hand. It must not be stored after authorization. Network rules prohibit retention of CVV data.

AVS (Address Verification Service)

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Send AVS data on every US and Canadian transaction.

AVS (Address Verification Service) compares the billing address provided at the point of sale against the address the issuer holds on file. Unlike CVV, AVS is not restricted to the first transaction. It should be sent on every authorization, as it is a low-friction enrichment signal that consistently improves issuer confidence and approval rates.

AVS behavior

For US and Canadian issuers — the two markets where AVS participation is effectively universal — AVS should be sent on 100% of transactions. Most other international issuers do not participate in AVS, and sending it adds no approval benefit.

The table below defines the codes used to indicate the result of the AVS check:

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AVS=U (US debit cards): The AVS=U result indicates the issuer does not participate in address verification for the particular card type in use. It does not itself cause declines. However, cards returning AVS=U have a disproportionate rate of declines for other reasons. By removing hard declines, the underlying approval rate on valid cards in this population is considerably higher.

Network Tokenization

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Use tokens when possible to reduce security risks and streamline account updates.

Network tokenization replaces a card number with a network-issued token specific to the merchant. Tokens are managed by Visa (VTS) or Mastercard (MDES) and provide three material advantages:

• Higher approval rates — Issuers apply higher trust to token-based authorizations, consistently achieving 2–4% better approval than raw PAN transactions.
• Automatic account updater — Tokens are updated by the network when a card expires or is reissued. The stored token remains valid without merchant action, eliminating code 054 and code 046 declines.
• Domain-locked security — Tokens are tied to a specific merchant and device, preventing misuse if compromised and reducing fraud signals that depress approval rates.