AVS checking

[TSdotNet]

On one of our company websites, we have a customer who repeatedly tries to order an item, and only gets the AVS correct on the 5th attempt. This situation has happenend numerous times now.

We have recieved a number of emails from him saying that for a given $50 item successfully, he has a hold of $250 placed on his account. 

Its doesn't take much to do the math to realize that $250 is 5 * $50 amounts, concurring with the total 5 attempts.

Who in the process of payment, facilitates the AVS check? Is there any chance this occurs after the funds have been secured?

[stymiee]

AVS is checked by the processor and returned with each transaction. If you have set your account to automatically reject AVS failures what is happening is Authorize.Net is going back after the transaction has been approved and cancelling the transaction. Unfortunately this means those funds are tied up until the card issuing bank releases those funds again. It's a drawback of using this feature (and one of many reasons why I discourage its use). 

[TSdotNet]

Ok the process makes sense, but am I understanding correctly that even if the processor finds that the AVS is wrong they still allow the transaction none the less? Im sure there is a good reason but it just seems messed up..

I presuming then that the AVS enforcing is entirely done through Authorize.net?

Is there any way around this issue so that we continue to have the reduced charge per transaction that you recieve with AVS?

Thanks for your time responding to this.

[stymiee · Accepted solution]

If you wish to continue using the Authnet system for declining transactions that  fail AVS then do an AUTH_ONLY for $0.00 first and, if AVS passes, process the payment normally.

[CDeCinko]

Do that and Visa will hit you with abuse fees.