Can Address Verification Stop Unauthorized Credit Card Use? by Raphael Wooley

Many of us are making transactions on the Internet or over the phone every day. We do our shopping, settle utility bills, and pay our employees from the comfort of our own home with nothing more than a computer and a credit card. But how many times have you had to give you address to an agent to complete a transaction? If you do a lot of business by phone or Internet, you will have probably run into this many, many times. It can get a little annoying to us from time to time, especially when we know they already have the information. This is a type of address verification. And just to be clear, we really shouldn't be that annoyed by someone conducting address verification on a transaction. When it comes to matters of financial transaction, this is a very important task that should always be done. Why is address verification so important? There are a couple reasons. The first is to make sure that each transaction is authorized by the right person to protect you from fraud or theft. If, for example, someone got a hold of your credit card, that person could use it to make many fraudulent purchases online or over the phone. However, if they have to verify their address, this will be harder to do. Address verification is a fairly simple process. The agent or the employee at the online shop will require a billing address. If the billing address doesn't match the one that has been entered in the system before, then the transaction can be declined and you can avoid unauthorized use of the card. As part of the address verification system companies will use the USPS address verification database to compare entries. The United States Postal Service address verification system is a reliable tool that they can use to check for a current address, or whether or not the address exists at all. It will also give them a chance to report fraudulent use. The second reason for installing this kind of software is to develop good relationships with their clients. If an unauthorized credit card purchase is made, the customer will likely call and complain, and tell many others that they allowed a fraudulent transaction to occur. This can really hurt a business. If you use a verification system you can limit the people that can use the card to make a purchase. When companies use address verification systems and access the USPS database, you can really start to build up a streamlined and effective business and develop quality customer relationships. You can keep doing business and not have to worry about dealing with unauthorized credit cards.