AVS Response Codes
Address Verification Service (AVS) is an additional fraud prevention check that compares the billing address provided by the cardholder with the billing address on file with the issuing bank. Each authorization returns an AVS response code indicating whether the address and postal code matched.
By default, AVS is enabled on all Coinflow merchant accounts. When enabled, Coinflow will automatically evaluate the AVS response as part of authorization. Transactions with a full or partial address match are allowed to proceed, while transactions that fail AVS validation may be declined based on Coinflow’s fraud rules.
If you would like to implement your own AVS decisioning logic, Coinflow can disable AVS enforcement on your merchant account. When AVS enforcement is disabled, Coinflow will return the issuer’s AVS response code without making an approval decision based on it. You can retrieve the AVS response from the avsResponseCode field in the enhanced transaction response returned by the Get Enhanced Transaction Information endpoint and determine how your application should handle each response.
The table below describes each possible AVS response code and its meaning.
| AVS Code | Meaning | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| A | Address matches, ZIP/postal code does not | Partial match |
| B | Address matches, ZIP not verified | Partial match (international/issuer-specific) |
| C | Address and ZIP not verified | Verification unavailable/international |
| D | Address and ZIP match | Full match (international) |
| E | AVS error | Processing/system error |
| G | Non-U.S. issuing bank does not support AVS | AVS unavailable |
| I | Address not verified | International/issuer-specific response |
| M | Address and ZIP match | Full match (international) |
| N | Neither address nor ZIP match | No match |
| O | Address matches, ZIP not verified | Partial match (issuer-specific) |
| P | ZIP matches, address not verified | Partial match |
| R | System unavailable; retry | Retry recommended |
| S | AVS not supported by issuer | AVS unavailable |
| U | Address information unavailable | AVS unavailable |
| W | ZIP matches, address does not | Partial match |
| X | Exact match (address and 9-digit ZIP) | Full match |
| Y | Address and 5-digit ZIP match | Full match |
| Z | ZIP matches, address does not | Partial match |
Practical Grouping
| Category | Codes |
|---|---|
| Full Match | D, M, X, Y |
| Partial Match | A, B, O, P, W, Z |
| No Match | N |
| Retry / System Error | E, R |
| Not Supported / Unavailable | C, G, I, S, U |
Notes
- Y is the most common “good” AVS response in the U.S. (street address + 5-digit ZIP match).
- X indicates an even stronger match using the full 9-digit ZIP+4.
- D and M are primarily used for international transactions.
- R generally indicates a temporary issuer or network issue and may succeed if retried.
- G, S, and U usually do not indicate fraud—they indicate AVS could not be performed.
- Many fraud engines treat A, Z, W, and P as acceptable depending on merchant risk tolerance, since partial matches are common due to customer entry mistakes or issuer data differences.