Card Verification FAQ

Card Verification

Frequently Asked Questions

Card Verification Update

Card Verification validates your customer’s credit card, card expiry date, Card Verification Value (CVV/CVD), and customer billing information using the Address Verification Service (AVS), at the time of the transaction.

Card Verification is now available for American Express cards, in addition to Visa, Mastercard and Discover.

Here are some common questions about card verification.

Q. What are the supported card types?

A. Card Verification is supported by Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express.

Q. What is the purpose of using Card Verification?

A. Card Verification is used for fraud prevention and can be used in conjunction with other tools, such as 3-D Secure and Moneris Kount. It verifies the card with the issuing bank without authorizing funds to complete the purchase. Card Verification should be used prior to entering a card on file for future use (e.g., Moneris Vault or Managed Recurring Billing). For more information please refer to this page.

Q. Where can you go to use Card Verification?

A. Card Verification can be activated through API, Virtual Terminal within the Moneris Merchant Resource Centre, and Moneris Checkout.

Q. Do merchants have to pay to use Card Verification?

A. Card Verification is available to Moneris merchants at no cost and includes CVV and AVS checks.

Q. Does Card Verification confirm available funds?

A. Card Verification does not guarantee that funds are available on the card and does not reserve any funds on the credit card.

Q. Why should I use Card Verification to verify a card instead of Pre-Authorization?

A. Merchants are advised to use Card Verification to validate a card whenever possible, as Pre-Authorization can result in additional fees for the cardholder if not used properly. Mastercard has introduced a fee to deter merchants from validating a card’s status by authorizing a nominal amount and subsequently reversing the authorization. Mastercard defines nominal amount as equal to or less than $1.00 CAD (or an equivalent single unit of currency, if the transaction currency is not in Canadian Dollars). Follow the correct cardholder verification process and use Card Verification for any account status checks. For more information and instructions on how to perform a Card Verification, refer to this page.

Q. Does Card Verification prevent chargebacks?

A. Card Verification does not guarantee protection against fraud-related chargeback disputes, but it can help merchants identify fraudulent card use. Cardholder authentication tools, like 3-D Secure, provide protection for merchants against chargeback disputes by issuing banks.