TABLE OF CONTENTS
- 1 Can you Verify a Credit card Without Charging it?
- 2 Why Validate a Credit Card Without Charging It?
- 3 Using Visa’s AVN Service to Verify a Card Without a Charge
- 4 How Mastercard, Discover, and Amex Support No-Charge Card Verification
- 6 Final Thoughts on Verifying Cards Without Billing Customers
- 7 Best Practices for Verifying Credit Cards Without Charging
Can you Verify a Credit card Without Charging it?
You can prevent fraud and confirm payment details before a transaction by verifying a customer’s credit card without processing a charge.”
However, it depends on the type of card you’re trying to verify. Visa supports this through a dedicated system designed specifically for zero-dollar verification. Mastercard, Discover, and American Express, on the other hand, do not offer a direct equivalent—though there are still alternative methods available.
Why Validate a Credit Card Without Charging It?
Using Visa’s AVN Service to Verify a Card Without a Charge
Visa offers a dedicated verification tool called the Account Number Verification (AVN) service , often referred to as the “Zero Dollar Verification Service.” This system allows you to verify the card number, billing address using the Address Verification Service (AVS), and the Card Verification Value (CVV) code. However, it cannot determine if future transactions will be approved. That still depends on the available funds in the customer’s account.
To use the service, simply run a $0.00 authorization on your physical terminal or through your online gateway’s virtual terminal. If the card details are valid, you’ll receive an approval response. When using a virtual terminal, you’ll also receive AVS and CVV match responses to confirm whether the address and security code align with the cardholder’s data.
It’s worth noting that the cardholder will still see a $0.00 transaction on their statement, but the bank typically removes it within 24 to 48 hours.
| Visa charges an assessment for using this service on a per transaction basis. | |
| Zero Dollar Verification Fee Credit | $0.035 |
| Zero Dollar Verification Fee Debit | $0.030 |
| Zero Dollar Verification Fee International | $0.070 |
How Mastercard, Discover, and Amex Support No-Charge Card Verification
Unfortunately, at this time the other card brands do not support Zero Dollar Verification. However, you can still verify card information with a very small charge, even as low as a single penny $0.01.
Once you run that charge, you can immediately void it, and although it will show as a pending sale on your customer’s bank or credit card account, the bank will release the hold after 24–48 hours.
Final Thoughts on Verifying Cards Without Billing Customers
– They don’t recognize the charge.
Even with Visa’s service, there is a high likelihood that your customer will see a charge on their account for $0.00 and not recognize it. While a payment is pending, the description does not usually identify your business name and the customer will not know where the charge came from. In the case of Visa, the descriptor will say “Visa Provisioning Service $0 Charge” or something similar.
The good news is that the customer cannot initiate a dispute on an authorized charge and would need to wait for the charge to settle.
– They customer does not want their funds to be on hold.
When you process a sale on a credit or debit card, two things happen: an authorization to put the funds on hold, and a settlement that captures the funds at the end of the business day.
Even if you void the sale after the authorization, the customer’s funds will still be placed on hold by their bank. The bank that issues the credit or debit card determines how long to hold funds pending settlement.
Typically, these authorizations expire after 24–48 hours, and the funds are made available to the customer. However, some banks may take longer depending on their policies, and customers may see these pending holds even though no charge was finalized.
Best Practices for Verifying Credit Cards Without Charging
Visa offers a verification tool called the Account Number Verification (AVN) Service. It’s often referred to as the “Zero Dollar Verification Service.” This tool allows merchants to verify the card number, billing address (AVS), and CVV—without placing a charge on the customer’s account.
To use this feature, you simply run a $0.00 authorization through your physical terminal or virtual gateway. If the card details are correct, you’ll receive an approval response. Virtual terminal users will also receive CVV and AVS match results. These confirm whether the billing address and security code match the cardholder’s information.
Cardholders may see a $0.00 transaction appear temporarily on their account. This usually disappears within 24 to 48 hours and is commonly labeled as “Visa Provisioning Service $0 Charge.”
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