Finding out which bank handles a customer's credit card?

How do I manually check address?

[CernyM]

I'm a US based ecommerce vendor selling tangible goods. Fraud has not been a significant problem for us.

However, we're doing more and more business in Canada and finding that a lot of credit cards there cannot provide AVS information to authorize.net (code S results).

I used to reject any orders that couldn't provide AVS outright, until I realized that you can manually check the AVS data by calling the cardholders provider bank. The thing I don't know is, is there anyway to figure out which bank handles the card just from the number?

[RedWolf]

You should be able to call your merchant account provider and they can look up the finacial institution information based on the first six didgets of the cards. This is how I did it all the time before I got AVS. I still use it some when I get an order that is supecious, because I can verify the full address information instead of just the numerics. Also I can verify if the phone number they gave me is listed with the bank and then call if I have further questions.

[nancyb]

many merchant accounts have a number to pick from their automated list which will give you the issuing bank phone number and most of them are 800 numbers.

I have yet to call an issuing bank that would not veirfy the name, address and phone number plus, they will verify an alternative shipping address if they have it on file.

[RedWolf]

Actually Wells Fargo refuses to verify addresses for their debit cards. They claim they are protecting their clients confidential information. I always told them, yep, and assuring them that they cannot order from me. I would then send the customer a polite email telling them that their bank refused to assist in protecting them from fraudulent use of their card. Since I could not verify the order information I had to protect them by canceling the order. They could resubmit the order using a different institutions card if they wished. Over 75% of the time I got a differnent card that was verified. Needless to say, I also moved all my personal and business accounts to a different bank myself.

[nancyb]

I remember hearing something a few yearo ago about Wells Fargo being difficult to deal with. I would do the same as RedWolf does if I ever got a card from Wells.

Silly concept of fraud prevention and certainly not a company I would want my card with!