Visa's Layers of Security Help to Protect Your Business and Customers

Visa has developed several layers of fraud prevention and detection systems and programs, so that you'll have multiple checkpoints and layers of security to help protect your business and make transactions more secure. Visa's Layers of Security complement

Visa's Layers of Security work together to make doing business safer for you and your customers.

Layer #1 – Chip & PIN

Visa Cards are now being issued with chip in Canada. The micro computer chip securely stores encrypted information to complete transactions. Canadian issuers and merchants are also using Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) for cardholder authentication when chip cards are used in Canada. Chip cards, which make counterfeiting virtually impossible, will help deliver even greater security to Visa payment cards in Canada.
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Layer #2 – Verified by Visa®

The Verified by Visa (VbV) program is a world-wide Visa service that confirms a cardholder's authenticity in real time, helping to protect merchants from fraudulent transactions and chargebacks, while protecting cardholders from the unauthorized use of their Visa card. Other valuable fraud prevention tools such as Three-digit code (CVV2) and Address Verification Service (AVS) complement CVV2 and should be continued to help prevent fraudulent transactions.
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Layer #3 – Three-digit Code (CVV2)

The Three-digit Code, or CVV2, is a security code on all Visa cards that helps you ensure that customers making a purchase over the phone or online have a genuine Visa card in hand.
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Layer #4 – Address Verification Service (AVS)

When fraudsters try to order online, by mail or by phone, AVS can help stop them in their tracks. Account number information obtained from a receipt or a stolen card will not have the address or postal code. AVS protects you and your customers by checking a cardholder's billing address and/or postal code against the card issuer's records in real-time, so you can make the decision to stop or complete the transaction.
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Layer #5 – Visa Advanced Authorization (VAA)

Now available through most card issuers, VAA lets you immediately identify and respond to emerging fraud patterns and trends. As transactions are processed through VisaNet® Advanced Authorization, VAA evaluates the authorization request data in real time, and assesses and assigns a risk rating, so you're better prepared to identify potential fraud.
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Fighting fraud in every transaction

While many transactions still take place face-to-face, an increasing amount of purchases are made online, over the phone, or through the mail – where no card is present.

Visa's Layers of Security are working for your business:

Online

Verified by Visa, the Visa Three-digit code and AVS offers you added protection against fraudulent transactions and chargebacks for online sales.

Telephone Order

The Visa Three-digit code and AVS are added security for accepting payment over the phone.

Mail Order

The Visa Three-digit code and AVS are added security to help you make the decision to complete a transaction.

Visa's Layers of Security at work

On transactions where both the Three-digit-code (CVV2) and AVS were used, and the response code was ‘No Match,' the transactions were 15 times more likely to be fraudulent than when a ‘Match' response was received for both the Three-digit-code and AVS*

*Source: Visa USA

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