European countries where the AVS system operates

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AVS (Address Verification System) is an address verification system used to verify the authenticity of the cardholder's data when making online payments. It helps prevent fraud by comparing the address provided by the user with the address registered with the bank.

AVS Spread in Europe​

AVS was originally developed in the US and UK, and its use is most widespread in these countries. In other European countries, AVS is less common or has been adapted to local standards. This is because many European countries use more modern payment protection methods, such as 3D Secure (Verified by Visa, Mastercard SecureCode) and EMV (chip cards).

Below is an overview of the availability and use of AVS in some European countries:

1. Great Britain​

• Status: AVS is widely used.
• Reason: The UK has historically had close ties to US payment processing systems, so AVS is widely used by banks and merchant platforms.

2. Germany​

• Status: Limited use.
• In Germany, AVS is not a standard. Instead, banks prefer to use more secure methods such as SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area), chip cards and PIN codes.

3. France​

• Status: Limited use.
• French banks rarely use AVS, as they rely on their own security systems such as Carte Bleue and 3D Secure.

4. Italy​

• Status: Limited use.
• Italian banks trust systems based on two-factor authentication more than AVS.

5. Spain​

• Status: Limited use.
• As in other Southern European countries, Spanish banks are focusing on the use of 3D Secure and EMV cards.

6. Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland)​

• Status: Limited use.
• In Scandinavia, AVS is hardly used. Local security systems such as Mobile BankID (Sweden) and NemID (Denmark) are popular here.

7. Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, etc.)​

• Status: Limited use.
• In these countries, AVS is not the standard. Banks are more likely to use chip and PIN-based systems and local authentication methods.

8. Switzerland​

• Status: Limited use.
• Swiss banks prefer their own security systems, such as the Swiss Banking Security Standards.

General trends​

• The main problem with AVS in Europe: Many European countries consider AVS to be an outdated technology, as it only checks the address and postcode, which is not always enough to prevent fraud.
• Alternatives to AVS: Most European countries have switched to more modern systems such as 3D Secure (PSD2), biometric authentication and chip cards.
• International Payments: If a European customer makes a purchase on a site located in the US or UK where AVS is mandatory, their payment may be declined if the bank does not support the system.

Conclusion​

AVS is most widely used in the UK and US, but in most of Europe its use is limited or completely replaced by more modern technologies. If you work with international payments, it is important to take these differences into account to avoid problems with transaction processing.

Answer: In Europe, AVS is only actively used in the UK. In other countries, its use is limited or replaced by modern security systems.