Merchant Direct Access Service
Visa offers merchants a service called the Merchant Direct Access Service (MDAS)
which allows merchants access to address verification service (AVS) by a
toll-free number, using a touch-tone phone. The service is specifically targeted
to small mail order / telephone order (MO/TO) or Internet merchants for whom AVS
may not be cost-effective. Merchants using MDAS are charged on a
per-transaction basis.
To use the MDAS, you need access to a touch-tone
telephone and your Merchant Access Code (MAC) which you can obtain from your
merchant account provider. To request an address verification, call the
MDAS toll-free number, 1-800-VISA-AVS (1-800-847-2287). An automated voice unit
guides you through the process of submitting a customer’s account number and
address, and gives you the results of the verification.
MDAS responses are similar to AVS, but do not include a single-letter response
code. There are currently five responses that can be obtained from the
MDAS:
- Exact Match: Street address and zip code match
- Partial Match: Street address matches, but not zip code or
zip code matches, but not street address
- No Match: Neither the street address nor zip code matches
- Retry Later: Card issuer system is not available at the present time
- Global: International address; cannot be verified
This system might be useful if you need to verify the address prior to running a
credit card transaction.




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