Does Billing Address Name Have To Match Credit Card? (Answered Plus The Solution)

Billing Address Name Have To Match Credit Card

Absolutely, yes! Your billing address must match with the one that appears on your credit card statements for credit card verification. If that’s not the case, your payment may not be processed fully. However, your shipping address doesn’t need to match your billing address or credit card.

Key Takeaways

  • Merchants use Address Verification System (AVS) to check if customers’ billing addresses match their bank files
  • A billing address is associated with either a credit card or a debit card payment
  • Merchants use the billing address to verify the payment
  • The billing address must match what your card–issuing bank has on their file, or the purchases will not go through
  • If you provide a wrong billing address then the merchant will cancel the order

What’s A Billing Address?

What's A Billing Address?

A billing address is connected to a certain type of payment, a credit or debit card. For example, when you apply for a credit card online or at the issuer’s place, the address you include on the application will become your billing address.

Companies use your billing address to verify the authorized use of the credit/debit card. Also, companies send the bank statements and paper bills to the said addresses.

The billing address must match what your card–issuing bank has on their file, or the purchases will not go through. As a cardholder, it’s advisable to change your billing address whenever you move to your current address.

Does My Billing Address Have To Match My Credit Card?

Yes, your billing address needs to match with the credit card for you to prove you’re supposed to be using that particular card. Merchants normally use AVS to confirm billing addresses to match what they have on their bank file. If it matches, they’ll approve purchases and the payment processed. 

What Happens If You Enter The Wrong Billing Address?

In general, if you enter the wrong billing address online, they will cancel the order. But, first, the merchant will mostly display the error message enabling you to re-enter the information. If you correct the error assuming the other information is good, your order will be processed.

Sometimes if you enter the incorrect billing address while placing an order online, it will direct you to re-enter the correct details or contact your customer service.

Some merchants will allow the transaction to go through and later email you that it fails to process. In contrast, other merchants may cancel the order and make you start all over again. So, you’ll need to create and submit a new order with the correct billing details.

What happens largely depends on merchants’ security procedures. The most secure checks are the priciest services. 

If retailers don’t want to pay for safety certification such as AVS, they might not notice the billing address error. Meaning you receive the ordered item.

Businesses must consider the advantages of stamping out the fraud against genuine people who make a slight typo and stop making purchases.

Merchants can accept the order and forward it to their fraud department for review manually. Usually, it happens behind the scenes, and customers never notice it, but there might be a delay.

Fixing The “Address Did Not Match” Error Successfully

Whenever you receive an “Address did not match” error while adding your visa or MasterCard debit/credit card, it means the information you’ve input isn’t verifying correctly with your credit card issuers. Likely the merchant will display the error message directing you to fix it by re-entering the correct details. 

To Fix This Error

1. You need to confirm that there’re no misspellings or missing characters in your name and the address you’ve just entered. Plus, the account number indicated is correct.

2. Be sure the billing address you’re putting is similar to the one on your files with your card issuer. If you recently moved and updated card details, use the current address; otherwise, stick to the previous one.

3. Enter the street address on line 1 only. If your address has an apartment number, don’t add your apartment number to line 1.

4. You can verify the exact spelling of your address or name on file by contacting your credit card customer service.

5. For an address on a numbered street, you can spell out the name of your street. e.g., enter “123 5th St.” as “123 fifth St.”

6. If you still receive the “address did not match” error at this point, kindly contact your service support.

How To Check The Billing Address For Your Credit Card?

Sometimes you may not know what you’ve put as your billing address when applying for the card. But, you don’t need to worry, there’re some ways you can find it.

1. First, your physical address is your billing address if you get your credit card statements via mail. To confirm the same, check your payment stub version bill.

2. Some credit card holders have opted for paperless billing. If that is your case, access your bank’s / issuer online portal and check your details. If your credit card issuer has virtual assistants, it will guide you to the right place.

3. Alternatively, you can find the billing address on the electronic statements you are getting from your bank/card issuer.

Call your card issuer’s customer support if all fails. Some banks will send you the automated voice system when you’re calling the bank. Other times you may have to speak to a bank representative.

How Can I Change Your Billing Address?

The billing address on your credit card application is not permanent, but so long as you’ve not changed, it will always remain to be so. However, moving to another location means you’ll need to update your details to match your current address. You can use the same tools we have recommended for finding it like;

Using Your Credit Card Issuer’s App Or Website: Online system is the easiest way to change your billing address and takes only a few minutes. Log in to your online account and edit your old address into the current in your profile.

Update Your Address Through Mail: Write your new address on the back of your payment coupon, which often includes the space for address changes if used to mail your credit payments. You will find a box to indicate that you’re changing your address on the front side of your coupon.

Call Customer Support: Normally, there’s a call number for customer services on the back of your credit card; you can call and speak to them requesting the change in your mailing address.

Go To The Card Issuers’ Office In Person And Change The Address:  Some credit issuers will allow you to visit their offices. So, you can go to an office nearby and speak to their representative to update your billing address for you.

It doesn’t matter which method you choose to update your address; make sure you do so if there’re some changes. It’s good to update the changes to avoid missing any bank or other financial institutions’ documents. This way, you ensure that nobody gets your financial details or falls into the wrong hands.

Billing Address VS Shipping Address

Typically, your billing address is connected to your payment method. In comparison, the shipping address is where you’ll send your order. The billing and shipping address might be the same, but not always.

There are many reasons why shipping and billing addresses are different like

1. The order placed is a gift. Some customers prefer their orders to be shipped directly to that particular person’s address being gifted. So, the person at the billing address will be different from the one at the shipping address.

2. Your proper mailing address is formatted differently from the one on your file with credit card issuers. Often a small difference like “unit” rather than “apartment.”

3. If you are an authorized operator of someone else’s credit card account, the shipping address might be different from their billing address or similar.

Can You Use A P.O. Box As Your Billing Address?

Generally, banks don’t accept P.O. boxes for the billing addresses since they want to verify that the cardholder has their physical address.

However, many online merchants will accept the P.O boxes billing addresses or ones entered in a specific way. They don’t want to pay more for security programs such as AVS.

Nonetheless, you can request your banks to send your statements plus other mails to a P.O. Box. But, under federal regulations, banks must put in place policies to identify their clients and verify physical addresses.

For people who stay in historic districts or isolated areas without mailboxes, this may be tough. In such cases, they may need to sign up for a P.O. Box at a private company like UPS because they give a street address.

Final Thoughts!

Credit card billing address is used to protect your account from potential fraud and prevent identity theft. It’s a great idea for you to know how to check and update any changes to your billing address to avoid missing important documents from your card issuer. Otherwise, change your billing address when necessary and “fix the address error” to avoid payment issues. 

References:

1. https://techwithtech.com/name-on-credit-card-has-to-match-billing-address/
2. https://www.yourhop.com/2021/07/does-billing-address-name-have-to-match.html

Last Updated on October 18, 2022 by Magalie D.

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