Address Verification Service (AVS)

iMIS SOA can perform real-time address verification using web services hosted by ASI. There are several benefits to this:

  • Running this verification through the ASI web service frees you from having to install and maintain these data files locally.
  • Offloading verification to this service keeps it from adding to the processing load of your page.
  • The services of different address providers can co-exist, making it possible to verify addresses across multiple countries.
  • The service can support future verification of collections of addresses as well as single ones.
  • Postal addresses entered in the Contact Account Creator and Contact Address Editor content items automatically upload to this service that verifies and standardizes the address. Users can then either accept the suggested address or keep the original as it was entered.
    • When users select United Kingdom from the Country drop-down in either of these content items, a Postal lookup field appears, allowing users to search for an address using a postal code. Users can then select the correct address from a list of returned addresses generated by the iMIS address verification service.

      • Note: The Contact Account Creator content item must be configured to include Multiple lines for street address in order for UK addresses to properly appear.

The countries supported by this service are subject to change. Currently, AVS supports the following countries:

  • United States
  • Canada
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • United Kingdom

Troubleshooting address verification results:

United States addresses:

  • USPS PO Boxes often have dedicated zip codes. In these cases, iMIS may return the address as a 9-digit zip code and eliminate the PO Box line.
    • Entered address Address AVS returns
    PO BOX 537007
    Sacramento, CA 95853    		 Sacramento, CA 95853-7007
  • However, private PO Boxes in the US do not have their own zip code. For example, PO Boxes at a UPS store.

Canadian and United Kingdom addresses:

  • For Canadian addresses, it is important to note that the mailing address and the physical address are not the same thing. The AVS only verifies postal addresses (for example, PO Boxes), but not physical addresses (for example, suite numbers). The address that is validated is the address the post office has told you to use.
  • It is important to include the PO Box when there is one.
  • The AVS is only going to accept proper postal addresses recognized by the post office.