Visa Upgrade To Allow For Number Portability
Written by Evan SchumanVisa has in the wings its own version of number portability, in a program that will allow “consumers to carry their account numbers with them if they move up to pricier and more exclusive cards, and merchants to offer new services and benefits, such as loyalty programs, to customers,” according to this InformationWeek story. (Note that my former employer needs to look at a calendar from time to time. This July 2 story references a TJX statement from “earlier this month.” It meant “last month.” They probably just lifted it from last week’s print edition and no one on the copydesk caught it.)
The piece quoted Visa Snr. VP Jim McCarthy as saying, “This allows us to take a specific action in real time based on consumer behavior at a specific merchant and a specific location.” Calendar issues notwithstanding, it’s worth a read.
Cards issued by European banks when used online cross border don't usually support AVS checks. So, when a European card is used with a billing address that's in the US, an ecom merchant wouldn't necessarily know that the shipping zip code doesn't match the billing code.
-Marc
