Online shopping on the sites of foreign stores is becoming increasingly popular. This is quite convenient and profitable, but the ordering system is somewhat different from the usual Russian customer. For example, a Billing Address is almost always requested. What it is?
What you need to make sure before making a purchase
It is worth noting that before choosing products on the site, you need to make sure whether payment is possible here on a bank of Russia card. Usually this information is indicated directly on the website in the sections “Help”, “FAQ” (frequently asked questions), “Personal finance” (personal payment) or subsections with the names “Payment Methods” (payment methods), “Credit Cards” (credit cards). If you did not find this option on the resource itself, then on the Internet you will certainly find a blog of this portal or just a forum with this topic, where you can consult with more experienced customers. It is worth noting that today such an opportunity is almost always present, as the creators of stores are interested in making profit from more countries.
If you found the coveted phrase: International credit cards are accepted on the website of the store you need, then feel free to proceed to checkout. And here, pay attention to the lines of Shipping Address and Billing Address. What it is? And what is the difference between the two? This must be understood first.
The difference between address types
Translated literally, Billing Address is a "billing address." That is the one that you reported when registering your bank card. It is on him that you receive letters from the bank. But if you forgot it, then do not hesitate to clarify this information with a bank employee.
The system for checking this address is actively used in the USA. It allows you to confirm the identity of the buyer. And it is possible that when filling out the appropriate form you will not find Russia. Then write any other country. Often for foreign buyers this is just a formality. Although, of course, it is better to play it safe. The seller can also clarify your address manually, by contacting you at the specified phone number or by e-mail.
Now it’s worth learning more about the shipping address. This is directly the delivery address. It may differ from those details that you indicated as “payment”. It depends on where and to whom you deliver this package. Check if the store delivers to the Russian Federation. Enter the address carefully, exclusively in English. If you specify it in Russian, an error is not excluded during sending.
In the event that delivery to Russia is not carried out, you can use the services of LiteMF. You contact an intermediary in America who will send you the package. Then in the line Shipping Address you will need to indicate its address. You will find all the necessary information in your account on the website. It is worth adding that delivery through an intermediary, as a rule, is cheaper, strangely enough it sounds. Although already almost all foreign sites can be sent to Russian citizens. You can often find even more than one delivery option, which will differ in time and cost.
Be attentive to the site policy. On some foreign resources, if the two addresses above coincide or, on the contrary, do not coincide, the order will be automatically canceled. Then an e-mail message will come asking you to contact their support team. But don’t worry, your money will not be lost in any case, the account on the site will be unlocked.
Read all the information you need in advance. She is always registered. It is better to immediately know what the sellers of the store require of you than to carry out additional operations to unlock your money or return the goods.
Foreign banks check Billing Address: what is it?
As noted above, Billing Address translates to "billing address." This concept came to us from foreign banking systems. This is the address of the cardholder with whom the purchase is supposed to be paid. To these details, statements from his accounts are received. In the column "billing address" the client indicates his address of residence. It is used in additional checks and reduces the risk of fraud.
This card attribute is widely used in the banking system of the United States and European countries, but it is not in Russian banks. Despite the fact that the cards of a Russian bank do not have a billing address, stores abroad continue to accept them as payment details. How is the verification of this payment system?
How to do a billing address check
What it is? Foreign banks have introduced a system called Address Verification Service (AVS). It is intended for automatic verification of compliance of the Billing Address entered in the online store with the real place of residence of the owner of the electronic card. Due to the lack of the specified details in Russian banks, automatic reconciliation of AVS is not possible for Russian citizens.
There are three options for verifying a transaction using a Russian card:
- Skip a transaction, although checking for a Billing Address is not possible.
- Carrying out additional actions of non-automatic verification.
- Transaction rejection.
These options need to be considered in more detail.
Transaction completed
Foreign stores have extensive experience selling goods abroad and are familiar with the differences in bank payment systems in the United States and other countries. If they reject all purchase requests from foreign citizens who do not have a Billing Address, then this will not slow down their income. For such citizens, automatic reconciliation is not carried out, but the data of the billing address is stored in an electronic database in case of additional verification.
additional verification
The seller has the opportunity to manually verify all entered data before conducting a transaction. There are only two methods of manual verification:
- Please send a scan of a paid invoice, scan of a passport or other document that can confirm your billing address (in English).
- Request to your bank for the correspondence of the data entered by you in the Billing Address with the address that is in your bank details. Due to the fact that your bank card does not have a “billing address”, the only thing that remains for the employees of your bank to do is to verify the information received with the information you provided on the card’s personal data (for example, address of residence or registration).
When a transaction is not possible
If the foreign store does not get the opportunity to verify the billing address, then the transaction is impossible. All attempts to get through it will be rejected. There are very few such stores abroad, but they are.
What to enter in Billing Address
When paying for goods in most stores located abroad, filling in the Billing Address field, you can enter any address in English. There is a high probability that this data will pass anyway. To eliminate problems associated with additional checks by the seller, enter your valid address in the corresponding field. This may be the place of your registration or your permanent residence.
How to fill this line?
As mentioned above, on a foreign site, the Billing Address field of the payment address is filled in only in Latin font. Translation of words into English is not required (not only street names, but also such words as "avenue", "lane" and so on) are meant. The name of the street is indicated at the beginning of the line, then the number of the house, building and apartment number. A sample fill in this field might look like this: ul. Sovetskaya 140-32. At the same time, it is highly recommended not to specify non-existent addresses (for the reasons stated above).