Protect Zip Code Article For Free

In conclusion. A cardholder's ZIP code is an identity qualifier for the credit card transaction process. ZIP codes may help to ensure that your transaction is completed securely. Without entering a valid one, your credit card could be rejected.

Alone, your ZIP code might not be of much value all by itself, but criminals will take that information and post it on underground sites where they buy, sell and trade bunches of personal information. From those sites, criminals can purchase enough of your personal information to use it for fraud.

Alone, your ZIP code might not be of much value all by itself, but criminals will take that information and post it on underground sites where they buy, sell and trade bunches of personal information. From those sites, criminals can purchase enough of your personal information to use it for fraud.

Stores want your ZIP code because, combined with your name from your credit card, they can use it to find out other information about you from commercial databases, like your full mailing address. They may even sell the information to data brokers, who sell it to other marketers.

AVS is just one of several fraud management tools business owners can use to help safeguard against credit card fraud. In some cases, a merchant may ask for your ZIP code before you have selected your method of payment. The merchant could be gathering marketing data for their sales team.

This zip code is used to not only mail bills and other information associated with your credit or debit card to your address but also in many cases as a security measure when identifying yourself to complete a transaction online or over the phone.

So why do stores do it? Call it a subversive form of marketing. When a store has both your name?usually from the credit card you're probably using?and your ZIP code, they're able to retrieve more of your personal information, like your mailing address, phone number, or records of past purchases.

Some stores request -- and some makers actively promote -- ?zip code protection?, meaning that you commit to not selling to another store within the same zip code. This can be more or less limiting, depending on the density of shops within that zip code and the size and shape of the zip code area itself.