When entering addresses in PaymentWorks, all address information is verified through a third-party tool called SmartyStreets, which checks the input against the official United States Postal Service (USPS) database of legal mailing addresses. This process ensures that addresses are correctly formatted for postal service standards.
Why Was My Address Marked as Invalid?
If your address was flagged as invalid or your registration form was returned with an "Unable to Validate Address" or "Invalid Address" message, this does not necessarily mean that your address is incorrect. Common reasons for this include:
- Typos: Misspellings in the address fields.
- Formatting Issues: Address formatting does not match USPS standards.
- Database Limitations: Some valid addresses may not appear in the postal service database.
How to Validate and Update Your Address
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Verify Your Address:
- Use SmartyStreets’ Single Address Validation Tool to verify your address formatting: SmartyStreets Address Validation.
- This free third-party service will help identify where your address may need adjustments for postal database recognition.
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Standardized Address Pop-Up:
- When adding or editing an address in PaymentWorks, you may see a pop-up notification suggesting a standardized postal address based on SmartyStreets validation.
- To use the validated address, click the green "Use Standardized Address" button. Selecting this ensures your address is marked as "valid" in the system and helps prevent validation issues.
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Update Your Address in PaymentWorks:
- Refer to our help article: How to Update the Remittance and/or Corporate Address.
- Ensure any corrections from SmartyStreets are applied before resubmitting your registration form.
Important Note
Even if SmartyStreets or USPS cannot validate your address, it may still be accurate and usable. If you have confirmed your address is correct and the validation issue persists, we recommend submitting your registration and discussing with your Customer if they have any questions.