# Mastercard Account Validation
source: https://developer.mastercard.com/account-validation/documentation/index.md

## Overview {#overview}

The Mastercard Account Validation API service enables Mastercard customers to check that the supplied name(s) and, optionally, Card Verification Code (CVC or CVV) for an account match the account records held by the card issuer. Mastercard can route validation requests to Mastercard or Visa issuers, depending on the account type and region (see note). The API response will provide status values indicating the matching results from the issuer.

![Overview flow](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/account-validation/documentation/images/av-overview.png)

Name validation helps protect cardholders and secure the end-to-end ecosystem from growing account takeover fraud and scams by providing greater assurance that funds are being sent to or collected from the intended person. This service indicates whether an account is open and valid, and can help validate name information provided by merchants and consumers in different [scenarios](https://developer.mastercard.com/account-validation/documentation/use-cases/index.md), for example:

* Prior to initiating a financial transaction to or from a card
* When a new card is added to a funds transfer app or solution
* When a consumer's account details are changed in a funds transfer app or solution

See [the product page](https://developer.mastercard.com/product/mastercard-account-validation/) for marketing and case study details.
Note: This optional service is currently for Mastercard Send customers, to help enhance Mastercard Send transfer solutions. Additional fees might apply for using this service, as set forth in the *Mastercard Consolidated Billing System* manual generated by the Pricing Guide tool in the Pricing and Billing Resource Center on [Mastercard Connect](https://www.mastercardconnect.com/) or otherwise communicated by Mastercard to the Program Participant.

Connectivity to Visa is available in selected markets.

## How It Works {#how-it-works}

You (as an Originating Institution or Transaction Initiator) make an **Account Validation** API call (POST request) for each card account, supplying the account name(s) and (optionally) CVC/CVV. For example, you could make an API call when a card account is first captured (e.g. during consumer registration or when added to your app) or prior to submitting a funding/payment request, as shown below (step 2).

Person-to-person (P2P) payment example:

![How the API calls work](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/account-validation/documentation/images/av-how-it-works.png)

*\* When checking a receiving card account, the card issuer and Receiving Institution are the same entity.*

Mastercard uses a non-financial request to validate the supplied account details with the card issuer. The issuer's response codes are translated into status values that are provided to you in the API response (step 5), which you can use to determine app functionality (e.g. whether to proceed with the transfer flow).

This service might be unable to validate account names with card issuers when:

* The Receive Network has not enabled issuer name validation
* The issuer cannot or does not provide a response

Effective 3 June 2025, issuers in the Canada and United States regions are required to support cardholder name validation functionality by responding to Name Validation Service (NVS) request messages.

### API requests {#api-requests}

The service can validate Mastercard and Visa card accounts. We recommend you submit as much account information as possible in your API request, because additional detail improves the accuracy of the service. In particular:

* Account: The card account number (PAN) or tokenized PAN is required. For non-tokenized PANs, the expiration date is optional. As an extra security measure, we recommend providing the expiration date and CVC/CVV when available.

* Merchant Verification Value (MVV): If the API request is for a Visa token (tokenized PAN), you must provide the Visa-provided MVV.

* Name: Provide all parts of the supplied name where possible.

For further guidance, see the [API Reference](https://developer.mastercard.com/account-validation/documentation/api-reference/index.md) and [Code and Formats](https://developer.mastercard.com/account-validation/documentation/code-and-formats/index.md).

### API responses {#api-responses}

The API response will include `status` values in `nameValidationResults` and `cvcValidationResults` (if CVC/CVV checked), which indicate the matching results from the issuer. See [Status Values](https://developer.mastercard.com/account-validation/documentation/code-and-formats/index.md).
Note: A successful response from the Account Validation API service does not guarantee that an issuer will approve a funding or payment transaction. Other factors, such as transaction limits and the issuer's compliance and fraud checks, may cause it to decline a transaction.

### Additional resources {#additional-resources}

* **Customer Portal** ---The Mastercard Move: Send Customer Portal is a near real‑time, self‑service tool to search transactions and download reconciliation reports for your Mastercard Send activity. You can look up financial and non‑financial transactions using multiple search filters, export results, and view transaction details and API payloads. The portal enables you to research and validate transactions quickly, helping you assist your consumers without needing Mastercard Support. See [Customer Portal](https://developer.mastercard.com/mastercard-send/documentation/customer-site/).

  Note: The Customer Portal is available only to Mastercard Send customers.

  <br />

* **API changes and announcements** ---We provide advance notice of changes to the APIs. There may also be Mastercard announcements that impact Mastercard Send API customers. See [Release History](https://developer.mastercard.com/account-validation/documentation/release-history/index.md).

## Getting Started {#getting-started}

### Before you start {#before-you-start}

* **Sandbox**---This service has a Sandbox environment with mock APIs, enabling you to try the APIs quickly before registering as a Program Participant.

* **Registration** ---To use the full service, you must become a Mastercard Send Program Participant, which involves registering for the required programs and services (including the Account Validation service) and meeting program eligibility requirements; see [Mastercard Send Registration and Eligibility](https://developer.mastercard.com/mastercard-send/documentation/send-eligibility/). You will not be able to use the Account Validation API in the Mastercard Test Facility (MTF) or Production environments until your organization is approved as a Mastercard Send Program Participant and has onboarded to, and been set up for, this service.

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* **Region availability** ---This API is available in limited markets, contact your Mastercard representative for regional availability. [Contact us](mailto:digital.support@mastercard.com) for pricing information.

### Good to know {#good-to-know}

* The Account Validation service is an additional service that is meant to be used with the main Mastercard Send [Person-to-Person](https://developer.mastercard.com/mastercard-send-person-to-person/documentation/), [Disbursements](https://developer.mastercard.com/mastercard-send-disbursements/documentation/), and/or [Funding](https://developer.mastercard.com/mastercard-send-funding/documentation/) services to enhance the funds transfer flow. You are likely to integrate and test with this service at the same time as the main funding/payment service. You access this service using the **Mastercard Account Validation** API service (shown below), which is different from the main funding/payment service. However, if you add this API service to the same Mastercard Developers project as the main funding/payment service, you can use the **same** project and authentication keys for the services.

  ![Mastercard Account Validation API service selection](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/account-validation/documentation/images/select-api-mav.png)

  If you choose to implement the Account Validation service after launching your solution with the main services, you will need to ask your Mastercard representative or Account Manager to subscribe you to this service and initiate a new CIS implementation project.

  If you intend to use multiple Mastercard API services, such as Mastercard Send and Mastercard Cross-Border Services, you can add them to the same Mastercard Developers project and use the same keys and credentials to access the APIs. [Follow this guidance](https://developer.mastercard.com/mastercard-send/documentation/implementation/getting-started/#adding-a-new-service-to-an-existing-project).
* When you have registered for this service and are ready to use the MTF environment, you must copy the Sandbox Consumer Key shown on your project page's Sandbox credentials panel (masked example shown below) and provide it to your Mastercard Delivery Manager (assigned to you during onboarding), identifying your project and that the key is for the MTF environment. It can take 5-7 business days for Mastercard to configure the MTF environment for your keys. Mastercard will notify you when you can start making API calls to that environment.

  ![Example consumer key](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/account-validation/documentation/images/new-consumer-key.png)

  You must also do this for your Production Consumer Key when you have requested Production access for your project (by clicking **Request Production Access** in your project page).
* When you register as a Mastercard Send Program Participant, you will be given a unique Partner Reference ID. Use this for the `Partner-Id` header value for the MTF and Production API calls.

* If your solution will also use the Mastercard Send [Account Information Service](https://developer.mastercard.com/mastercard-send-account-info/documentation/), to check sending/receiving eligibility, we recommend making the Account Information API call before the Account Validation API call.

## Next Steps {#next-steps}

Start with [API Basics](https://developer.mastercard.com/account-validation/documentation/api-basics/index.md) for information about API security and keys, how to use the APIs, and the different API environments that are available. Then set up a project and try the Sandbox APIs. For additional guidance, see [Tutorials and Guides](https://developer.mastercard.com/account-validation/documentation/tutorials-and-guides/index.md).

For examples of how the API service could be used, see [Use Cases](https://developer.mastercard.com/account-validation/documentation/use-cases/index.md).

Your Mastercard representative can provide more information about this service. [Don't have a Mastercard representative?](https://developer.mastercard.com/account-validation/documentation/support/index.md)