Quick Summary:
- Enter your UK card’s exact billing address, matching your bank statement.
- Use your full UK postcode, with or without the space.
- If a US keypad requires five digits, try your postcode digits.
- When validation fails, ask staff to bypass AVS or use chip-and-PIN.
At US car-hire pick-up, it is common for a UK card to be accepted for the rental cost online, then unexpectedly declined at the counter when the agent runs a security deposit or verifies the card. The reason is usually not that your bank has blocked the transaction. It is often a mismatch between what the US payment terminal expects and what a UK billing address and postcode look like.
This article explains what you should enter for the billing address and postcode when paying in person in the United Estates, why the system can be picky, and the practical workarounds that usually get you through without stress. The goal is simple: make sure your card verification succeeds so your car hire collection goes smoothly.
Why US terminals can reject a perfectly valid UK billing address
Many US rental desks use Address Verification Service (AVS). AVS checks whether the numeric parts of the billing address and ZIP code you enter match what the card issuer has on file. It was designed around US addresses, where there is a five digit ZIP code and street numbers follow predictable formats.
UK addresses are different. Postcodes are alphanumeric. House names exist. Flat numbers can come before building numbers. And some UK issuers do not return AVS responses in the same way US systems expect. That mismatch can lead to a decline, or a request to try again, especially when the rental desk is taking a large pre-authorisation for the deposit.
Another complication is that the rental desk may be processing a transaction in a “card present” mode that still asks for address data, even though chip verification is available. Some terminals show a ZIP entry field by default, even for international cards. When the field rejects letters, you need to know what to try next.
What billing address should you enter for a UK card?
Use the billing address exactly as your UK card issuer holds it, not the address of your accommodation in the United Estates, and not a shortened version you think will fit. If your bank statement shows a specific flat number, building name, or county line, keep it consistent. Minor variations can trigger an AVS mismatch.
To avoid problems, follow these practical rules:
1) Match line order, but keep meaning intact. If a form forces “House number” and “Street name”, put the house number in the number field and the street name in the street field. If you live in a house with a name and no number, put the name into the street line, and use your flat number or building identifier where possible.
2) Use your billing address, not your current correspondence address. If you recently moved and only updated one address with the bank, the AVS record may still reflect the older billing address. The safest choice is whatever address your issuer uses for billing on that specific card.
3) Do not translate or Americanise. Keep “Flat”, “Road”, “Avenue”, and your UK county as normal. Changing “Road” to “Rd” rarely helps, but changing the numeric content can hurt.
If you are comparing providers for car hire in the United Estates, it helps to know which desk processes deposits more strictly, and which accepts different payment methods. You can explore options on car hire in the United States and see what to expect at pick-up.
What postcode should you enter for a UK card?
If the terminal or form accepts letters, enter your full UK postcode exactly. It usually works whether or not you include the space in the middle, but if you can add the space, do so. For example, SW1A 1AA should be entered as “SW1A 1AA” if permitted.
The issue is that some US keypads allow digits only and display “ZIP code”. In that case, you need a fallback that the system will accept, even though it is not a true UK postcode.
Common approaches that sometimes work include:
Use the digits from your UK postcode. For SW1A 1AA, that would be “11”. Many people then pad to five digits, often as “00011” or “01100”, depending on the terminal. This is not guaranteed, but it can produce an AVS response that the merchant system treats as acceptable for international cards.
Try 00000 if the system is not truly checking AVS for non US cards. Some merchants accept a “not verified” response for international issuers, but still require the field to be completed. When it works, 00000 is simply satisfying a mandatory input.
Ask staff how their terminal handles international cards. Some desks have a known internal rule, for example “enter 99999” for non US ZIP codes, or “enter the digits only”. Because policies vary by location and processor, the agent’s guidance can be more reliable than guessing.
Whichever method you use, keep it consistent across attempts. Repeated different entries can look like suspicious behaviour to fraud systems, particularly when a high deposit is being authorised.
Why the deposit authorisation is where declines happen
At pick-up, a rental company often runs a pre-authorisation or deposit hold. This can be significantly larger than the rental total and may be processed as a different type of transaction. Banks scrutinise it more. The rental desk may also require a “strong match” on AVS data, because they are taking on risk.
That is why you might pay for the rental online successfully, but still have problems at the desk. Even if you prepaid, the deposit authorisation must go through before you can take the keys.
It can be helpful to check typical deposit practices by vehicle type. For example, deposits can be higher for larger vehicles, and the counter process can be stricter. If your trip requires extra space, it is worth reviewing SUV rental in the United States or minivan rental in the United States to anticipate higher holds and ensure your card limit supports them.
Step-by-step: what to do at the counter if the terminal asks for a ZIP
Step 1: Use your real UK billing address. Confirm the agent has your correct billing address in their system, especially if they re-enter details from your driving licence or passport.
Step 2: If letters are allowed, enter your full UK postcode. Include the space if possible. If it fails, remove the space and retry once.
Step 3: If digits only, use postcode digits padded to five. Extract the numbers from your postcode, then pad with leading zeros to make five digits. If your postcode has one digit, pad to five, for example “00001”. If it has two digits, “00012”. If it has three digits, “00123”. Then retry once.
Step 4: If it still declines, ask for a different method of verification. Options include re-running the deposit as chip-and-PIN without AVS prompts, using a different terminal, or manually keying the transaction with an override, depending on their policy.
Step 5: Use a back-up card if available. Ideally, another card from a different issuer, still in the main driver’s name. Sometimes one issuer’s AVS response is poorly handled by the processor, while another works instantly.
These steps are particularly relevant when you are collecting from a busy airport desk in the United Estates, where agents are trained to follow prompts quickly. If you know what the prompts mean, you can answer confidently and reduce the chances of multiple failed attempts.
Extra tips to avoid payment issues before you travel
Check that your bank has your current billing postcode. If you have moved, update the billing details for that card, not just your online profile. Some issuers maintain separate records.
Tell your bank you are travelling, if your issuer supports it. Some UK banks no longer require travel notifications, but if your app has a travel setting, it can still reduce fraud blocks, especially when a large deposit is taken.
Ensure your available credit covers the deposit hold. A pre-authorisation reduces available credit temporarily. Even if you have a high credit limit, other pending transactions can cause a decline at the worst moment.
Bring a card that supports chip-and-PIN. Most UK cards do. Some US terminals still default to signature, but chip verification is common and can help when AVS is awkward.
Keep your booking name aligned to the cardholder. For most rental suppliers, the main driver must be the cardholder for the deposit. If names differ, payment acceptance can be stricter, regardless of postcode.
If you are comparing providers and conditions, you can look at brand-specific pages such as Avis car hire in the United States and Enterprise car hire in the United States to understand typical pick-up expectations that can affect payment verification.
What to enter when the terminal asks for “billing ZIP” but you have no US ZIP
If you must enter something and the keypad accepts digits only, there is no single universal answer because it depends on the processor settings. However, these options are the most commonly accepted patterns for international cards:
First choice: digits from your UK postcode, left padded with zeros to five digits. This keeps a link to your true billing postcode, and many systems accept it for non US cards.
Second choice: 00000, but only if instructed by staff or if the system clearly cannot validate non US postcodes. This is essentially a placeholder to satisfy the field, so do not use it if the terminal is explicitly failing AVS matches.
Third choice: ask the agent to bypass the ZIP prompt or use a different processing flow. Staff often have a “foreign card” routine, especially at international airports.
In all cases, keep your actual billing address correct and consistent. US systems that do partial AVS checks may only compare street number, or only compare ZIP, or compare both. You want the parts that can be compared to match as closely as possible.
FAQ
Q: Should I enter my hotel address in the United Estates as the billing address?
A: No. Use the billing address your UK card issuer has on file. The hotel address is not linked to your card and can cause verification failures.
Q: My UK postcode has letters, but the terminal only allows numbers. What should I do?
A: Try entering the digits from your postcode padded to five digits, then ask staff if they have a set method for international cards if it still declines.
Q: Does including the space in my postcode matter?
A: If letters are allowed, enter the full postcode as written, space included. If it fails once, remove the space and retry, but avoid repeated attempts.
Q: Why was my prepaid car hire accepted online but declined at pick-up?
A: Pick-up usually involves a separate deposit authorisation and sometimes stricter AVS checks. The deposit amount and verification method can trigger issuer or terminal declines.
Q: Will a debit card work better than a credit card for postcode checks?
A: Not usually. Credit cards often handle deposits more smoothly. Acceptance depends on the supplier’s rules and how their terminal processes AVS for UK-issued cards.
