Overview
Verification conditions let you control when address verification runs. By targeting specific customer segments or order types, you can reduce unnecessary verifications and lower your costs without sacrificing coverage where it matters.
Conditions are configured on each verifier. Select Show Advanced Settings, then use the Verification Conditions card. They work alongside other cost-saving features like smart caching, the verification limit per checkout, and your monthly usage cap.
How conditions work
When you add conditions to a verifier, you choose one of two modes under When conditions match:
Mode | What it does | Best for |
|---|---|---|
Skip verification | Verifies all addresses except those matching your conditions. | Excluding trusted segments. For example, skip verification for repeat customers who have placed 5 or more orders. |
Run verification only | Only verifies addresses that match your conditions. | Focusing on high-risk orders. For example, only verify orders over $200 or orders shipping internationally. |
If you don't add any conditions, verification runs for all addresses in the countries you've selected.
Available conditions
Select Add Condition to choose from these conditions:
Condition | What it checks | Example |
|---|---|---|
Order Total | The order value. | Only verify orders over $100. |
Shipping Country | The destination country. | Skip verification for domestic orders. |
Missing House Number | Whether address line 1 includes a street number. | Only verify addresses missing a house number. |
Missing Street Name | Whether the address includes a street name. | Verify addresses where the customer entered only a number. |
PO Box | Whether address line 1 or address line 2 is a PO Box. It matches PO Box, P.O. Box, GPO Box and Post Office Box, in upper or lower case. | Skip verification for PO Box addresses, or verify only those. |
Zip Code Range | Whether the postal code falls in a specific range. | Focus verification on remote area postcodes. |
Canadian Rural/Urban | Whether a Canadian address is rural or urban. | Only verify rural Canadian addresses, which have a higher delivery failure rate. |
US Military Address | Whether the address is APO, FPO, or DPO. | Skip verification for military addresses, which use a different postal system. |
Restricted States | Whether the address is in a specific US state. | Only verify orders shipping to states with high delivery failure rates. |
Field Contains Text | Whether a field contains a specific phrase. | Skip verification when "c/o" appears in the address. |
Field Contains Special Characters | Whether a field contains unusual characters. | Flag addresses with symbols that might indicate a typo. |
Field Contains Non-Latin Characters | Whether a field uses non-Latin script. | Verify addresses with non-Latin characters for carrier compatibility. |
Field Length | The character count of a field, or whether the field is empty. | Verify very short addresses that might be incomplete. |
Shipping Method | The selected shipping method. | Only verify orders using express or international shipping. |
Customer Orders Count | How many orders a logged-in customer has placed. | Skip verification for repeat customers with 5 or more orders. |
Customer Orders Count only works for logged-in customers. Guest checkouts don't have order history data.
Field Length options
Field Length compares a field's character count using Greater than, Less than, Equal to or Not equal to. Choose Is empty to match when the customer leaves a field blank, such as address line 2 or the company name.
At checkout, an Is empty check waits until the customer has filled the fields their country requires, so they aren't interrupted while typing. Address line 1 is always required at checkout, so an Is empty check on it never runs there.
Condition logic
When you add multiple conditions, choose how they combine under Apply when:
All triggers pass means every condition must be met. For example, "Order Total > $200" AND "Shipping Country = United States" only matches US orders over $200.
Any trigger passes means at least one condition must be met. For example, "Order Total > $500" OR "Shipping Country = Brazil" matches any high-value order or any order shipping to Brazil.
Other cost control features
Conditions are one of several built-in features that help you manage verification costs.
Smart caching. If a customer enters the same address twice in a checkout session, you're only charged once. Previously validated addresses use a cache, so customers comparing shipping options don't generate extra charges.
Max verifications per checkout. Limit how many times an address can be verified in a single checkout. This controls costs when customers edit their address repeatedly. You can enter any number from 1 to 100, and the default is 5. We recommend at least 3 when customers edit their address more than once.
Monthly usage cap. Set a maximum monthly spend on verification. When you reach the cap, verification pauses automatically. Checkout continues to work normally. Increase the cap anytime to resume.
Validation rules first. Free validation rules catch formatting issues before the paid verifier runs. This means you only pay for verification on addresses that have already passed basic format checks.
Common setups
Trust repeat customers
Mode: Skip verification. Condition: Customer Orders Count greater than 5. This skips verification for loyal customers who have a proven track record. First-time buyers and newer customers still get verified.
Focus on high-value orders
Mode: Run verification only. Condition: Order Total greater than $200. This concentrates your verification budget on orders where a failed delivery would cost you the most.
Verify international only
Mode: Skip verification. Condition: Shipping Country equals your domestic market. This skips verification for domestic orders, where you're confident in address quality, and verifies all international orders.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I don't add any conditions?
Verification runs for every address in the countries you've selected on the verifier. This gives you maximum coverage but uses more of your verification budget.
Can I combine multiple conditions?
Yes. Add multiple conditions and choose whether they all need to match (All triggers pass) or just one needs to match (Any trigger passes).
