What is 3-D Secure?
3-D Secure helps to protect you when shopping online. It is an authentication system offered by all major payment networks to ensure that credit and debit card details cannot be used by imposters at the expense of legitimate cardholders like you.
People you know may be required to confirm their identities with 3-D Secure most of the time or only occasionally. The frequency depends on regulations where they live, their choice of e-commerce sites, and the kinds of payments they are making.
No matter what the circumstances are, the goal of 3-D Secure is always the same: to verify that the genuine cardholder (you) is behind an e-commerce transaction.
When you swipe, wave, or tap your card at a physical point of sale, you typically validate the transaction in a separate step, usually by entering a PIN or signing a receipt. 3-D Secure reinvents this process for the online world.
After entering your credit card details on a merchant’s website and initiating payment, you are automatically redirected to a secure space that is completely controlled by your bank. You will spot your bank’s logo and a payment network brand like Mastercard Identity Check or Visa Secure.
Authentication options
You will be asked to validate your payment in one of several ways. The options available to you to verify your transaction depends on your bank and choices you might have made when your cards were activated for 3-D Secure. You could be asked to:
All of these actions are the digital equivalent of a signature on a printed receipt. They protect you and your bank from fraud. When you have finished, your bank will verify the information and the transaction will be completed if all is as it should be.
Need more help?
If you have forgotten your password or the SMS message you are expecting does not arrive in time, or another problem arises, do not worry. Remember that your bank’s customer service is always available at the telephone number listed on the back of your payment card. It is there to help you 24/7.