3-D Secure (3DS)

3-D Secure is a protocol in which the issuing bank itself confirms that the cardholder is making the payment. The buyer sees the bank's window and approves with a code or in the app. The modern 3DS2 often passes without extra steps when risk is low.

For merchants 3DS matters because of the liability shift: for fraudulent payments that passed 3DS, chargeback liability usually moves to the buyer's bank. In some regions, such as Europe, strong authentication is mandatory.

The downside is that some buyers abandon checkout at the confirmation step, so providers offer flexible rules that trigger 3DS only for risky payments.

Local payment methods for online businesses →