3-D Secure (3DS) adds an extra layer of security to protect you when making card payments online. It’s mandatory for all European countries who comply with the revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2) and offer Strong Customer Authentication (SCA).
The 3D in 3DS stands for the three domains involved in securing the transaction:
- The card issuer (Mastercard).
- The online merchant you’re paying.
- The 3DS infrastructure acting as a go-between for you and the online merchant.
As both your physical and virtual cards are 3DS compliant, you typically need to consent to your card payments.
How 3DS payments work
- You make a purchase and enter your card details.
- The online merchant sends your transaction information and an authentication request to Mastercard.
- Mastercard determines whether 3DS is necessary.
- If 3DS is necessary, you receive a text message to consent to and authenticate the transaction.
- If 3DS isn’t necessary, Mastercard continues to #4.
- Mastercard lets the online merchant know if the transaction is authenticated.
- The online merchant completes the transaction. If authenticated, the transaction goes through. Otherwise, the transaction is rejected.
3DS exceptions
3DS can be skipped in certain situations. For example:
- You’re making a payment with an online merchant you purchase from often.
- Your payment is a subscription or another recurring payment. 3DS is required for the first payment but not subsequent payments.
- Mastercard assesses that your online transaction is low risk and that 3DS isn’t necessary.
- You’re using a single-use virtual card. Consent was required when you created the card, so 3DS might be skipped.
Rejected card payments due to 3DS
Online merchants set up 3DS, and sometimes, they don’t set it up correctly or don’t set it up at all. If a payment should require 3DS and doesn't, Mastercard and Swan reject the operation.
If you have any questions or need further assistance, submit a request to Swan Support.