What Is 3D Secure and How Does It Work?

Did you know that the eCommerce industry in the United States grew by over 14% last year?

The future of eCommerce is bright. Whether you have an eCommerce store or are thinking of adding an eCommerce dimension to your business, it’s important to avoid expensive mistakes. For instance, you won’t want to process a single payment until you have 3D Secure backing you.

Are you not sure if the investment is worth it? Keep reading to learn all about 3D Secure and how you can benefit from it.

What Is 3D Secure?

3D Secure was invented as a way to enhance the level of security for both buyers and sellers. It does this by adding an extra step whenever a shopper buys something online using their credit card.

Are you still asking yourself, “How does 3D Secure work?”

It’s important to know that the 3D in 3D Secure doesn’t refer to those types of movies where things appear to jump out at you. Instead, 3D refers to the three domains involved in the process. These include the credit card issuer, the seller who is going to receive the payment, and the 3DS software itself.

The software facilitates a smooth transaction between the first two domains. By activating the 3DS function, your customers will need to confirm their purchases using a pin code or password.

The intelligent technology behind 3DS for business can determine which transactions need further security to prove that the card owner is, in fact, the card owner. Aside from asking the customer to enter their pin code, the customer’s bank may also generate another pin that’s sent to their phone as a text message. This is a pin that expires and is only used within the moment so that a customer can complete their purchase.

It Can Stop Cybercriminals

Did you know that the citizens of West Virginia lost almost one million dollars due to cybercrime last year? That’s only one state so the losses are even more astronomical across the country. Without proper protection, more and more victims will lose their money over time.

One of the best benefits of 3D Secure involves the reduction of cybercrime. Even if a cybercriminal obtains the credit card information of a customer, they won’t be able to buy anything without the pin code. Let’s imagine that the cybercriminal also managed to get the pin code that the customer uses each time, it won’t matter because they still won’t have their phone number.

This means they’ll miss out on the SMS text from the customer’s bank and still won’t have the ability to finish the transaction.

Most Major Credit Card Providers Use It

As a business, you might be questioning the viability of this option. If no more than a handful of credit card companies use this technology, then the vast majority of your customers could be left unprotected. The good news is that almost all of the major credit card companies use this technology.

This makes the setup process that much easier. By investing in it, you’ll also catch up with other businesses that have had it for a long time already.

It Boosts Customer Trust

From phishing scams to fake websites, most internet users are cautious about where they spend their time online, let alone their money. It can often be difficult enough to pull customers away from your competitors. This is where the question of trust comes in.

When you invest in 3D Secure, you’re also investing in the trust of your customers. You can let them know that you take security seriously. Once they see for themselves and have a wonderful shopping experience, they’ll continue to shop at your online store instead of your competitor’s store.

You might be wondering if having to put in a pin every time could end up being an annoyance to the customer. Don’t forget that the 3DS platform has the ability to distinguish between transactions that need extra security and those that don’t. If anything suspicious is detected, then that’s when the shopper will have to use the pin.

Liability Shift

Many online purchases are considered high-risk because your business can end up being responsible for chargebacks, fraudulent transactions, and more. Instead of dealing with this high risk on a regular basis, 3D Secure gives you the option of shifting liability.

That way, the responsibility will fall on the credit card company rather than your business anytime a cardholder disputes a charge. This can end up saving you a significant amount of money in the long run. Looking at it that way, the investment of 3DS pays for itself.

Even during situations where the 3DS platform was down or the credit card didn’t go through the required process, your business can still enjoy a liability shift.

The times in which liability shift doesn’t occur are few and far between. They often depend on a certain set of extenuating circumstances, such as a high preponderance of fraud that occurs on your eCommerce site, in particular. To learn more details, it’s worth speaking with a 3D Secure expert who can answer your questions in full.

Are You Ready to Invest in 3D Secure?

Now that you’ve learned all about 3D Secure, you can reap the benefits and have a more successful company. Both your employees and your customers will appreciate this extra layer of security.

We specialize in high-risk payment processing in a wide variety of industries, including CBD, coaching, firearms, tech support, subscription continuity, and much more. We also offer retail and eCommerce solutions. Our customers can always count on our security, discretion, and reliability.

Feel free to reach out to us with questions or stop by the Zen Payments office in person. We look forward to working together.