3D Secure provides a layer of protection against fraudulent payments that is supported by most card issuers. Unlike regular card payments, 3D Secure requires cardholders to complete an additional verification step with the issuer. Typically, this involves redirecting the customer to their card issuer’s website, where they are prompted to enter a password associated with the card. This process is familiar to customers through its issuer-specific brand names, such as Verified by Visa and Mastercard SecureCode.

Stripe users in the United States, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand can process card payments that require authentication with 3D Secure using PaymentIntents. Users in other countries that Stripe supports can request an invite.

When to use 3D Secure

When a customer uses 3D Secure to authenticate a payment, the card issuer assumes full responsibility. As such, Stripe users are covered by a liability shift against fraudulent payments that have been authenticated with 3D Secure.

Although 3D Secure protects you from fraud, it requires your customers to complete additional steps during the payment process that could impact their checkout experience. For example, if a customer does not know their 3D Secure information, they might not be able to complete the payment.

When considering the use of 3D Secure, you might find the right balance is to use it only in situations where there is an increased risk of fraud, or if the customer’s card would be declined without it.

Disputed payments and liability shift

Payments that have been successfully authenticated using 3D Secure are covered by a liability shift. Should a 3D Secure payment be disputed as fraudulent by the cardholder, the liability shifts from you to the card issuer. These types of disputes are handled internally, do not appear in the Dashboard, and do not result in funds being withdrawn from your Stripe account.

Liability shift can also occur if the card or issuer isn’t enrolled in 3D Secure but the type of card could support 3D Secure (e.g., most Visa and Mastercard consumer cards). During the payment process, the cardholder isn’t prompted to complete 3D Secure authentication, since the card is not enrolled. Although the cardholder did not complete 3D Secure authentication, liability still shifts to the issuer.

There are certain circumstances where payments that are successfully authenticated using 3D Secure do not experience a liability shift. This is rare and can happen, for example, if you have an excessive level of fraud on your account and are enrolled in a fraud monitoring program.