Authentication
Managing SCA Compliance
The Payment Services Directive (PSD2), has introduced a new regulatory requirement: Strong Customer Authentication (SCA).
The aim of the SCA is to add an increased layer of security for card not present transactions, when making mobile and online payments.
To authenticate the transaction, merchants can verify the consumer's identity with the issuer. To be compliant with SCA, 3D Secure 2 transactions have additional authentication and transaction information within the payment flow.
This new version of 3D Secure, offers a better user experience and helps to minimise some of the friction the authentication adds to the checkout flow.
SCA requires authentication to use at least two of the following three aspects:

- Something the consumer knows.
- For example, password or PIN.
- Something the consumer has.
- For example, phone or hardware token.
- Something the consumer is.
- For example, fingerprint or face recognition.


Updated 21 Feb 2025
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