What Is 3D Secure And What Does It Do?

​Online shopping is now an important part of our lives. We have already gotten used to the comfort of purchasing all our needs, from detergent to furniture, from e-commerce sites and paying our bills online. However, this also brings the risk of our credit card information falling into the hands of malicious people. 

It is a great necessity for both buyers and sellers to feel safe in online payments made by credit card or debit card. This is exactly where 3D Secure comes into play.

So, what is 3D Secure that you encounter during your online shopping? In this article, we will discuss the questions of what 3D Secure is and what it does, and touch upon the topics you are curious about about this effective system that allows you to make your online shopping more securely.

What is 3D Secure?

3D Secure, or more precisely, “3 Domain Structure”, can be defined as a three-dimensional security protocol developed to increase the security of online payment transactions and prevent online fraud. When paying with your card information, simply entering the card number, expiration date and CVV information is not sufficient for security. 

3D Secure adds an additional verification step to verify that you are the cardholder. Thus, it creates a layer of security that makes it difficult for unauthorized people to spend, even if your card is lost or stolen.

How Does 3D Secure Work?

3D Secure, which has been adopted by more and more financial institutions and online retailers since the mid-2000s, is considered one of the important milestones in online payment security. The system was first used by Visa under the name “Ver​ified by Visa”. Mastercard followed with the name “MasterCard SecureCode”.

System; It works with a one-time password (OTP) that is verified by the card issuer and checked by other parties, and by exchanging information from three different areas and works as follows:

• The user who creates the shopping cart on an e-commerce site proceeds to the payment step.
• During the payment step, he enters his credit card information in the relevant field to complete the purchase.
• At this stage, the 3D Secure system comes into play and directs the user to the bank’s secure environment. A single-use password (3D Secure code) is sent to the user’s mobile phone number registered in the bank as a notification via SMS or mobile branch application.
• User; He/she enters the 3D Secure code sent to his/her phone into the relevant field or approves the notification received via the mobile application. Thus, it confirms that the expenditure was made by the card holder.
• The bank notifies the e-commerce site that the payment has been made and the message that the payment transaction has been completed successfully is sent to the user.

Why is 3D Secure Important?

Using the 3D Secure feature when shopping online is important in many ways. Let’s take a look at why trading with 3D Secure is important:

• 3D Secure ensures that only the cardholder can shop online by authenticating. This prevents unauthorized use of your cards and prevents fraud.
• It helps financial institutions better protect customer accounts and financial information.
• It is a legal requirement for online retailers and financial institutions to comply with certain security standards. 3D Secure is an important step to meet these standards.
• Reduced fraud reduces the amount of time it takes for financial institutions and online retailers to track down refund requests and disputes.
• A safe online shopping environment encourages consumers and increases the customer potential of e-commerce businesses.

Where is 3D Secure Used?

3D Secure is a security protocol widely used to increase the security of online payment transactions. Therefore, you can use 3D Secure when you use your credit card or debit card online. 3D Secure is not used for physical payments.

What are the advantages of 3D Secure Transactions?

We can list the advantages of the 3D Secure protocol for both consumers and businesses as follows:

Advantages Provided to the Consumer

• 3D Secure is an authentication protocol. You can make your online payments more securely using 3D Secure.
• Having a secure verification system for online payments with your credit card or debit card prevents your information from falling into the hands of fraudsters.
• 3D Secure prevents unauthorized use of your card on the internet. Therefore, if your credit card is stolen or lost, it prevents malicious people from using your card to shop online.
• It allows you to use your card more safely, especially for international purchases. Authentication performed by 3D Secure prevents your card from being used in different countries without your permission.
• 3D Secure supports sharing responsibility between cardholders and financial institutions.

Advantages Provided to Businesses

• The 3D Secure system requires cardholders to verify their identity. This verification process puts businesses in a stronger position to detect and prevent fraudulent transactions.
• In transactions made with 3D Secure, since cardholders approve the transaction, the risk of “chargeback” is lower and it reduces the time businesses spend on objection processes.
• Thanks to the 3D Secure system, fraud attempts are prevented and it becomes easier to attract loyal and reliable customers and retain existing customers.
• Transacting with 3D Secure provides greater security for international purchases. It reduces security concerns for businesses when working with customers from different countries.
• Credit card companies can build stronger relationships with businesses by encouraging the use of 3D Secure.
• Customers know their online shopping is safer when using 3D Secure. This can help gain customer trust and grow a loyal customer base.

Is it mandatory to use 3D Secure?

It is not legally mandatory to use 3D Secure for your expenses on e-commerce sites. However, completing your payment transaction safely is an important requirement to prevent your cards from being used without your authorization and fraud.

How to Activate 3D Secure?

You do not need to make any application to make 3D Secure transactions with your credit cards. It is sufficient that your current mobile phone number is registered in your bank’s system. Therefore, if your mobile phone number changes, it is very important to contact your bank and update your information.

How to Turn Off 3D Secure?

Using 3D Secure is of critical importance as it prevents transactions without your approval, even if your card information is accessed. For this reason, this feature, which is available in most bank and credit cards in our country, cannot be turned off.

Is 3D Secure Safe?

3D Secure technology, which adds an extra layer of security when paying for your online purchases, has been used effectively since the early 2000s. For those who are new to the system, leaving the payment page of the e-commerce site where they are shopping and making transactions in a separate window may cause hesitation. 

However, this opened window is extremely safe as it connects you to your bank. 3D Secure allows transactions using only one-time passwords, so internet fraudsters have a very low chance of accessing and using this password, which can only be used once during shopping.

What is 3D Secure Verification Error?

“3D Secure Authentication Error” refers to an issue that occurs when implementing the 3D Secure security protocol in online payment transactions. If you encounter a verification error, your payment transaction will not be completed.

What are the Causes of 3D Secure Error?

Verification errors may have different reasons caused by you, your bank or the e-commerce site. We can list the most common factors as follows:

• Wrong typing of the one-time password sent to your mobile phone via SMS in the relevant field
• Failure to type the verification code within the time shown on the screen
• Incorrect information such as expiration date and CVV/CVC code of your credit card
• Not enough balance on credit card or debit card for shopping
• The card is closed for online purchases
• The card is closed for international shopping transactions
• No response from the bank due to technical problems caused by the bank
• The virtual POS used is incompatible with your bank

How to Prevent 3D Secure Error?

To avoid 3D Secure errors, you should follow these steps:

• Check whether the information you entered about your credit card, such as expiration date and CVV/CVC code, is correct.
• Type the one-time password sent to your mobile phone into the relevant field carefully and within the specified time. If you think you typed the password incorrectly, request the password again.
• If you receive a verification error message even though you have entered all the information correctly, check the balance of your card or whether it is open for online shopping. If necessary, contact your bank to make the necessary corrections or start the payment process again with a different card.
• If you are sure that the problem is not caused by you, be sure to contact your bank.

The investment information, comments and recommendations contained herein are not within the scope of investment consultancy. Investment consultancy services are offered individually by authorized institutions, taking into account people’s risk and return preferences. 

The comments and recommendations here are general in nature. These recommendations may not suit your financial situation and risk and return preferences. Therefore, making an investment decision based solely on the information contained herein may not produce results that meet your expectations. 

Investment decisions taken/to be made and purchases and sales made/to be made etc. based on the recommendations offered through this blog page. Türkiye Finans Katılım Bankası AŞ is not responsible in any way for the transactions and possible consequences of these transactions.