Learn about 3D Secure, an additional layer of authentication used by merchants to ensure a purchase is from a legitimate cardholder.

What is 3DS?

3DS is another layer of security some merchants use when making a purchase online. A growing number of online merchants worldwide use 3DS at checkout to match the identity of the shopper with the cardholder. The additional 3D Secure step at checkout typically involves sending the cardholder an authentication page, where they’re prompted to enter a verification code sent to their phone. Emburse Cards is enrolled in 3DS by our processor Stripe, and is only used for online transactions if the merchant supports it. PLEASE NOTE: Only cards that are assigned to an Emburse Cards user have 3DS protection. 

Liability shift 

Only cards that have been assigned to a user have 3DS protection. Cards that are left unassigned are not covered by 3DS verification, and the potential of chargebacks to be lost due to not having 3DS secure can occur.

What does this mean from a Chargeback Perspective?

If the merchant is enrolled in 3DS but the cardholder isn't (card is left unassigned) enrolled, a liability shift applies. This means any chargeback initiated on a card where the merchant is enrolled in 3DS, but the cardholder is not would lose their chargeback. To prevent this from happening all cards created should be assigned to a user.

Cards left unassigned that experience fraud through a merchant that is not enrolled in 3DS would go through the standard chargeback process.