3D Secure (3DS) Flow

3D Secure (3DS) is an authentication protocol used in card-not-present (CNP) transactions to reduce fraud and improve security. Depending on the transaction risk and issuer’s assessment, the flow may proceed as Frictionless, Challenge, or even be Exempted from strong customer authentication (SCA).

Overview of 3DS Flow

In a typical 3DS flow, the following parties are involved:

• Cardholder
• Merchant
• Payment Gateway
• Issuer Bank
• 3DS Server & Directory Server

Flow Types:

• Frictionless Flow
• Challenge Flow
• Challenge Flow after frictionless attempt
• SCA Exemptions