Why we built our own 3DS Server and software development kits

The introduction of 3D Secure 2 (3DS2) presented us with an interesting decision. Yes, we would continue to support your use of 3DS through your payment service provider (PSP) as we always have. But could we offer even more value by building our own Server and software development kits (SDKs) rather than partnering with a third party?

By choosing to go ahead, we knew we could provide our merchant clients with better data and an improved user experience. It would also allow us to give you more control over your authentication and exemption preferences.

So what does this really mean for the merchants and PSPs that work with us…

We get you the 3DS data you need

Great 3DS authentication relies on quality data being formatted correctly and shared with the right stakeholders. Issuers need all the data available to make informed decisions about whether to apply frictionless authentication instead of a challenge, or approve an exemption.

PSPs and merchants also need as much data as possible to support fraud and authentication strategies. This data is critical to monitor performance and identify potential issues in the authentication flow.

Frustrations around lack of 3DS data is something we have encountered time and time again. And this has played a huge role in our decision to build our own Server.

By taking this into our own hands, we remove all of this red tape. We can provide access to all the data you need, and analytics and reporting to show exactly what responses we get.

We simply couldn’t guarantee access to this level of data with a third party provider.

As fraud detection specialists, data is what we do best

We’re a strong and established brand in the fraud detection market. We’re known for our machine learning approach, which prioritizes your individual business over generalized market data. Our existing payment fraud capabilities make all the difference here. Especially with the ability to initiate the authentication process and determine what fields are sent over to the issuer.

Most of the fields in the 3DS Authentication Request (AReq) are similar to those we currently use and enrich to detect payment fraud, such as the browser IP. There is also a ‘suspicious account indicator’ field, which our existing fraud detection capabilities can fill accurately.

On top of the data benefits, 3DS is another tool that can be used to help reduce fraud and chargebacks. With our insights, we know when 3DS is the right tool to use – whether that be for suspicious customers or when regulation requires authentication.

We support testing of new 3DS strategies

The PSD2 roll-out has highlighted the range of different responses to strong customer authentication (SCA) and 3DS across Europe. One size definitely doesn’t fit all.

Merchants and PSPs are still testing new strategies to provide the optimum experience for consumers with different issuers and across regions. We believe you should have the freedom to decide when to request a challenge, an exemption or just data share with issuers.

The 3DS Requestor Challenge Indicator is a field in the Authentication Request where you can decide just that. We include this field in our 3DS API, so that you can let us know your preference. Our 3DS Server will then send your request onto the card schemes and issuers.

You can get the insights you need to decide what action to take, and we will act on your decision. We can also help you decide what to do with 3DS through our payment fraud and transaction optimization capabilities.

We help you provide a better customer experience

We know that frictionless authentication and exemption capabilities are important. And our goal is to support you in providing the best possible buying experience for your customers. Only the latest 3DS versions can guarantee this.

By building our own 3DS Server, we can support these versions for your chosen card schemes much sooner than others in the market. Better still, we can prioritize what matters to our customers – be that card schemes, certifications or versions.

It’s about a better experience for you

For our customers, building our own 3DS Server and SDKs ultimately means that you have the best authentication experience possible. We can provide you with as much data as you need to test and define the ideal 3DS strategy for your business. We commit to staying on the pulse with updates and certifications, so that you can take advantage of the latest 3DS advances and benefits. And total transparency is a must, so you can make use of the best available data with nothing held back.

Learn more about how you can take control of your authentication process.