The SumUp Card is now 3D Secure

In this article, you’ll learn:

• How 3D Secure works

• Why Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) matters

• How we’re implementing SCA at SumUp

• How business owners can benefit from using the SumUp Card

What’s 3D Secure?

If you’ve ever shopped online, you’ve almost certainly benefited from the protection offered by 3D Secure. Put simply, 3DS is an extra authentication step that helps safeguard against fraud when you’re paying by card. 

When 3DS was introduced in the early 2000s, the experience for consumers was often slightly cumbersome. Typically, you’d need to set up a password and/or security question for each debit or credit card, and you’d be asked to supply a random selection of characters from your answers every time you bought something online.

The road to SCA

Today, however, the experience is much more seamless and secure. This is largely a consequence of the Revised Payment Services Directive, or PSD2, which was introduced in 2018 to make card payment safer throughout Europe. PSD2 also aims to drive down the cost of payment services, and to give consumers more choice around how they manage their payments.

A key stipulation of PSD2 is that online payments should incorporate Strong Customer Authentication, or SCA. In short, customer authentication has to be multi-factor to be considered strong. Multi-factor authentication must incorporate 2 or more of the following elements:

• Something you know, like a password

• Something you own, like a smartphone

• Something inherent to you, like your fingerprint

In response to this PSD2 regulation, many financial service providers are now implementing 3D Secure 2.0. This is an authentication solution that meets SCA requirements, offers a smoother online shopping experience and heavily reduces the risk of fraud.

Enable SCA for your SumUp Card today

As our lives become more and more reliant on the digital economy, we at SumUp are making it our top priority to ensure that your electronic payments are always secure, swift and convenient.

If you’re a SumUp Card user, you’ll already know that we’re serious about security. We store your SumUp balance safely in a segregated bank account. Should you misplace your card for any reason, you can block it instantly in the SumUp App. And the SumUp Card is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.

But our security measures don’t stop there. From 2021, all firms and financial institutions will be required to roll out SCA in their payment processes – a mandatory step that will further strengthen your payment protection.

With SCA enabled, every time your card is used online you’ll receive a push notification which will take you to the SumUp App. There, you can quickly verify the payment using your face ID, fingerprint or SumUp password.

So, what’s in it for you? SCA has the potential to fundamentally change your entire payment experience, making it smoother and more secure and tackling fraud head-on. In doing so, it also gives you the peace of mind that your account, and your money, are always protected. 

By enabling it now, you can also rest assured that come the deadline, you can continue shopping online without any unpleasant surprises. Find out how to enable SCA for your SumUp Card.

About the SumUp Card

Millions of business owners rely on SumUp to get paid, and we’re always looking for new ways to make their lives easier.

One improvement our merchants told us they’d love to see is quicker access to the money they earn via their SumUp card readers.

That’s why we created the SumUp Card, in partnership with Mastercard. With it, you can enjoy next-day access to any payments you process with SumUp, even on weekends and bank holidays. 

By using the SumUp Card as your primary card for business payments, it’s a breeze to track your income and expenses. Alternatively, you can transfer funds to your linked bank account for free at any time.

The SumUp Card has all the useful functionality you’d expect from a debit card. You can use it anywhere that accepts Mastercard, and it supports online, chip-and-pin and contactless payment. 

There are no upfront, monthly or transaction fees. What’s more, your first 3 ATM withdrawals each month are free. For subsequent withdrawals, you’ll be charged a low flat rate of 2%, whether you’re in Malta or abroad.

Interested? If you’re an existing SumUp merchant, you can order your SumUp Card today. Or if you’re new to SumUp, you might want to learn more about our contract-free card readers.