N26 is now 3D Secure

JULY 25, 2017

1 min read

What is 3D Secure?

Think about a time you bought something online with your card, and you were directed to an authentication page that asked you to verify your purchase. That’s called 3D Secure (3DS), and it’s an authentication step that helps prevent fraud when you make online card purchases.

How does 3D Secure work?

Consider this example. When you buy something on Zalando, you have to enter your Mastercard details and submit your purchase. Your request is first made to Mastercard then to N26. Our risk model quickly evaluates the potential risk of the transaction and decides whether an additional layer of authentication is required. If we decide that the transaction has a higher risk, we’ll show you a 3DS authentication page and send you a push notification to confirm the transaction. You’ll then have five minutes to confirm or delete the transaction.Our 3DS initiative is called Mastercard SecureCode, so you’ll know this is a page you can trust. Mastercard SecureCode makes the authentication process easy because it’s linked to the N26 Mastercard you already have, so there is no additional registration required to use 3DS.

Why is this important?

3DS is an important security tool offered by many banks. When it was time to implement it for ourselves, we knew we had to make it look, feel and function like an N26 product. Our 3DS experience works seamlessly in the app, and will only ask you to confirm a purchase when it’s an accurate assessment of the transaction’s risk. If you haven’t opened an N26 bank account yet, it’s a great time to do so.