Everything you need to know about the new card regulations you’ve been hearing about

Introducing Strong Customer Authentication and 3D Secure

You’ve probably been hearing a lot about new security measures this week. That’s because, new requirements are being introduced by all financial providers across Europe.  

It can be scary to think about the possible dangers out there for our accounts – from online fraud to card theft – but we’re constantly considering all the possibilities here at Dozens so that we can work out how to best protect our customers. 

We’re making both your contactless and online transactions more secure by using strong customer authentication (SCA) and 3D Secure (3DS) technology.

Changes for contactless payments

Contactless payments are super convenient and quick, and many of us have become used to tap-and-go shopping, but such freedom also comes with some risks. 

While your app is secured with a passcode, SMS verification and biometric confirmation, what could happen if you lost your card? As soon as you notice, you can freeze your card in the app, but what happens in the time before you realise it is missing? 

This is where Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) comes in.  The new rules add a regular check to ensure that you are still the one using your card, either by confirming your PIN or other authentication.

The New Rules

From now on, after every 5th contactless transaction or if your spend totals £135 or more, whichever comes first, you’ll need to pop your card in the reader and use your PIN. 

Some (useful) exceptions: 

Some types of contactless payments won’t ever require you to enter your PIN, like payments for TfL, parking meters and toll booths, but they will still count towards your one-in-five transactions. This means that, if tapping your card on the tube is your fifth transaction (and so should require your PIN), we’ll just  ask for it the next time you’re able to enter it.

(If you’ve forgotten your PIN, check out our FAQs for how to find it  in the app.)

Changes for online payments

We’re also introducing 3D Security (3DS) for online payments. 

This is an additional security test that can take place during checkout. It pauses the transaction to get the account owner to confirm it is really them making this purchase. It might be a password, an SMS with a code, or maybe a biometric verification. Only once this confirmation is received will the purchase go ahead.

You will see the extra security working in two ways:

When you top-up from a debit card, Dozens will ask that card issuer to confirm that this is a genuine request – but it will be your other financial provider who will confirm this with you. (We’ve been doing this for a while already.)

When you make a purchase online, Dozens will send a unique passcode to your phone via SMS. So you don’t need to remember anything, just keep your phone handy.

So that’s the lowdown on the new security features. We know that having to enter your PIN more often, and adding steps into an online checkout process isn’t necessarily ideal, but it all helps to keep your money and your account safe, and that’s our top priority here at Dozens.

If you’d like to discuss this more, head on over to the community to join the conversation
or head to the FAQs, for more information.