3D Secure: Safeguard Your Payments with Biometric Data

It's no secret that online shopping is on the rise. In fact, a recent study showed that in 2021, global e-commerce sales reached 4.9 trillion USD – and that number is only going to grow. With more and more people relying on online shopping for their every-day needs, it is important to be extra vigilant when it comes to safeguarding your payments. That's where biometric authenticators come in. 

Biometric authenticators use individuals’ unique characteristics to verify their identity, including fingerprints, facial recognition, or even voice recognition. Using a biometric authenticator creates a more frictionless and secure experience when paying online, as it doesn’t rely on easily-forgotten or insecurely stored passwords but rather on unmistakable and convenient individual identifiers. With a biometric authenticator, you can avoid some of the pitfalls of online shopping and ensure your data stays secure and confidential.

The problem with fraudulent transactions on the internet

The rise of online shopping has made it easier than ever to transfer money and make purchases. Unfortunately, this also means that online fraud is on the rise, as criminals are able to exploit loopholes in the payment systems. While there are many different types of fraud, one of the most common is when criminals steal credit card or bank account information from customers and then use these details to make unauthorised transactions.  

It’s important for companies and customers to work together to create secure payment methods that keep personal information protected at all times. Beyond just being an ideal, more secure mechanisms for online payments are quickly becoming the law in many jurisdictions. New European laws already stipulate that payment processors for payments carried out through the Internet and in apps must implement strong customer authentication methods to stay in compliance. Biometric authentication is in fact only one of the authentication methods that a payment processor can select to ensure they remain compliant.  

Ultimately, implementing biometric authentication has many benefits. It helps reduce the problem with fraudulent transactions on the internet when paying and ensures that people can continue to enjoy all of the benefits of online shopping without worry or risk. Moreover, biometrics offer a seamless authentication method for users, so you can approve transactions in seconds without having to worry about remembering passwords or codes.  

Why is it useful to use biometrics for online payments? 

Card information alone can be easy for someone to use for payment online, as online payments frequently just require card details and the Card Verification Code (CVC) found on the back of a card. Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security to your online transactions by requiring something to which only you will have access in order to verify your identity, which brings a significant benefit in terms of security.

Let’s imagine that your phone and your card have been stolen together. With the requirement of biometric authentication, the thief will nonetheless be unable to use your compromised card details for e-commerce transactions, greatly reducing the risk of your payment information being used for unauthorised transactions and ensuring that your transactions remain secure.

Stronger authentication with 3D Secure

Intergiro’s app features a biometric authentication tool of its own, called 3D Secure. Backed by Mastercard’s own Identity Check authentication standards, 3D Secure provides stronger authentication of our clients’ online payments, ensuring that your payments are always safe and confidential. 

Every user who has access to a device with biometric scanners can enable 3D Secure on their app. For Android, 3D Secure will utilise fingerprints, while on iOS it will use either TouchID or FaceID. Enrolling your biometrics in the app is straightforward - you will simply be prompted to “Enable 3D Secure” upon launching the app, no need to apply any additional settings. 

Your data is secure

All your biometric data is stored on the device locally. The application creates a pair of crypto-keys on the device when biometrics are enrolled, and it’s these crypto-keys that allow the app to confirm transactions through a process called digital signing. Note that it’s impossible for our application to access any biometric data stored on your device, so this information is completely secured.