Strong Customer Authentication
What is Strong Customer Authentication? Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) is a security protocol mandated by regulatory authorities, such as the European Union’s Revised . It aims to enhance the authentication and protection of electronic payment transactions.
SCA requires the use of two or more independent factors to verify the identity of the customer initiating a payment. These factors typically include something the customer knows (e.g., a password), something the customer has (e.g., a mobile device), or something the customer is (e.g., biometric data).
The implementation of SCA aims to reduce the risk of unauthorized access and . It provides an additional layer of security for online payments. Merchants and payment service providers must adhere to SCA requirements when processing electronic transactions. This contributes to a more robust and secure payment ecosystem.
While SCA applies to all online payments, specific exemptions are established by legislators. Key exemptions include:
- such as memberships and subscriptions with initial authentication.
- electronic payment transactions at the (POS), a single transaction must not exceed 50 euros.
- Remote electronic where an individual transaction should not exceed 30 euros.
- Customer access to payment account balances online with authentication during the initial access.
These exemptions aim to balance security requirements with user convenience in specific transaction scenarios.
