Until recently a merchant could not guarantee a would-be buyer was the actual cardholder. To eliminate this risk, Visa and MasterCard developed processes (Verified by Visa 3D Secure and SecureCode) making it compulsory for cardholders to verify their identity to their bank at the point of online purchase.

3D Secure has been highlighted before as being the equivalent of an online version of the physical Chip and Pin solution that is in existence. The merchant is prompted to put in their own cards secure password / passphrase to authenticate themselves. This ensures that the person that is physically holding the card, is in fact the correct owner of the card. This is currently the most uptodate technology in Online Payment Security.

Realex Payments include 3DSecure free of charge in their RealPay package. Internet merchants can benefit from using this process because it helps eliminate the risk of charge-backs. It also makes buyers more comfortable because it ensures a high level of protection against fraudulent card usage.