What is 3D Secure?

3D Secure is a cardholder authentication service that enhances the security of online credit card transactions. It is recommended by major international card brands such as Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express. Although each brand provides the service under a different name, it is commonly referred to as "3D Secure."

In the earlier version of 3D Secure (1.0), authentication required the user to provide a password issued by the card issuer, along with standard payment details such as the card number, expiration date, security code, and cardholder name during the payment process.
3D Secure 2.0 (EMV 3-D Secure), an enhanced version, introduces a wider range of authentication methods, including biometrics, one-time passwords, and QR code scanning.

In Japan, from April 2025 onward, e-commerce businesses that accept credit card payments online will be required, in principle, to implement 3D Secure 2.0 (EMV 3-D Secure).

Advantages of using 3D Secure

In recent years, incidents of cardholder data breaches caused by merchants with inadequate security measures have been on the rise. Consequently, stolen cardholder data has increasingly been used for fraudulent purposes, such as counterfeit cards or identity impersonation. Authentication methods using passwords or other information known only to the cardholder have enhanced security, helping prevent fraudulent activities such as identity impersonation. Furthermore, risk-based authentication is performed only when a transaction is deemed potentially risky, improving user convenience.

The Key Features of 3D Secure 2.0

• Multiple authentication methods: Enables the use of one-time passwords, biometrics, QR code scans, and other methods.
• Risk-based authentication: Authentication is required only when a transaction is assessed as high-risk, improving user convenience.
• Enhanced security: Provides significantly stronger protection compared to traditional ID-and-password-only authentication.

●Supported Brands and Service

• Visa：Visa Secure
• Mastercard：Mastercard ID Check™
• JCB：J/Secure™
• American Express：American Express SafeKey®

ICMS 3D Secure Compliance Service

We are accredited by the PCI Security Standards Council as a qualified assessor for the PCI 3DS core security standard, allowing us to offer integrated assessment services for both PCI DSS and PCI 3D Secure.