Card Security and Liability

Secure Ways to Accept Payments in Order to Protect your Business

Provide extra conveniences to customers, increase satisfaction, and protect your business from fraud liability by offering the most secure ways to accept payments at your business.

EMV Cards

EMV Cards, also known as Chip Cards or Smart Cards, provide an additional layer of security with an embedded microchip.

The chip on the card generates a unique cryptogram for every single transaction that is virtually impossible to clone by counterfeiters. The chip also stores personalized security credentials that cannot be accessed without authorization. EMV fraud prevention is only effective when a card is present and does not provide the same layer of protection online or when payments are made by phone.

If a Chip Card is used at a traditional magnetic-strip only terminal to make a fraudulent purchase, the business or merchant will most likely be held for responsible for all of the costs associated with the purchase.

Contactless Payments

Contactless payments allow customers to tap their credit or debit card on a reader to complete the transaction. This payment method uses near-field communication to connect with a card reader which is in close proximity to a point-of-sale (POS) reader.

Digital wallets such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, or Google Wallet are another way for your customers to complete a contactless transaction using their phone or smartwatch. Your business can benefit from providing an extra layer of protection to your customers, since customers are required to use facial recognition, fingerprint or PIN to verify their purchase.

EMV security protections allow your business to not only provide the extra layer of protection to your customers, but also to reduce liability risk associated with fraud.

Advanced Online Purchase Protection

Your business moves fast. Your card security should move faster.

That’s why we’ve enhanced our Multicard, Business Prepaid, and Corporate Card programs with Mastercard® Identity Check™ — an advanced online purchase authentication service designed to reduce fraud while keeping transactions seamless.

What Is Mastercard Identity Check?

Mastercard Identity Check (also known as Mastercard 3D Secure) adds an intelligent layer of protection to online purchases.

When a cardholder makes a purchase through a website or mobile app, the transaction may be verified using risk-based authentication technology. For certain higher-risk transactions, the cardholder may be asked to enter a One-Time Passcode (OTP) sent to their registered email address or mobile phone number. This ensures that the person making the purchase is the authorized cardholder.

How It Protects Your Business

• Stronger fraud prevention - Adds an additional verification step for online transactions, significantly reducing unauthorized use.
• Smart, Risk-Based Authentication - Not every transaction requires a passcode. The system uses advanced analytics to determine when additional verification is necessary — keeping low-risk transactions fast and frictionless.
• Enhanced Control for Administrators - Encourages accurate cardholder contact information, helping organizations maintain stronger oversight of their card programs.
• Greater Confidence in Online Spending - Cardholders can complete online purchases knowing there is added protection behind every transaction.

How it Works

1. A cardholder makes an online purchase.
2. The transaction is evaluated using advanced fraud detection tools.
3. If additional verification is required, a One-Time Passcode is sent to the cardholder’s registered email or mobile phone.
4. The cardholder enters the code to complete the purchase.
5. If the correct passcode is not entered, the transaction will not be approved — helping prevent fraudulent activity before it occurs.

What Transactions Are Covered?

Mastercard Identity Check applies to:

• Online purchases made through websites
• Purchases made through mobile apps

It does not apply to:

• In-person transactions
• Merchant-keyed transactions
• Recurring payments where authentication was previously completed

What Businesses Should Know

To ensure uninterrupted online purchasing:

• Each cardholder should have a current email address and/or mobile phone number on file.
• Administrators can update cardholder information through our secure portal or batch upload process.
• Cardholders may also update their contact information directly through our secure update portal.
• Maintaining accurate contact information ensures smooth authentication and prevents unnecessary transaction declines.
• Mastercard Identity Check is part of Mastercard’s global security framework and is widely adopted by merchants worldwide.
• By combining intelligent fraud monitoring with real-time cardholder verification, your business benefits from stronger protection without sacrificing efficiency.

Keep Your Information Current

To maximize the benefits of this enhanced security feature, we encourage all cardholders to confirm their email and mobile phone information is up to date.

Visit our Secure Cardholder Portal to review or update your contact details.