Identity & Onboarding

What is strong customer authentication (SCA)?

A regulatory requirement under the EU’s Revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2) mandating that electronic payments use at least two independent authentication factors from three categories: knowledge (password/PIN), possession (device/token), and inherence (biometric). SCA aims to reduce fraud in online and contactless payments across the European Economic Area.

How it works

Example: When a European customer makes an online purchase over €30, their bank app sends a push notification requiring fingerprint authentication (inherence) on their registered phone (possession) before the payment is authorized.