What Is 3D Secure?

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3D Secure is an online security feature designed to ensure that the person placing an order online is in fact the legitimate card holder, rather than someone who may have stolen or cloned the card. It's a bit like "Chip and PIN" for the web.

The two main implementations of 3D Secure are 'Verified by Visa' and 'Mastercard SecureCode' - it's the same system just different versions. Some banks may also use this system under another guise, Lloyds TSB for instance implement 3D Secure under the name 'ClickSafe'.

How does it work?

If your bank/building society is enrolled in the scheme, you will need to create an additional 3D Secure 'account' on their website - for the Nationwide, for instance, the web address is: http://www.nationwide.co.uk/vbv/

This additional login is held by your bank and is not available to either us or our payment processor, sage pay. The actual process for a 3D Secure transaction is as follows:

1: You place an order on our website

2: Our site then securely contacts our payment processor, sage pay

3: sage pay verify the details and, all being well, contact your bank

4: If your bank is enrolled in the 3D Secure system they send a web address (URI) back to us (via sage pay) which provides the location of their 3D Secure login page

If your bank is not enrolled in the 3D Secure system a notification is sent back to sage pay and the order completes normally

5: That login page, which comes directly from YOUR bank, is then embedded into a page on our site. You need to use that form to log into your 3D Secure account and complete the process.

If everything completes correctly, order processing will be finalised with sage pay's systems and our own and you will be taken to our "order complete, thank you" page.

Despite the fact that the login form appears to be on our site it actually isn't, it is a page provided by your bank being loaded into a "frame" on our site. Neither we, nor sage pay have access to any information entered in that form - nor do we have any control over the layout or content.

Our ordering pages are secure

Look for https: in the address bar and a padlock icon.

How does this make me more secure?

The 3D Secure system works by requiring that additional login from you, a login known only to you and your bank and only ever communicated between yourself and your bank. It is never printed on any statements nor accessed at any time other than when you are placing an online order.

When you log into the 3D Secure system your bank simply informs the relevant merchant and payment processor, ourselves and sage pay in this instance, that you have successfully logged in and verified your identity.

So even if someone should clone your credit/debit card and have access to your name and address, they will not know your 3D Secure login and won't be able to use your information to place orders online... at least not with any merchant participating in the 3D Secure scheme! Look out for the Verified by Visa and Mastercard SecureCode logos (see below).

Further information

Should you require any further information you can see the pages supplied by Visa and Mastercard at:

	Verified by Visa: http://www.visaeurope.com/personal/onlineshopping/verifiedbyvisa/main.jsp
	Mastercard SecureCode: http://www.mastercard.com/uk/merchant/en/security/what_can_do/SecureCode/faq.html

If you are experiencing difficulties with 3D Secure you can still place your order with us via freephone 0800 7312820 or by post at: