VISA have issued information regarding changes to card processing security from September 2021. The idea is to reduce online fraud.

The changes will apply across Europe. A key part of the new security arrangements is the requirement for Strong Customer Authentication (SCA). This means you may be asked to provide additional information when making some purchases.

In their update VISA said:

Banks are introducing these new security measures for Visa cardholders who shop online or make contactless payments. This will help them ensure only you can use your Visa and give you even more confidence and protection when paying with Visa.

• Online: You may have to enter a passcode, which would be sent to your mobile phone or landline or authenticate your payment in another way, depending on how your Visa Card issuing bank has implemented the new security measures.
• In-store: For contactless purchases, you may be asked to enter your PIN more often.

You may be asked to take an additional security step to confirm you are you when making a payment using your banks’ chosen authentication method. Your bank will have informed you by now on how to do this. If they have not, please contact your bank.

Hopefully, this will give us even more confidence and protection when paying with a credit card, as all card issuers will need to mirror Visa’s changes to maintain a level, secure playing field.