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What is 3DS?

How 3DS works

3DS (3-D Secure) is the online payment authentication protocol of Visa, Mastercard and other networks — branded Visa Secure and Mastercard Identity Check. Before charging, the merchant sends a verification request to the issuer, which either approves based on transaction risk or asks the cardholder to complete an extra step, such as entering an SMS code, confirming in the issuer's app or using an email code. Only after verification does authorization proceed.

For example, ether.fi Cash officially sends one-time payment codes by app push and by email with the subject "Etherfi: Your one-time payment authentication code". Methods differ by issuer, so follow each one's official instructions.

3DS by card (official statements)

3DS support as stated on official pages.

When 3DS fails

1. Make sure your phone receives SMS, or the issuer's app is logged in with notifications on.
2. Codes usually expire; start the payment again if time runs out.
3. Check your spam folder — some platforms send codes by email.
4. Avoid being logged into the issuer's app on several devices, so the push doesn't go elsewhere.
5. After several failures, stop retrying and ask the card platform's support to check the card's status.

Why verification doesn't always appear

3DS 2 supports a "frictionless" flow: the issuer assesses risk from the device, amount, merchant and history, approves low-risk transactions without a code, and only asks for extra verification when risk looks higher. So the same card may prompt at one merchant or amount and not another — that's normal.

3DS with ad platforms and subscriptions

Ad platforms and subscription services often run a small or zero-amount pre-authorization when you add a card, and that can trigger 3DS too. If you leave the page too long and the code expires, adding the card fails and you need to submit again. Later automatic renewals or ad charges are usually merchant-initiated and don't normally ask for verification every time.

Cards to look at

These three cards officially state 3DS support.

PokePay: PokePay is operated by PokePay Technology Co., Ltd. Very low spending-side fees (0 monthly, 0% cross-border); check the top-up fee in the app before opening. Issuance 5 usd; total cost at non-usd merchants ≥0.5%; accepts passport. Best for passport holders using the card mainly for subscriptions and online shopping; not for ad teams that need official confirmation of ad-platform behaviour. Read the full review

ether.fi Cash: ether.fi Cash differs from most cards in our dataset: it is a credit card with two modes, Borrow and Direct Pay, using on-chain assets as the basis for your limit. The most transparent document policy of the group, but only open to listed jurisdictions. Issuance 0 usd; total cost at non-usd merchants ≥0.5%; accepts id card / passport / passport+poa; mainland china residents: officially not eligible. Best for holders of on-chain assets living in supported regions such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan or Korea; not for mainland China residents; beginners unfamiliar with on-chain borrowing risk. Read the full review

KripiCard: KripiCard is a virtual-only card platform. Publishes the bulk issuing and limits ad teams care about; the price is a 4% + 1 USD top-up fee. Issuance 5 usd; total cost at non-usd merchants 4.6%. Best for ad teams that need many virtual cards to separate accounts; not for small individual users sensitive to top-up cost. Read the full review

Related pages

• Declined ad payments
• Cards for shopping
• Cards for AI subscriptions

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