Also called: ECI, Electronic Commerce Indicator
What an Electronic Commerce Indicator is
An Electronic Commerce Indicator (ECI) is a network code that reports the authentication status associated with a card payment. For online transactions, it commonly reflects the result of 3-D Secure, the process that asks a cardholder to verify a purchase with their bank.
The ECI is network-specific. As of 2026, Visa response values include 05 for fully authenticated, 06 for an authentication attempt, and 07 for not authenticated. Mastercard uses 02 for fully authenticated and 01 for an authentication attempt. The same number does not mean the same thing across networks.
ECI is evidence about authentication, not a fee and not a guarantee of liability shift.
How the ECI works
During a 3-D Secure payment, the issuer's authentication system returns a status. The payment message carries authentication details, and the network returns a response ECI during authorization. A value included in the authorization request is not necessarily the final response value, because the network can return a different one.
The code is a signal, not a complete record of the transaction. For example, a Visa 05 or Mastercard 02 indicates successful authentication, while Visa 07 indicates no authentication. Other conditions still determine whether the transaction qualifies for liability shift, including network rules and transaction eligibility. An ECI alone does not guarantee that fraud losses move to the issuer.
How to read the values
Read the network name and ECI together. Visa 06 means authentication was attempted, while Mastercard 06 identifies merchant-based liability. Treating both as the same result can lead you to misread your fraud exposure. Mastercard also returns values for other transaction circumstances, including 07 for recurring transactions or partial shipments.
A missing ECI is not proof that a transaction was authenticated. Visa and Mastercard can omit the field in some cases, and networks outside Visa and Mastercard do not return an ECI in the same way. If you review transaction data, match the value to the card network and authentication result rather than comparing numbers by themselves.
What it means for your costs and disputes
ECI has no direct fee amount in the available payment documentation, and it is not a merchant-statement fee line. Its financial significance is indirect: authentication evidence can support your response to a fraudulent dispute, and qualifying authenticated transactions can receive liability shift under network rules.
That shift is not automatic. If the response indicates no authentication, or the transaction fails other eligibility conditions, you remain exposed to the dispute. ECI is most useful as one piece of transaction-level evidence alongside the authentication record, order details, and delivery or service records.
Where to find it
Look in your payment platform's transaction details or reporting data, not among monthly processing charges. Some systems expose the field in an authorization response, transaction record, or webhook. The exact screen and field name depend on the system handling your payments, and ECI is not a standard statement line to reconcile against a billed amount.
What you can actually change
- Check the network. Read each ECI alongside the card network. Visa 06 and Mastercard 06 have different meanings, so do not group them as one outcome.
- Review failed cases. Compare unauthenticated or missing ECI records with your fraud disputes. Confirm that your transaction data preserves the final network response and related authentication details.
- Keep dispute evidence. For a fraudulent dispute, retain the ECI with authentication records, order information, and proof of delivery or service. An authenticated ECI supports your case but does not guarantee a liability shift.
Frequently asked questions
Is an ECI a fee on my processing statement?
No. ECI is a transaction authentication code, and the reviewed documentation specifies no ECI fee or statement charge. Look for it in transaction details or payment data, not in your monthly processing-fee totals.
Does an ECI guarantee a liability shift?
No. An authenticated ECI is one condition that can support liability shift, but network rules and transaction eligibility also apply. Keep the authentication record and other dispute evidence rather than relying on the code alone.
Do Visa and Mastercard use the same ECI values?
No. The values are network-specific. As of 2026, Visa 05 indicates full authentication, while Mastercard 05 is not listed as the equivalent; Mastercard 02 indicates full authentication. Always interpret the code with its network.