What Mastercard Identity Check is
Mastercard Identity Check is Mastercard's authentication program for digital card payments. It uses the 3-D Secure (3DS) protocol to let the card issuer assess whether the person making an online purchase is the cardholder. Mastercard Identity Check is Mastercard's current 3DS program and replaced Mastercard SecureCode.
Identity Check is part of the authentication step, not a payment method. Your business submits the transaction for authentication through a 3DS setup, and the issuer makes the decision. The transaction then continues through payment authorization.
Identity Check can add evidence to an online payment decision, but it does not guarantee approval or eliminate chargebacks.
How Identity Check works at checkout
The issuer can authenticate a transaction in a frictionless flow, using transaction details and risk signals without asking the customer to do anything extra. If the issuer needs more evidence, it can challenge the customer, for example by asking for a one-time passcode. The customer completes the challenge before checkout continues.
Your business connects to the program through its payment setup, including a 3DS Server. The issuer's Access Control Server handles the authentication decision. Accurate transaction data helps the issuer assess risk; a challenge adds a step that the customer must complete before the order can proceed.
What it means for fraud, approvals and costs
Authentication gives the issuer more information to distinguish a genuine customer from a fraudulent attempt. That can help limit fraudulent orders and false declines, but Identity Check does not guarantee approval or prevent every chargeback. Certain successfully authenticated transactions can qualify for a liability shift under applicable network rules. The shift is not automatic for every transaction.
The program's published materials do not specify a merchant fee, a billing arrangement or a statement descriptor. Do not assume a line item labeled Identity Check is a standard Mastercard charge. Review any separate charge against the service and pricing described in your processing agreement, and compare it with your total card-processing costs.
What you can actually change
You cannot control the issuer's authentication decision, but you can help the process work well by keeping checkout usable and sending complete transaction information. Identity Check does not publish a guaranteed reduction in your processing costs.
- Make the 3DS authentication step available for eligible online Mastercard transactions.
- Send accurate transaction details through your payment setup so the issuer can assess the purchase.
- Keep challenge instructions clear and mobile-friendly so customers can finish checkout.
- Review any Identity Check-related charge separately from your processor markup and other card fees.
- Review your setup. Confirm with your payment team that your online Mastercard checkout supports the current 3DS authentication flow.
- Test the challenge. Place a test order on a phone and check that any issuer-requested verification is clear and easy to complete.
- Check separate charges. Compare any line item described as Identity Check with your agreement and the other charges on your statement.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mastercard Identity Check the same as 3-D Secure?
No. 3-D Secure is the protocol used to authenticate online card payments, while Mastercard Identity Check is Mastercard's program built on that protocol. It replaced Mastercard SecureCode as Mastercard's current 3DS program.
Does Mastercard Identity Check add a fee to my statement?
The program information does not specify a merchant fee, billing arrangement or statement descriptor. If you see a separate Identity Check charge, compare its description and amount with your processing agreement rather than assuming it is a standard network fee.
Does Identity Check prevent chargebacks?
No. Authentication can help identify fraudulent attempts, and certain successfully authenticated transactions can qualify for a liability shift under applicable network rules. The shift does not apply to every transaction, and authentication does not eliminate all fraud or chargebacks.