Play it safe. With AirPlus.
Strong Customer Authentication (SCA)
What does EU directive PSD2 change?
EU directive PSD2 SCA (incl. two-factor authentication, or 2FA), already valid since September 14, 2019, came into force on January 1, 2021, permanently changing payment behavior and related requirements. This directive is the EU legislature’s response to the increasing digitalization of European payment transactions and is designed to strengthen consumer protection by promoting the introduction of technical innovations and increasing legal certainty.
What do 2FA and SCA really mean?
SCA is one of the key points of PSD2, the EU’s revised payment service directive, and requires you to verify your identity with two independent factors whenever accessing accounts, making electronic transactions, or involving third-party service providers.
SCA requires all online and card payments to be confirmed independently in two of the following three categories: knowledge (such as a password or PIN), possession (such as a message to your phone), and inherence (a biometric method such as your fingerprint). It is therefore referred to as two-factor authentication, or 2FA, and makes paying by credit card even more secure by ensuring that the cardholder initiates or authorizes a payment themselves.
All of your AirPlus products either fully comply with these requirements (AirPlus Corporate Card) or have been exempted from 2FA by demonstrating exceptional security (such as the AirPlus Company Account and AirPlus Virtual Cards in the single-use version).
AirPlus Company Account
The AirPlus Company Account has been recognized as one of the most reliable means of payment for 30 years. It has been classified as extremely secure by BaFin, the relevant financial supervisory authority, which granted it an official exemption from 2FA in accordance with Art. 17 of the RTS.
AirPlus Corporate Cards
AirPlus Corporate Cards are equipped with state-of-the-art security. However, 2FA requires a distinction be made between on-site and online payments. Read more in our fact sheet.
AirPlus Virtual Cards
As with all other AirPlus products, AirPlus Virtual Cards are a secure, globally accepted digital payment method subject to strict processes. Whether or not 2FA applies depends on which version of AirPlus Virtual Cards you use: Single-Use or Multi-Use. Find out more in our fact sheet.
AirPlus Merchant Agreement
Our payment products AirPlus Company Account1 and AirPlus Travel Agency Account1 are classified as extremely secure by BaFin, the relevant financial supervisory authority, officially exempting them from 2FA.