Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) is a requirement that aims to improve electronic payment security. It means that customers must provide two types of authentication when making a payment. Some of the potential benefits of SCA for businesses and consumers include improved payment security and protection against fraud.
SCA is part of the EU’s Revised Payment Services Directive, often referred to as PSD2. This is a set of laws and regulations within the European Economic Area, much of which relates to payment gateway security. Since the law was passed before Britain left the EU, it will apply in the UK too. SCA applies to face-to-face payments, and as of September 15th 2021, UK e-commerce payments too.