Alternatives to 3DS authentication

[Papa Carder]

Alternatives to 3D authentication (3D Secure / Verified by Visa / Mastercard SecureCode / SafeKey, etc.) in 2026 fall into two broad categories:

1. Alternatives within card payments are ways to make online card payments without (or with minimal friction) the 3DS challenge.
2. Completely different payment methods - which do not initially use the 3DS protocol (or use it rarely/optionally).

1. Alternatives for card payments (without the 3DS challenge or with frictionless)​

These options allow the card to be used for payment without entering OTP, biometrics, or push confirmation.

• Non-3DS / non-VBV / non-MSC BINs:
  Cards for which the issuer has not registered 3DS (legacy cards, some debit/prepaid cards, corporate cards).
  In 2026, their share will be <10–20% in developed countries, but they still exist (especially in the US, Latin America, Asia, and Africa).
  Payment is processed as a standard authorization (number + CVV + expiry + AVS/CVV check only).
  Disadvantage: many merchants (Amazon, Walmart, Stripe) block or require manual review for non-3DS BINs due to the high risk of fraud.
• Frictionless / risk-based 3DS 2.x.
  The most widespread "alternative" in 2026 isn't a bypass of 3DS, but a seamless version of it. With 3DS 2.x (EMV 3-D Secure), transactions proceed without a challenge
  in 70–95% of cases (OTP / biometrics are not requested). The issuer (bank) makes a decision based on a risk score: device fingerprint, transaction history, geolocation, amount, MCC, etc. This is standard in the EU (PSD2/SCA), the US, and most of Asia. To the user, it appears as "without 3DS", but technically, 3DS still occurs in the background.
• SCA exemptions / exemptions under PSD2/SCA (Europe/EEA, but affects globally)
  In the EU/UK (PSD2) and similar regulations, there are official exemptions — transactions that do not require SCA(including the 3DS challenge):
  • Low-value transactions (LVP): up to €30 (or equivalent) – up to 5 transactions in a row, then SCA.
  • Trusted beneficiaries / whitelisted merchants: first payment with SCA, subsequent payments are frictionless (merchant is whitelisted by the bank).
  • Recurring / MIT (Merchant Initiated Transactions): subscriptions, auto payments after the first SCA.
  • Low-risk / TRA (Transaction Risk Analysis): issuer or acquirer assesses the risk as low → exemption.
  • One-leg out / out-of-scope: issuer outside the EEA (e.g., US card to EU store) — often without SCA.
  • Corporate / B2B payments: business cards are often exempt.
  • Unattended terminals (parking, transport) are exempt.
    Merchants (or their PSPs) can request an exemption from the acquirer → the issuer decides whether to apply it.
• Delegated authentication / delegated 3DS:
  In 3DS 2.2+, a bank can delegate authentication to a third party (e.g., Google Pay / Apple Pay token).
  The payment proceeds without the classic 3DS challenge — the biometrics/token are considered SCA.

2. Completely different payment methods (not dependent on 3DS)​

These methods do not use the 3DS card protocol at all.

• Digital wallets / tokenized payments:
  Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Garmin Pay, etc.
  The card is tokenized → a device-bound token + biometrics (Face ID / fingerprint) are used.
  The 3DS challenge is either not triggered or passes frictionlessly (the issuer sees it as a "trusted device").
  In 2026, it will be one of the most popular and secure online payment methods (32%+ of e-commerce in North America).
• PayPal / Venmo / Cash App / Revolut Pay
  The payment goes through their account → the bank sees it as a transfer from PayPal (often without 3DS for the end merchant).
  PayPal uses its own risk scoring and sometimes 3DS when the card is first added.
• Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) — Klarna, Afterpay, Affirm, PayPal Pay in 4.
  The BNPL provider processes the payment (often by card or ACH), and you pay them in installments. 3DS may be on the BNPL side, but for the merchant, it's just a transfer.
• Bank transfers / ACH / SEPA / Faster Payments
  Direct bank transfer (not card) — no 3DS at all.
  In the EU: SEPA Instant, in the US: ACH / Zelle / FedNow.
• Cryptocurrency payments
  (USDT, BTC, ETH, etc.) via wallets (Binance Pay, Coinbase Commerce).
  No 3DS, but high fees and volatility.
• Cash on delivery / payment upon receipt
  Classic for countries with low trust in online payments - no 3DS, because there is no online authorization.

A Quick Look at 3DS Alternatives in 2026​

Alternative type	Does the 3DS challenge require it?	Where does it work most often?	Security level	Notes
Frictionless 3DS 2.x	No (in the background)	Everywhere (EU/USA/Asia)	High	The most widespread "alternative"
SCA-exemptions (LVP, trusted, recurring)	No	EU/EEA + similar	Medium-high	Regulatory relaxations
Non-3DS BINs	No	Legacy/regional	Short	Rarely, disappears quickly
Digital wallets (Apple/Google Pay)	Rarely / frictionless	Globally	Very tall	Tokenization + biometrics
PayPal / BNPL	No / on the provider's side	Globally	High	Convenient for merchants
Bank transfers / Crypto	No	Depends on the region	Different	Without a card at all

If you want to minimize 3DS challenges on your personal card, use Apple Pay / Google Pay (token + biometrics), PayPal, or BNPL services. These are the most reliable and convenient alternatives in 2026.

If you have a question about a specific region/country/merchant, please clarify, and I'll give you a more precise picture.