Online shopping is becoming more secure

Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) is a new set of rules that will change how you confirm your identity when making purchases online.

When you shop online, you may need to undertake an extra step to confirm it’s really you. This could mean Al Rayan Bank asking you to verify a purchase using a One Time Passcode (OTP) sent via text message to your mobile phone or a Push Notification via our Mobile Banking app.

SCA requires a minimum of at least 2 out of the following 3 independent elements to authenticate the cardholder.

1. Something the payer has, for example a mobile phone.
2. Something the payer knows, for example a passcode.
3. Something the payer is, for example biometric identification like fingerprints, facial recognition or an iris scan

SCA is being introduced to help further reduce fraud and protect consumers from online criminals. With increasing amounts of purchases being made online, these new regulatory rules will provide the extra protections necessary to ensure that customers are safe when purchasing online and their money is better protected.

These rules will apply to you when you’re making an online purchase. When buying items from online retailers, you may receive a text message from Al Rayan Bank containing a One Time Passcode. You will then be prompted to enter this code on screen before your payment will be taken. 

If you are using our Digital Banking services, you can authenticate via a Push Notification to the Al Rayan Bank Mobile Banking app.

No. Some types of transactions are exempt from strong customer authentication, meaning that you may not always be asked to complete extra security steps.

Whilst the biggest changes you are likely to see are online, SCA will also apply in a face to face environment. As Chip & PIN is a familiar way of proving your identity, for most purchases you won’t have to do anything different. However, if you make contactless payments, SCA may mean you have to input your PIN slightly more often.

These rules don’t apply to travel, so your regular contactless payments for the bus, train or tube won’t be affected.

Not all payments will be affected. Non-electronic payments, such as cash and cheques, or payments made over the telephone (for example, buying from a catalogue by calling the company and giving your details over the phone) are not affected by the changes.

Automatic payments that you make regularly to the same provider (e.g. a subscription to online streaming platform) do not require SCA. You may still be asked for additional identity checks when initially setting up these payments.

Any existing Direct Debits and Standing Orders that are set up from your account will also be unaffected.