Websights

I was looking to move house a few months ago and went for a Westbridge Homes New build development.

After moving in I was sorting all the usual stuff out; insurance, post redirecting, and addresses for all my domain names updating etc. I called KC to get a new telephone line put in with a Broadband connection and was told at first I would be called back in the next week to arrange a date for when an engineer can come and connect us.

After all the madness of moving I realised I never got that call, so I called KC in Hull and was told it would be a further 3 weeks at least due to all the flooding in the Yorkshire area, mainly Hull. So I wasn’t too pleased but in the situation of much of Hull been under water they had a fair point.

The annoying part was I was stuck in a contract for a further 10 months just because I requested a static I.P. from KC otherwise I would have gone for maybe the SKY deal.

The line and BB connection was for general browsing but was also to enable me to work securely from home to remote servers that host websites and relay email for out of hours support.

Otherwise BT could have done it much sooner and it’s no fun browsing web pages on a T-Mobile flex account on my laptop (dial up comes to mind).

Only 5 days to go and counting

We are pleased to announce the launch of a micro-site for Dove House. We have worked with Dove House for several years, and were happy to help when they came to us asking for a mini-site to be created at short notice. Dove House’s main web site can be seen at dovehouse.org.uk and the Dove House Symposium mini-site is at dovehousesymposium.co.uk until after the event.

If you are taking credit & debit card payments online you should already be aware of some changes which are due to be implemented which will affect many online merchants.

These changes were originally planned for June but were put back and are now due to be launched on 1st August 2007. This includes the launch of 3D secure, also known as “Verified by Visa” (VBV) & “MasterCard Secure Code” (MSC)

What is 3D Secure?

3D Secure is the latest fraud prevention initiative launched by the card schemes as a more
secure method for authenticating the shopper at the time of the transaction. Visa and MasterCard will take responsibility for your 3D Secure Authenticated transactions, taking the liability and reducing the risk of chargebacks your receive.

Why do I need 3D Secure Authentication?

3D Secure is becoming an Industry standard. As well as being a free service, 3D Secure is also a value added tool. It is easy to set up and can compliment your existing fraud screening options.

How does it work?

3D Secure is an extra step the customer must take to process their order.

After the shopper has chosen their goods and elected to pay, when submitting their card details, depending on the card type they entered, they will be redirected to a Visa or MasterCard page.

1. If they have registered their card for 3D Secure, they will be asked to enter their 3D Secure password.
2. If they have not registered their card before, they will have the option to do so, there and then.
3. If they have not registered their card and do not wish to do so they can bypass the process.

If the shopper has registered their card for 3D Secure, Visa or MasterCard will verify the shopper and if correct will the transaction will continue as normal and be sent to the bank for authorisation.

If the customer chooses to bypass the scheme they will still be passed to the bank for authorisation unless you have set up a Rule Base to reject them.

Benefits of 3D Secure

• Liability shift: The major benefit to you as the vendor is that a transaction fully 3D- Secure validated, cannot be charged-back to you if it is subsequently found to be fraudulent. You are protected by the card issuer against such chargebacks because the bank themselves assume the liability.
• Flexibility: You have the option of setting up a rule base on your Protx account to automatically accept or reject transactions depending on the 3D Secure results.
• Cards that are part of the scheme: VISA, VISA DELTA, MASTERCARD, UK MAESTRO, SOLO, and VISA ELECTRON.

Limitations of 3D Secure

• Chargebacks can still occur: A 3D secure validated transaction will not protect you in circumstances such as in the event where the customer denies receipt of goods.
• Not all cards are part of the scheme: As yet there are no similar initiatives for American Express, JCB or Diner’s Club.

What do I need to do?

Contact your card processors and they should be able to enable 3D Secure on your merchant account.

You will also need to remove any Switch logos from your site if you are using one. This can be replaced with Maestro if required.

We have been passed around a little between our bank and the card processors but with a little determination we have managed to get the two to liaise with each other and should be setup for the deadline next week.

If you take payments over the phone then this may not apply to you - contact your bank and your card payment processors to find out if this affects you