# Payment Authentication and 3D Secure > Authentication verifies the person using the payment method; authorisation decides whether the payment can proceed. These are separate steps, and a successful authentication does not guarantee a successful payment. - Type: Merchant guide - Level: Intermediate - Reading time: About 4 minutes - Audience: Written for store owners, builders, and designers refining high-performance ecommerce stores. - Last updated: 2026-11-04 - Canonical page: https://academy.getzenbasket.com/merchant-questions/payment-authentication-and-3d-secure/ - Part of: [Merchant Questions](https://academy.getzenbasket.com/merchant-questions/) on ZenBasket Academy --- ## What you need to know ### What is payment authentication? Payment authentication checks whether the person using a payment method can verify their identity or authority to use it. It can involve a bank app, one-time code or another supported check. It does not by itself confirm that the payment was authorised or captured. ### What is 3D Secure? 3D Secure, or 3DS, is a card authentication process used for online payments. Some transactions complete without a visible challenge; others ask the customer to verify with their issuer. The required flow depends on the issuer, transaction and applicable rules. ### Why are customers being asked to verify payments? The issuer, provider or applicable authentication requirements may call for an extra check. Explain that the customer should complete verification through the trusted payment flow. Store staff should never ask the customer to send them the verification code. ### Why does authentication sometimes fail? A challenge can fail because it is cancelled, times out, cannot load or is rejected by the issuer. Check the recorded authentication outcome and the device flow. Do not keep restarting the payment if its final status is still unknown. ### Can authentication increase checkout friction? An extra step can cause friction, particularly if the page fails on mobile. Keep the flow clear and recoverable. Evaluate completion alongside fraud and applicable requirements rather than disabling a required check to shorten checkout. --- ## Frequently asked questions ### What happens when authentication succeeds but payment fails? Authentication and authorisation are separate decisions. A customer can pass identity verification and still have the payment declined. Use the final payment result before confirming the order or giving another payment option. ### How should a store recover from interrupted authentication? Retrieve the current payment status, then resume or restart only as the provider's supported flow allows. Preserve the order details and explain the next step. A browser returning from authentication is not reliable proof of successful payment. ## Related articles - **Payment Declines and Safe Retries** - **Keeping Payment and Order Status in Sync** - [ZenBasket Build Guide](https://help.getzenbasket.com/zenbasket-builder/)