Payment Solutions

American Express SafeKey®

Prevent fraud while reducing friction for online transactions

Overview

Benefits

SafeKey 2.0 Comparison

How It Works

Enrollment & Implementation

Resources

Overview

The growth of digital commerce has placed greater emphasis on Merchants and Issuers to enhance their fraud prevention techniques while ensuring their customers can transact quickly and easily on whatever device they choose.

American Express SafeKey 2.0 is a security solution that leverages the global industry standard, EMV® 3-D Secure, to detect and reduce online fraud—providing an extra layer of security when consumers shop through web browsers or in-app.

SafeKey 2.0 enables Merchants and Issuers to exchange detailed information, which helps reduce fraud and minimize the need for a one-time passcode—improving the user experience and reducing shopping cart abandonment.

Building consumer confidence can help expand your market reach. Enhanced fraud protection through SafeKey may encourage online customers to spend more and help grow your business. Enroll in SafeKey today!

EMV® is a registered trademark in the U.S. and other countries and an unregistered trademark elsewhere. The EMV trademark is owned by EMVCo.

Benefits

Merchants

Reduce Fraud Liability

Transfers liability for fraud chargebacks on SafeKey authenticated and attempted transactions to the Issuer
Works alongside other tools to manage fraud

Increase Profitability

Helps customers feel more secure about online purchases potentially increasing their confidence to spend

Reduce Shopping Cart Abandonment

Allows Issuers to use additional data elements already part of the checkout process to authenticate a Cardmember without a ‘challenge’* reducing friction, leading to a higher conversion of sales

*A ‘challenge’ is when an Issuer can request the Cardmember to prove his/her identity, e.g. by use of a One-Time Passcode (OTP).

Issuers

Reduce Fraud

Lowers fraud with an extra layer of security
Leverages richer data to make smarter, more sophisticated risk decisions

Increase Sales

Helps increase Cardmember confidence by reducing friction leading to reduced
cart abandonment

Authenticate Securely

Richer data allows targeting of higher risk transactions where stronger customer authentication would be beneficial
Supports a variety of Cardmember authentication methods, including one-time passcodes, biometrics, and out-of-band

Cardmembers

Helps protect against the fraudulent use of Cardmember details
Simplifies enrollment as Issuers will do this automatically for Cardmembers
Expands protection of SafeKey from web browsers to include in-app purchases

SafeKey 2.0 Comparison

Features	SafeKey 2.0
	SafeKey 2.1	SafeKey 2.2	SafeKey 2.3
App-based (in-app) enablement
Non-payment authentication
Token-based transactions
Out-of-band authentication
3DS Requestor-Initiated (3RI) non-payment authentications
3DS Requestor-Initiated (3RI) payment authentications
Decoupled authentication
PSD2 data elements and indicators
Additional support for gaming consoles and headless devices
Support for Secure Payment Confirmation
Automated out-of-brand transitions and UI enhancements
Enhanced data for additional payment scenarios

^{New SafeKey 2.1 certifications no longer accepted after July 2023.}

^{SafeKey 2.1 decommission date end Sept 2024.}

^{SafeKey 2.3 specifications can be accessed through AMEX Enabled and Knowledge Base. Certification for this latest version will be available in late 2023.}

How It Works

Enrollment & Implementation

ACS & 3DS Server (MPI) Provider

SDK

Issuer

Acquirer

Merchant

ACS & 3DS Server (MPI) Provider

Click here to register your company with the AMEX Enabled Program

(Please note SafeKey merchants DO NOT need to register and should contact their Payment Service Provider to set up SafeKey)
Confirmation email contains link to product enrollment form
Complete product enrollment form
Enroll one or more users to access the AMEX Enabled Dashboard
Log in to the AMEX Enabled Dashboard to access certification documentation
Access SafeKey Test Lab from AMEX Enabled to complete testing and certification of your solution

SDK

A Merchant’s app processes SafeKey transactions using a Software Development Kit (SDK). SDK Providers are required to enroll with American Express to provide proof of their EMVCo certification.

Click here to register your company with the AMEX Enabled Program
Confirmation email contains link to enrollment form
Complete enrollment form, provide your EMVCo SDK Reference Number(s)
Enroll users to access the AMEX Enabled Dashboard
Log in to the AMEX Enabled Dashboard and read the "SDK SafeKey Instructions" document for next steps

Issuer

Please contact your American Express representative if you would like to certify for SafeKey.

Acquirer

Please contact your American Express representative if you would like to certify for SafeKey.

Merchant

Engage 3DS Server (MPI) Provider

See www.amexenabled.com for list of certified providers
Integrate 3DS Server’s authentication flow into Merchant’s website

Note: 3DS Requestors are not required to enroll directly with American Express

ACS & 3DS Server (MPI) Provider

Click here to register your company with the AMEX Enabled Program

(Please note SafeKey merchants DO NOT need to register and should contact their Payment Service Provider to set up SafeKey)
Confirmation email contains link to product enrollment form
Complete product enrollment form
Enroll one or more users to access the AMEX Enabled Dashboard
Log in to the AMEX Enabled Dashboard to access certification documentation
Access SafeKey Test Lab from AMEX Enabled to complete testing and certification of your solution

SDK

Click here to register your company with the AMEX Enabled Program
Confirmation email contains link to enrollment form
Complete enrollment form, provide your EMVCo SDK Reference Number(s)
Enroll users to access the AMEX Enabled Dashboard
Log in to the AMEX Enabled Dashboard and read the "SDK SafeKey Instructions" document for next steps

Issuer

Please contact your American Express representative if you would like to certify for SafeKey.

Acquirer

Please contact your American Express representative if you would like to certify for SafeKey.

Merchant

Engage 3DS Server (MPI) Provider

See www.amexenabled.com for list of certified providers
Integrate 3DS Server’s authentication flow into Merchant’s website

Note: 3DS Requestors are not required to enroll directly with American Express


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