Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) allows verifying your identity when you make a transaction or a sensitive action (a transfer for example). This system ensures that you are the initiator of the action.
Strong Customer Authentication strengthens the authentication process and provides additional protection to make your Qonto account even more secure. This way, your account is better protected against fraud.
What is the difference between Strong Customer Authentification (SCA) and 2-step verification (2FA)?
With 2-step verification, every time you perform a sensitive transaction or operation, you receive an SMS with a code that you must enter to confirm the operation.
Strong Customer Authentication adds a level of security to your account. Indeed, in addition to the password, this system works with the pairing of a device to your account.
That means that when you make a transaction or a sensitive operation, instead of an SMS, you will receive on the mobile application a notification on your paired device.
With only one click, you can confirm your request and your identity on the mobile application.
☝️ Good to know: the SCA allows you to pair only one phone per profile and is available for phones using iOS, Android or HarmonyOS (Huawei/Honor).
Why this new authentication system?
SCA follows the second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) whose goal is to make transactions and banking operations more secure while keeping your data safe.
Strong Customer Authentication allows you to effectively protect your account.
👉 You want to pair your phone for the first time? Please check this article.
👉 You have changed your phone and want to pair it to your account? Please check this article.
👉 Your paired phone is lost, stolen or you can't use it? Please check this article.