What is Strong Customer Authentication (SCA)?
Updated over a week ago

Ensuring the security of our clients' accounts is our duty. To achieve this, activating Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) on your access is mandatory.

The implementation of SCA was made mandatory by the Payment Services Directive (PSD2) voted in 2015 by the European Parliament and entered into force in September 2019.

Why Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) instead of another 2-step verification system?

Until now, Qonto offered 2-step verification, which consists of receiving an SMS with a code to enter to validate each transaction or sensitive operation. This system is no longer secure enough and is now replaced by SCA.

Strong authentication offers maximum security for your account. This system works by associating a smartphone with your access.

Thus, for each transaction or sensitive operation, instead of an SMS, you receive a notification on your Qonto mobile application. With one click, you can confirm that you are at the origin of the transaction and thus validate your request securely.

This is currently the most advanced protection in the fight against fraud, which is why Qonto has chosen to adopt it for its customers.

💡 Good to know: the SCA allows you to pair only one phone per profile and is available for iOS, Android, and HarmonyOS (Huawei/Honor) phones.

👉 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.

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