Fraud Protection
Fraud management solutions
Identity theft costs consumers and businesses billions of dollars each year. It is essential that businesses implement the latest and best in the fraud protection management. We have made it our business to become fraud management experts, delivering powerful products and offering third-party fraud solutions.
Address Verification Service
Address Verification Service (AVS) is a risk management tool for merchants accepting transactions when neither the card nor the cardholder are present, or when the card is present but its magnetic stripe cannot be read by a terminal at the point of sale. Provided by the major card associations, AVS helps reduce the risk of fraudulent transactions by verifying the cardholder’s billing address on file at the card issuer. Merchants submit the AVS request through UniBul Merchant Services directly to the specific credit card association for address comparison.
Card Security Verification
Card security verification collects the non-embossed 3- or 4-digit numeric code on the credit card provided at the time of purchase. Statistics prove that individuals, who possess the account number, but not the actual credit card, perpetrate much of the non-face-to-face fraud. Merchants that fully support card security verification can expect fewer fraudulent transactions reduced cardholder disputes, and improved customer satisfaction. UniBul Merchant Services routes the card verification request from the merchant directly to the specific credit card association. The card security value is then compared to the card issuer’s value on file. Credit card verification programs are offered by the major card associations and are known as CVV2 (Visa), CVC2 (MasterCard), CID (American Express) and CID (Discover Card).
Credit Card Authentication
Both Visa and MasterCard offer authentication services enabling issuers to verify a cardholder’s account ownership during an online purchase. With Verified by Visa (VbV) and MasterCard SecureCode, consumers are assured that using a bankcard online is as safe as using it at a local merchant. And merchants are fully protected from issuer chargebacks on transactions which have been fully authenticated. Since the transaction is authenticated by the issuing bank, the merchant will be paid. Merchants no longer need to bear the risk or the cost of fraud. When a cardholder shops at a participating VbV or SecureCode merchant site, the checkout process remains the same until the “buy” button is selected. If the bankcard is registered with a participating issuer, consumers will be asked for their VbV password or their SecureCode issuer specific access credentials. Through this simple checkout process, the bankcard issuer confirms a consumer’s identity in real time.
Transaction Scoring
Through a third party relationship, UniBul Merchant Services offers a “fully managed” global fraud solution. This comprehensive solution combines FalconTM Fraud Manager for Merchants predictive scoring technology with access to proprietary databases, rules based processing, and expert human insight to provide a best of breed risk management service. Merchants are provided a clear recommendation of accept, deny or challenge. Merchants also gain access to a web-based tool, providing detailed information on each transaction to determine its viability.
Identity Authentication
This service creates a virtual ‘card present’ environment by performing real-time authentication of a purchaser’s identity. Identity authentication detects identification fraud by using robust proprietary databases, statistical analysis and government issued identification. Identity authentication prevents would-be criminals from stealing a consumer’s identity as well as deterring consumers from making an authorized purchase then later denying the transaction. In addition, selected services provide a guarantee against fraud losses.
Age Verification
Merchants can now ‘card’ visitors at their website to authenticate identity and age. Age verification uses an international database of government-issued identifications to instantaneously verify age and identity online. It provides a fraud-screening tool and satisfies legal compliance where applicable. Merchants simply send user information collected at the website for instantaneous age or identity verification. Consumers can optionally sign their name with a mouse, providing another layer of protection. Less than five seconds after customers submit their name, zip code and date of birth, age verification providers determine the exact identity of the consumer, and bind their signature to the public record. Merchants are insured against fines up to $10,000 imposed by any federal, state or local government law enforcement agency for an underage sale of the merchant’s products and $1,000,000 in legal fees for covered transactions.
Card Brand Data Security
Visa’s CISP (Cardholder Information Security Program) and MasterCard’s SDP (Site Data Protection) programs are security initiatives that require merchants to safeguard card data. Visa and MasterCard, along with the other card brands, have adopted common industry security requirements referred to as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS).
Customers and businesses using electronic forms of payment expect their cardholder data to be stored securely and privately. UniBul Merchant Services helps educate our merchants on the basics of data security and the mandatory industry requirements around the protection of data throughout the payment transaction process.