Visa’s efforts to combat fraud

Examples of Visa’s security solutions

With Visa, you can feel complete confidence wherever you go. Our multiple layers of security prevent, detect and resolve fraud. And, in the unlikely event fraud occurs, you can rest assured that you will not be held liable. Take a look at our multiple layers of security below.

Zero Liability

Shop worry-free at millions of merchants, anywhere in the world. Visa’s Zero Liability policy means you won’t be held responsible for fraudulent charges made with your card or account information ⁽¹⁾. You can use your card to shop with total confidence, as you will always be protected against unauthorised use.

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⁽¹⁾ Visa’s Zero Liability policy covers Australian and New Zealand-issued cards and does not apply to ATM transactions, transactions not processed by Visa or certain commercial card transactions. Cardholders should notify their issuer promptly of any unauthorised Visa use.

Real Time Fraud Monitoring

Intelligence is our best defence. The instant a merchant processes your card, Visa goes to work preventing fraud. We use a detection system to scan thousands of transactions per second. We look for subtle changes in spending patterns that could indicate fraud. If something's amiss – a mismatched address, an unusually large purchase, or transaction far from home – with our partners, we respond immediately.

Chip technology

As a leader in payments technology, Visa is committed to making an already secure system, even more secure. The microchip in your Visa card generates a unique code for every transaction that works with a PIN to prevent counterfeit fraud. Our investment in Chip and PIN technology has had a significant impact on securing the card present environment and reducing counterfeit fraud. Chip technology is already in place in many countries around the world.

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Visa Contactless Payments Security

For transactions under $100, just tap your Visa contactless-enabled card in front of a contactless reader and go - there's no need for a signature or PIN. Every transaction is protected by multiple layers of security. All Visa contactless cards use advanced cryptographic security meaning every transaction includes a unique dynamic code. They have an ultra-short read range and are on EMV chip, making the cards virtually impossible to counterfeit. Visa contactless cardholders are also protected against unauthorised purchases by Visa’s Zero Liability policy. Contactless payments have been introduced in many countries around the world and in Australia, they are well established. There are millions of contactless payments processed securely every day.

Card Verification Value 2 (CVV2)

Ever wonder what that extra three-digit number on the back of the card means? That code is known as CVV2, which stands for Card Verification Value 2, and it's an important security feature that confirms that the card is in your physical possession when you're ordering online or by phone. If a fraudster obtains your account number, but doesn’t know the security code, the online purchase doesn’t go through. It’s just another layer of smart protection brought to you by Visa.

3-D Secure

When you’re shopping online, 3-D Secure provides an added level of security. 3-D Secure intelligently uses data to verify cardholder identities in real-time, and stop fraudulent transactions from proceeding, so customers can shop more confidently and merchants can accept Visa cards with peace of mind.

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Mobile Location Confirmation

Wherever you are in the world, Visa wants your payment transactions to be as convenient, secure, and smart as possible. Visa’s mobile location confirmation technology enhances convenience and security by eliminating the need to notify your bank with travel plans.

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Tokenisation

Visa Token Service, a new security technology from Visa, replaces sensitive account information, such as the 16-digit account number, with a unique digital identifier called a token. The token allows payments to be processed without exposing actual account details that could potentially be compromised.

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Visa’s Account Information Security Program (AIS)

Visa protects cardholders and upholds the integrity of the Visa payments system by operating the AIS program, a globally mandated program that focuses on helping merchants and third party agents improve their data security measures to safeguard Visa cardholder account and transaction information – wherever it resides. The program aims to eliminate unnecessary data storage, and ensure that entities that store, process or transmit Visa cardholder data are doing so securely in accordance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS).

Anti-phishing initiatives

Visa plays an active role against scams such as “phishing” and “spoofing”, where emails and fake websites are used to trick consumers into submitting personal, financial or password data. Visa works closely with industry partners and law enforcement agencies to shut down phishing websites. Visa believes that the key to stopping this type of fraud is through education. Consumers are urged to report any emails and fake websites claiming to be from Visa or their issuing financial institution that request their personal account information to [email protected].

Industry cooperation

Global standards are a vital part of a secure and efficient payments industry. Visa donates many of its security initiatives to the industry and participates in a number of industry work groups aimed at enhancing industry-wide security.

Fraud prevention tips

Fraudsters will stop at nothing to get your personal information and card data. Their scams can be clever, but not clever enough, if you know how they work and how to avoid them. Here, we’ve highlighted a few of the ways you can prevent fraudsters from getting hold of your information.

In addition, if you are a business-owner and your business accepts digital payment, it is important to have security measures in place to ensure your customers' information is safe. Here are some tips to get you started.

Fraud fighting resources

When you choose Visa, you become part of a network of partners committed to fighting fraud at every turn. Security requires the cooperation of financial institutions, processors, merchants and cardholders. Visa and its partners are committed to helping you fight fraud and identity theft. Take a look at our partners’ websites and these additional resources here.

Getting help

Visa is committed to helping you fight fraud. In the unlikely event fraud occurs, here are the steps you can take to seek recourse.