Which technology provides additional security to payment card transactions over HTTPS?

• A. SSL/TLS
• B. 3-D
• C. Internet Protocol Security (IPSec)
• D. Web Service

Answer: (B)

3-D Secure adds an extra authentication step for online card payments beyond the encryption provided by HTTPS. It authenticates the cardholder during the checkout by involving the issuer, the merchant, and the payment network in a three-domain setup. The cardholder may enter a password, a one-time code, or complete a challenge, proving they are the legitimate owner of the card. This additional verification helps reduce fraud for card-not-present transactions.

SSL/TLS encrypts data in transit between the browser and the server, but it doesn’t verify the cardholder’s identity. IPSec secures IP traffic at the network layer, not the application-level payment flow. Web Service is simply a method for enabling inter-system communication and provides no inherent payment authentication.