One of the world’s leading hospitality groups, Accor, maintains the smooth, frictionless payment experiences their customers love while complying with PSD2 and its Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) requirements.
Starting in January 2021, the SCA requirement of PSD2 has been gradually enforced across Europe. It’s a positive step for security, but can mean poor payment experiences and potential lost sales if not implemented well.
Smooth payment authentication when required
Cybersource has been working with Accor since 2016. With the help of 3-D Secure Payer Authentication, Accor can manage smooth payment authentication no matter what devices their customers shop with.
This solution also provides smarter, broader authentication options, including one-time passwords, biometric identification, and out-of-band authentication.
In short, even when secondary authentication is required, it doesn’t create extra friction in the payment journey—reflected in the minimal negative impact Accor has seen on its conversion rates following PSD2 enforcement.
A smart exemptions strategy
SCA doesn’t apply to all transactions. Some are out of scope (like regular subscriptions) and others are exempt (like transactions of less than €30).
With the help of Cybersource Decision Manager plus Payer Authentication, Accor can flag out-of-scope and exempt transactions early—and crucially before they’re submitted for authorization.
This makes the customer experience even more seamless while also protecting Accor against potential lost sales.
An acquirer-agnostic solution
One of the big benefits of Accor’s Cybersource solution is that it is acquirer agnostic. The company is able to plug into a single connection to meet their wider acquiring needs across Europe and beyond, which is critical for a business like Accor with more than 5,000 hotels in 110 countries.
“We are very happy with the work,” says Elisa Schiess, Product Manager at Accor. “What is really great is that, as well as the solution itself, we also get from Cybersource the support we need on all the different aspects of PSD2 application, payments, and processes.”
Get the full story about how Accor complies with PSD2 SCA regulation without adding customer friction.
To learn more about Accor, visit their website.