BitPay added an 'always challenge' 3-D Secure mode for cards. Operators can mark specific cards to require 3-D Secure verification on every charge, regardless of amount. The previous threshold-based mode (challenge above $X) remains the default; the new mode is opt-in per card.
Useful scenarios: a card dedicated to a high-risk vendor (electronics retailer, foreign travel booking, certain digital goods). A card issued for a single trial vendor where fraud risk is elevated. A card used for ad spend where the operator has been burned before and wants maximum protection. Each of these scenarios benefits from always-challenge mode.
Operator experience: a 3-D Secure challenge triggers on every charge, regardless of amount. The challenge flow is the same (SMS, email, or authenticator code), so cardholder onboarding is unchanged. The only difference is the frequency - cards in always-challenge mode trigger 3DS for every charge rather than only for charges above the threshold.
The fraud-monitoring system also benefits. Charges that successfully pass 3DS in always-challenge mode are flagged as 'low risk' for downstream monitoring. Charges that fail 3DS - whether due to wrong code or non-response - trigger immediate freeze alerts. Operators running high-risk cards in always-challenge mode see fewer successful fraud events than operators using threshold mode.
