American Express Safekey

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The security that offers protection for your online business

Online security that helps to protect businesses and helps them prosper

American Express SafeKey® is a 3-D Secure® authentication tool that works to reduce online fraud by confirming the Cardmember’s identity with an additional password. Whether you’re a Merchant or an Acquirer, with American Express SafeKey®, you can leverage existing 3-D Secure® technology to minimise fraud through a consumer friendly solution.


There are several ways SafeKey® can help Merchants optimise operational efficiency by reducing the costs of fraud
  • Merchants can transfer the liability for chargeback losses from applicable transactions to the issuing bank with the Fraud Liability Shift (FLS) Policy. That means Merchants are not liable for losses on eligible transactions authenticated by the issuing bank in SafeKey enabled markets.
  • Our solution may decrease the number of chargebacks Merchants have, therefore lowering the need for a resource dedicated to chargebacks.
  • SafeKey works alongside existing fraud tools to validate a Cardmember’s identity.

SafeKey is a new layer of security against theft and fraud when shopping online. It helps prevent unauthorised online use of your American Express Card account before it happens by asking you to enter a password every time you shop online at participating SafeKey merchants. Express List is a service we provide to American Express Cardmembers, enabling you to populate a list of merchants you trust and frequently shop with. By adding a merchant to your trusted Express List, you allow us to verify your identity or the validity of the use of your Card without sending you a code.

Merchants may increase profits

  • Increase consumer confidence by reassuring them you are taking extra steps to combat fraud.
  • Put customers at ease.
  • Make customers feel comfortable spending more with you, potentially increasing existing spend and attracting new customers.

Key Steps to Start Using SafeKey

  • Select a certified 3DS Server Provider (see www.amexenabled.com for a list of providers who are certified for SafeKey)

  • Work with your 3DS Server to complete technical set up for SafeKey

  • Ensure the SafeKey logo is visible on your website and at checkout

  • Contact your American Express Middle East Merchant Relationship Manager, or email MerchantSafeKey@americanexpress.com.bh if you have any questions


1. How can a Merchant begin enrollment, certification and testing for American Express SafeKey®?

  • Select a certified 3DS Server Provider (see www.amexenabled.com for a list of providers who are certified for SafeKey)

  • Work with your 3DS Server to complete technical set up for SafeKey

  • Ensure the SafeKey logo is visible on your website and at checkout

  • Contact your American Express Middle East Merchant Relationship Manager, or email MerchantSafeKey@americanexpress.com.bh if you have any questions

2. Can SafeKey be turned off by the Merchant after implementation?

American Express Safekey Registration

Technically, SafeKey can be switched off by the Merchant. However, please note that the intention of SafeKey is to reduce instances of online Card fraud. As such, American Express does not recommend turning off SafeKey at any time in accordance with guidelines.

3. How is a Card authenticated and authorised when both the Merchant and Cardmember are enrolled in American Express SafeKey?

  1. During checkout, the Cardmember inputs their payment method as American Express and provides the Card number.
  2. The Merchant Plug-in ('MPI') component running at the Merchant will communicate with the American Express Directory Server to determine if the American Express Card is enrolled in American Express SafeKey.
  3. The American Express Directory Server will communicate with the Card Issuer to determine if the Card is enrolled in the service.
  4. The Issuer will respond with a status of 'Y' if the Card is enrolled, along with a URL where the Cardmember needs to be sent for authentication (the Authentication Site).
  5. The Merchant application will automatically redirect the Cardmember to the Authentication Site.
  6. At the Authentication Site, the Issuer will display the password page where the Cardmember will input the password. The Issuer will send a response to the Merchant with the authentication result. For security, the message will be digitally signed.
  7. The MPI will validate the signature and advise the Merchant of the authentication result.
  8. The Merchant can approve or decline the transaction based on the authentication result.

4. Will Merchant Terms and Conditions require changes to support the American Express SafeKey programme?

5. What is the definition of an attempted transaction?

An American Express SafeKey authentication attempt occurs when a Merchant requests to authenticate the Cardmember but the Cardmember or Issuer has not been enrolled in the SafeKey programme, and both the Merchant and Issuer are in SafeKey-designated markets. In this scenario, valid authentication data [e.g., American Express Verification Value ('AEVV') and Electronic Commerce Indicator ('ECI')] value will be required in the Authorisation and Submission messages as evidence of the attempt.

6. Will a participating Merchant obtain a Fraud Liability Shift on all Internet transactions?

No. Merchants can only obtain FLS on fully authenticated SafeKey charges. For non-authenticated SafeKey charges, or standard e-commerce charges, the standard Card Not Present Card acceptance policy applies and the Merchant is liable if the Cardmember later disputes the charge.

7. Where can a Merchant obtain Authorisation and Submission specifications for American Express SafeKey?

What Is American Express Safekey

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For Additional information on which market standard specifications currently support American Express SafeKey, Merchants may contact their American Express Middle East Relationship Manager, or email MerchantSafeKey@americanexpress.com.bh

8. Who should a Merchant contact for additional information?

For additional details, Merchants can contact their American Express Middle East Merchant Relationship Manager, or email MerchantSafeKey@americanexpress.com.bh

9. What criteria must be satisfied for a Merchant to qualify for the Fraud Liability Shift?

In order to be eligible for the Fraud Liability Shift a Merchant must:

  • Use all other American Express online fraud prevention tools available in their market
  • Utilize SafeKey
  • Maintain a Fraud-to-Gross (FTG) level of 1% or less for all SafeKey transactions

The major card brands offer advanced anti-fraud tools for businesses willing to use them, and SafeKey is one such tool.

Available from American Express, SafeKey provides an addition layer of protection for online transactions made with an American Express card.

  • What is American Express SafeKey?

What is American Express SafeKey?

SafeKey is American Express’ version of a 3D Secure authentication tool to help both cardholders and businesses protect against unauthorized online Amex transactions.

American Express offers this video explaining SafeKey:

Cardholders are automatically enrolled in the SafeKey program. When making an online purchase with a participating business, the cardholder may be asked to provide a one-time use code that they will receive by email or on their phone.

One-time use codes are only valid for 10 minutes. If the cardholder doesn’t complete the checkout in that time, they’ll need to restart and request another one-time code.

SafeKey 2.0

American Express SafeKey 2.0 will offer additional features not available with the first iteration. 2.0 will be able to support non-browser shopping (such as in-app payments through smartphones) and can support biometric payment authentication.

Businesses that currently use SafeKey will need to upgrade with their processor if they wish to use SafeKey 2.0. Businesses that don’t currently use SafeKey may prefer to wait to implement 2.0 when it becomes available.

How it Works

On its website, American Express details the process for a cardholder checkout with SafeKey. The customer shops on your website as usual, adding items to their cart. When ready to complete the purchase, your customer proceeds to your checkout page and enters their card details.

If the transaction requires the customer to enter a one-time code, the SafeKey one-time code window will appear, advising the customer that they have been sent a code and prompting them to enter it to complete the purchase.

Note that not all Amex transactions will require a one-time use code, and that SafeKey doesn’t work with all types of Amex cards. It’s a good idea to utilize SafeKey as one of several anti-fraud tools, not the only one. SafeKey works in conjunction with popular fraud prevention tools such as Address Verification (AVS).

Benefits of Implementing SafeKey

One of the primary benefits of SafeKey is that liability for chargebacks shifts to the issuer, not your business, if a customer initiates a chargeback on a transaction that was approved with proper use of SafeKey.

Additionally, SafeKey may allow you to serve higher risk markets (such as international customers) while limiting your own risk.

Does it cost money to use American Express SafeKey?

The service is free for cardholders, but there may be costs to your business for implementation or set up. If you’re considering using SafeKey, contact your credit card processor to ask about any setup fees or ongoing charges.

How to Implement Amex SafeKey

To implement American Express SafeKey on your ecommerce site, you’ll need to enroll with American Express and accept the terms and conditions. Once you’ve completed the necessary enrollment form, you’ll get an email from the SafeKey Certification Team with a SafeKey ID and details on the next steps. Amex will work with the acquirer to complete setup and notify you when ready.

Taking American Express

If you haven’t set up SafeKey for American Express, you can contact your processor for setup assistance. Some businesses think that it’s too expensive to accept Amex, but American Express introduced a new pricing model called OptBlue in 2015, which offered the potential for lower costs of acceptance. However, not all processors are passing along the savings to businesses.

If you think you’re paying too much to take Amex, or if you aren’t taking it yet but want to know how much you can expect to pay on Amex transactions, sign up for a free comparison through CardFellow and then give us a call. We’ll be able to explain the numbers for your specific business so you won’t have any surprises when it comes to the cost for accepting credit cards.