In online transactions, the cardholder's use of the right not to enroll in the 3D Secure system is called Opt Out.
So is Opt Out unlimited?
Of course, there is a limit. Only as many transactions as the opt-out count set by the card issuer can be made without 3D Secure.
So are Opt Out transactions non-secure transactions?
The transaction is initiated by the merchant as a 3D Secure transaction. For this reason, Opt Out transactions are processed as Half Secure.
How Opt Out works
The cardholder can make the number of transactions allowed by their bank without 3D Secure authentication. The transaction is still initiated through the 3D Secure flow, but the bank skips the authentication step and returns an “authentication not performed” result. That is why the transaction is considered neither fully secure nor fully non-secure.
The distribution of liability varies according to the card scheme's rules and the bank's contract. In general, for transactions without authentication, chargeback risk is more likely to shift to the merchant.
The practical advice for cardholders is to use the opt-out right only on sites they trust and use frequently.
