Adyen upgrades Authenticate to improve payment conversion

Adyen has upgraded Authenticate, a component of its Adyen Uplift payment optimisation suite. The new version can decide in real time which authentication technology is most suitable for each transaction and optimise the data shared with card issuers to support approval decisions.

The approach replaces fixed authentication rules with transaction-level decisioning based on machine learning. Authenticate determines whether authentication is needed, which method should be used and what information should be sent to the issuer.

Adyen replaces fixed 3DS rules with dynamic decisioning

Traditional online checkout flows often apply the same 3D Secure rules to all customers. This can create unnecessary friction for legitimate shoppers and increase the risk of abandoned purchases.

Authenticate instead makes individual decisions for every transaction. The system evaluates whether authentication is required, selects the most appropriate authentication method and determines which data can improve the probability of issuer approval.

Adyen said its position as both authentication provider and acquirer gives the company access to final authorisation outcomes. This allows its machine learning models, trained on trillions of interactions, to learn from both authentication and payment approval results.

Risk signals determine when additional authentication is needed

Authenticate uses risk signals from Adyen's network to recognise returning shoppers. For merchants already using Adyen, the company said there is more than a 90% probability that an individual shopper has previously transacted within its network.

When a trusted shopper is identified, Authenticate works with Protect, Adyen's fraud prevention module, to apply risk-based authentication. An additional authentication step is added only when the transaction requires it.

Multiple authentication methods are selected dynamically

When authentication is necessary, Authenticate can choose between 3D Secure, Google Secure Payment Authentication, Mastercard Payment Passkeys, Visa Payment Passkeys and data-only flows. The system routes the transaction to the method considered most likely to result in a completed payment.

Adyen also said the single integration allows businesses to introduce new authentication technologies without additional integration work as they become available. The same approach is intended to support international expansion by combining regulatory requirements with transaction, issuer and shopper data instead of relying on separate authentication rules for individual markets.

Authenticate analyses more than 150 data fields for 3DS

For 3DS transactions, Authenticate analyses more than 150 data fields. The system continuously evaluates which combinations of information are most likely to support approval by the card issuer.

In some cases, the analysis can allow the authentication step to be skipped or completed without direct shopper interaction. The objective is to maintain the required level of security while reducing unnecessary friction in the checkout process.

Global rollout will continue through 2027

Authenticate is available globally for 3DS transactions and issuer optimisation. Support for newer technologies, including Google SPA, Mastercard Payment Passkeys and Visa Payment Passkeys, is already live for transactions in the UK.

Adyen plans further improvements and broader global availability of these newer authentication technologies during 2027.