3D Secure for Cloudbeds Payments Thailand

Overview

Cloudbeds Payments properties in Thailand can now benefit from 3D Secure (3DS) authentication on Booking Engine and Pay by Link transactions. When a guest pays by card, their bank verifies their identity through a quick authentication step — blocking fraudulent bookings where stolen card details are used.

For properties with 3DS enabled, successfully authenticated transactions also trigger a liability shift: if a chargeback is raised, the financial responsibility moves to the guest's issuing bank, not your property.

What is 3D Secure?

3D Secure (3DS) is an additional layer of security for online card payments. It works as a digital "handshake" between the guest and their bank to verify that the person completing the payment is the authorized cardholder.

When a guest pays through your Booking Engine or via Pay by Link, their bank may ask them to confirm their identity — typically through a one-time code (OTP) sent by SMS or a prompt in their banking app. Most transactions complete this step instantly and without visible interruption (known as a "frictionless" flow). Only higher-risk transactions trigger an explicit challenge.

What changes for my property?

Guest-facing flows — Booking Engine and Pay by Link

3DS is active on direct card payments made through your Cloudbeds Booking Engine and Pay by Link. Most guests will notice no difference. Guests paying with a 3DS-enrolled card may see a brief verification step before their booking is confirmed.

Staff-entered payments in MFD

Cards entered manually by staff in the Cloudbeds dashboard are not affected by this version of 3DS. This includes walk-in payments and dashboard reservations.

OTA bookings

3DS does not apply to bookings made through OTAs such as Booking.com or Expedia. Those payments are managed by the OTA's own payment flow.

What your guests may experience

What your property gains

Fraud protection. 3DS blocks bookings where the person entering the card details cannot verify they are the authorized cardholder — the primary method used in fraudulent booking attempts.

Liability shift. When a 3DS authentication is successfully completed, chargeback liability shifts from your property to the guest's issuing bank. If a dispute is raised on an authenticated transaction, the bank — not your property — is responsible.

No operational overhead. The protection is fully automated and guest-facing. No setup or daily action is required from your team.

Frequently asked questions

Does 3DS affect my 5-day Thailand authorization window?

No. The authorization window operates independently of 3DS and is unchanged.

Will I still get chargebacks on 3DS-authenticated transactions?

Rarely. A successfully authenticated transaction shifts chargeback liability to the issuing bank. If you receive a chargeback on a 3DS-authenticated transaction, contact Cloudbeds Support — this is an edge case worth investigating.

What should I tell a guest who couldn't complete their booking?

Ask the guest to retry or contact the property directly. Your team can take payment in MFD as an alternative. This outcome is expected for fraudulent attempts but may occasionally affect legitimate guests if their card has an issue.

Does this affect OTA-sourced virtual cards or OTA payments?

No. OTA payments are handled by the OTA's own systems and are not affected.