The continued expansion of the internet economy has not happened without significant risk of fraud and security breaches that have led to huge financial losses both for businesses and customers. 

However, over the past decades of e-commerce and online transactions, there have been continuous progress in improving security measures to ensure safe transactions online. 

Among these innovations are the widespread use of the padlock icon and HTTPS protocol and other indicators, which are well-known symbols of a secure connection. 

This article delves into these indicators, going beyond the padlock to provide a comprehensive understanding of what makes a checkout process secure.

To many people, the padlock icon, usually found next to a website’s URL, signifies that the website is secure. 

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and its successor TLS (Transport Layer Security) enable this security. 

SSL and TLS encrypt any data passed during an interaction on a website. This ensures that when data is exchanged between a browser and the website’s server, no third party can intercept and access it. 

This data includes sensitive information such as credit card details, personal data, and login credentials in terms of online transactions. 

One implementation of SSL is HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure), which indicates a secure connection. 

In simpler terms, HTTPS is a protocol that uses SSL/TLS encryption to secure data transmitted during online transactions on websites. 

When a website uses HTTPS, all data exchanged between the user’s browser and the website’s server is encrypted, ensuring confidentiality and integrity. HTTPS is essentially HTTP over SSL/TLS, providing a secure way to transmit data over the Internet.

Aside from SSL/TSL, businesses and customers must look for several other indicators of a secure checkout. 

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance

PCI DSS sets forth security standards for organisations that handle cardholder data. Compliance with these standards, including encryption of payment data, secure network configurations, and regular security testing, strongly indicates a secure checkout process.

Fincra is PCI DSS compliant and deserves the trust of businesses and customers concerned about the security of their online transactions. 

Trust seals and certifications

Trust seals from reputable security providers instil confidence in consumers. 

These seals indicate that a payment provider has undergone rigorous security checks and adheres to industry best practices for data protection.

Fincra has certifications from the world’s best-known standards for information security, cybersecurity and privacy protection. 

In 2023, we received ISO 27001:2013 and 22301:2019 certifications from InterConformity Assessment and Certification Company, a member of InterConformity International Certification Consortium, a certification body specialised in audit, assessment, rating and certification of management systems based on international standards.

Two-factor authentication (2FA)

Implementing 2FA adds an extra layer of security to the checkout process. Requiring users to verify their identity through a second factor, such as a code sent to their mobile device, 2FA helps prevent unauthorised access even if login credentials are compromised.

Fincra abides by the 2FA doctrine, ensuring that all its merchants use this extra layer of security to access their Fincra Dashboards. 

Fincra also implements 2FA in all its payment methods to ensure the security of our merchants’ customers while making online transactions. 

Address Verification System (AVS) and Card Verification Code (CVC/CVV): 

AVS and CVC/CVV checks are essential for verifying the legitimacy of transactions. AVS verifies the billing address provided by the customer, while CVC/CVV codes (the three-digit codes on the back of credit cards) confirm possession of the card.

Using our Checkout and Payment Link, Fincra uses the AVS and CVV checks for all card transactions. 

Businesses owe it to themselves to ensure a secure checkout process using a secure payment gateway with solid encryption protocols. 

Fincra uses all indicators of a secure checkout on our gateways to ensure that merchants and their customers are well protected against fraud and security breaches.

Fincra Payment Link and Checkout utilise all necessary protocols to safeguard our merchants’ online transactions and their customers. 

With Fincra, merchants do not have to worry about security practices like conducting regular security audits, staying updated with the latest security patches and training on security protocols and fraud prevention. 

We handle all these to ensure merchants can focus on other essential aspects of their operations. 

The padlock icon has become a popular indicator of a secure checkout, but it goes beyond that. 

This article has touched on other indicators that Fincra implements to ensure the safety of our merchants and customers during online transactions.

Create an account with Fincra for your secure Checkout.