US-based fraud prevention company Signifyd has released a survey, stating that consumers in France have a poorer shopping experience due to security measures. The survey uncovered customer confusion and frustration with Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) which came into enforcement in much of Europe in January 2021.

In fact, 45% of respondents said they had been unable to complete a transaction because of the new rules and 79% said they would abandon a retailer and turn to a rival if they had a bad online experience. The survey results, along with two companion polls in the UK and Italy, point to a rocky start for SCA and reflect significant differences across Europe when it comes to having prepared for the regulation. Enforcement of SCA began in the UK in March 2022.

Despite consumers’ frustration, 79% of French respondents agreed, either ‘strongly’ or ‘somewhat’, that it was worth completing the new extra steps required at checkout to ensure that their transactions were protected. The story was similar in the UK and Italy, where 73% and 78% respectively favoured the new protections, but also said they would abandon retailers providing a poor experience. In the UK, 68% of respondents said they’d move on to another retailer if they encountered a bad experience.

While in Italy, the number was 76%. Consumers in all three countries also made it clear they remember bad experiences when it’s time to shop again. When asked whether they had ever decided against shopping with a particular retailer because of a frustrating experience, 46% of French shoppers, 33% of UK shoppers and 56% of Italian shoppers said they had.

Under the new SCA guidelines, online shoppers must authenticate themselves in two of three ways, using biometrics, or something unique to the buyer that only they would know, such as a PIN or password or with the specific device used to make the purchase. .