Cards: Using Visa, Mastercard, and Amex cards through Paytrail

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Learn how Visa, Mastercard, and American Express card payments work through Paytrail, how to activate them, and what to consider for safe use.

Benefits for the consumer

  • Widely accepted and trusted payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, and American Express
  • Support for single-use and virtual cards if they have 3D Secure
  • Secure checkout experience verified by Visa or Mastercard SecureCode
  • Card data stored safely using tokenization (if supported by the consumer’s bank)
Overview Activation instructions Disputes & chargebacks Definitions

Use and security

Card payments through Paytrail are processed by Nets, our acquirer partner. All transactions are subject to the rules of the card schemes (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) and to the Nets acquiring terms and conditions. These rules apply to merchants in the same way they apply to Paytrail, since card payments are processed under a shared agreement between Nets and Paytrail.

Review the card scheme rules and Nets terms and conditions.

All traditional card payments are verified using the security certification methods required by the card schemes (e.g. Mastercard SecureCode, Verified by Visa), provided the card is enrolled in the program. This helps reduce fraud and improve payment security.

  • The customer will see Paytrail as the payment recipient on their statement.
  • American Express is only available to merchants with businesses registered in Finland.

Fraud monitoring

Card payments through Paytrail happen without a physical card, which increases the risk of fraud and misuse. To reduce this risk, all traditional card payments are verified using certification methods such as Mastercard SecureCode or Verified by Visa, when supported by the customer’s card.

We monitor transactions together with Nets and notify you if we detect suspicious or fraudulent activity. Please make sure your contact details in the Merchant panel are up to date so we can reach you if needed.

As the merchant, it’s important that you also review your incoming orders regularly. If you have any concerns about the authenticity of a payment, we’re happy to help. Contact us at support@paytrail.com or call +358 20 718 1820.

Here are some key checks you can do:

  • Review all suspicious orders in your Merchant panel
  • Compare the card’s issuer country with the customer’s IP location
  • If the locations do not match or the IP appears suspicious, investigate the order before fulfilling it
  • All traditional card payments are verified using certification methods for card companies (e.g. Mastercard SecureCode, Verified by Visa) if the card is included in the certification program. This effectively reduces card fraud

Chargebacks are a risk with card payments. Reviewing this information early can help you prevent disputes and protect your business.

Learn more in our identifying card fraud article.

Cancellation policy and terms

To avoid disputes or chargebacks, it’s important that your terms and conditions are clearly presented and up to date.

  • Show your terms and any restrictions (such as cancellation conditions) clearly during the checkout process.
  • Ensure the customer accepts the terms before payment, such as by ticking a checkbox.
  • This safeguards your position if a dispute arises that violates your terms.
  • Include any industry-specific conditions required by card scheme rules (e.g. travel, event tickets, etc.).

Providing this information before the customer is transferred to the payment step helps ensure transparency and reduces the risk of payment issues later.

How card data is stored

Paytrail supports tokenization, a secure and reliable way to store card data for future use.

  • Tokenization replaces the card number with a secure token.
  • This protects sensitive information and enables recurring or repeat payments (when supported by the customer’s card and bank).

Read the article Cards: Tokenization and subscriptions for more on recurring payments.

Fees 

Consumer fees 

No additional fees for the customer. 

Merchant fees

Follow Paytrail’s price list.

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