When you pay online, some merchants ask you to confirm the payment before it goes through. This is a security check called 3-D Secure (you may also see it called Verified by Visa), and it stops someone else using your card details.
There's no code to type. You approve the payment with a tap in the nsave app. We'll never send you a 3-D Secure code by SMS or email — if someone does, it isn't from us.
How it works
You pay as normal on the merchant's website or app.
The merchant's page pauses and asks you to confirm the payment.
A prompt appears in the nsave app showing the merchant name and the amount.
Tap Approve if it's you — or Deny if it isn't.
The merchant's page continues and the payment completes.
You'll usually get a push notification when the prompt is ready, but you don't need it — see below.
Keep the merchant's page open while you approve. If you close it, the payment won't complete and you'll have to start again.
If you don't get a notification
Just open the nsave app. The notification is only a nudge — the app checks for pending approvals every few seconds and will show the prompt whether or not the notification arrived.
So if a payment is waiting:
Open the nsave app and wait a few seconds. The prompt should appear on its own.
Make sure you're signed in. You can't approve a payment while signed out.
Check you're on the latest app version.
To get notifications in future, turn on notifications for the nsave app in your phone's settings. It makes the prompt faster to reach, but it's never the only way to approve.
Approve it promptly
Each approval has a time limit. If you don't respond before it runs out, the request expires and the payment is declined — that's the security check doing its job, not a fault.
The prompt also disappears shortly before the deadline, so an approval that's about to expire won't be left there for you to tap too late.
If that happens, nothing is lost: start the payment again and approve the new prompt when it appears.
The payment failed even after I approved it
Approving confirms it's really you — it doesn't guarantee the payment goes through. Once approved, the transaction still has to pass the usual checks, and can be declined if:
Your balance doesn't cover the full amount
Your card is frozen in the app
The merchant is in a restricted category — see Which merchants aren't supported on nsave cards?
You approved just as the time limit ran out
See Why was my card payment declined? for the full troubleshooting checklist.
Why some payments don't ask at all
Not every payment needs approval. Whether you're asked depends on the merchant, the amount, the country and how risky the transaction looks — the merchant and the card network decide this, not nsave.
Small, familiar or recurring payments often go straight through, while a larger or unusual purchase is more likely to ask. Subscriptions normally check once when you set them up, not on every renewal.
If a prompt appears and it wasn't you
The prompt always shows the merchant name and amount, so you can check it matches what you're buying.
If an approval request appears when you aren't making a payment, someone may have your card details:
Tap Deny. That blocks the payment immediately.
Freeze your card — Cards tab → three dots (⋯) → toggle Freeze card.
Contact us so we can investigate and replace your card.
nsave will never phone, message or email you asking you to approve a payment. If someone asks you to, it's a scam — deny the request and contact us.
FAQs
I'm waiting for an SMS code — where is it?
There isn't one. Approvals happen entirely in the nsave app. If you receive an SMS or email with a "3-D Secure code" for your nsave card, it did not come from us — don't act on it.
Can I approve on a different device?
You approve in the nsave app on the phone where you're signed in. The payment itself can be on any device — a laptop, a tablet, anywhere.
Can I turn this off?
No. It's a security requirement on card payments and can't be disabled.
Does it apply to Apple Pay and Google Pay?
Payments through Apple Pay or Google Pay are already authenticated by your face, fingerprint or passcode, so you usually won't be asked separately.
What if I'm travelling or changed my phone number?
It doesn't matter — approval happens in the app, so it works anywhere you have internet. No mobile signal needed.
Is my money at risk while a payment is waiting?
No. Nothing leaves your balance until the payment is approved and completed.
The merchant says my card doesn't support 3-D Secure.
It does. If a merchant tells you otherwise, contact us with their name and the exact error.
Need help? Message us in the app or email support@nsave.com with the merchant name, amount, and time of the attempt.