Strong Customer Authentication is a new measure to make contactless payments even more secure. It just means that you’ll have to enter your PIN a little more regularly than before.

It’s come into play because of a new regulation called the Payment Service Directive II, a European law that’s being brought in at all UK banks to improve the security of payments and prevent fraud.

All the ’strong’ in ’Strong Customer Authentication’ means is that the person using the card – you, hopefully – has passed at least two of three ’proof points’ confirming they are the owner of the account. Those three proof points are Knowledge (knowing your password or PIN), Possession (having your card or phone on you), and Inherence (being able to prove you’re you through fingerprint or facial recognition). When you use your bank card and know its PIN, you’ve passed at least two of those tests – which makes your customer authentication nice and strong!