OMARA, on behalf of the Department’s Financial Operations Branch, has communicated to all RMA members about the upcoming requirement for mandatory 3 Domain Secure (3DS) authentication for all card payments made through ImmiAccount
Starting Monday, 8 September 2025, all card payments on ImmiAccount will require 3 Domain Secure (3DS) authentication. Cards must have 3DS enabled by your bank before you can complete any payment. Payments made with cards that are not registered for 3DS will be declined.
If your card does not have 3DS activated, you will see the following error message when attempting to pay:
“Error performing card authentication. Please use another card/payment method.”
What is 3DS?
3DS is a security feature that protects your card payments by confirming your identity before the transaction is approved.
If you need help activating 3DS or want to learn more about this security measure, please contact your bank directly. The Department is unable to provide assistance with enabling 3DS.
How Does the 3DS Process Work?
When paying with a debit or credit card on ImmiAccount:
- You must enter the cardholder’s billing address during the payment process.
- The card issuer may require you to verify the transaction using a unique password, an SMS code, or a temporary PIN.
Your payment will be declined if:
- The billing address entered does not match the address registered with the card issuer, or
- The authentication step is not completed successfully.
Mandatory 3DS activation for card payments may change the way you handle your business transactions
The below options will help you to meet the payment authentication security requirements. As always, you should ensure you comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS).
- Use your corporate or personal card to make payments. If the cardholder’s financial institution sends a card authentication challenge (i.e. proof of identity) you must complete it successfully.
- If using your client’s credit or debit card to make payment, ensure that the client is present or is able to be contacted in case their financial institution sends them a proof of identity request to authenticate the transaction.
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For further information, please refer to the Department’s website: How to pay for online application and Applying on paper