# Understand the Visa Digital Commerce Authentication Program (DCAP) on Stripe Visa's Digital Commerce Authentication Program (DCAP) offers United States businesses interchange savings on eligible consumer credit Visa transactions through Data Only authentication. This page explains what DCAP is, how it works on Stripe, and what you need to do to qualify. --- * [What is DCAP?](/questions/understand-the-visa-digital-commerce-authentication-program-\(dcap\)-on-stripe#what-is-DCAP) * [What are the DCAP network costs?](/questions/understand-the-visa-digital-commerce-authentication-program-\(dcap\)-on-stripe#DCAP-network-costs) * [Are the rates guaranteed?](/questions/understand-the-visa-digital-commerce-authentication-program-\(dcap\)-on-stripe#DCAP-rates) * [Are there exclusions?](/questions/understand-the-visa-digital-commerce-authentication-program-\(dcap\)-on-stripe#DCAP-exclusions) * [Required data fields (United States)](/questions/understand-the-visa-digital-commerce-authentication-program-\(dcap\)-on-stripe#required-data-fields) * [Qualifying Stripe products](/questions/understand-the-visa-digital-commerce-authentication-program-\(dcap\)-on-stripe#qualifying-products) * [Do I need to opt in to DCAP?](/questions/understand-the-visa-digital-commerce-authentication-program-\(dcap\)-on-stripe#opt-in) * [What is the cost of DCAP?](/questions/understand-the-visa-digital-commerce-authentication-program-\(dcap\)-on-stripe#cost) * [Will my customers see a challenge or redirect?](/questions/understand-the-visa-digital-commerce-authentication-program-\(dcap\)-on-stripe#redirect) * [What happens if a transaction doesn't qualify for DCAP?](/questions/understand-the-visa-digital-commerce-authentication-program-\(dcap\)-on-stripe#non-qualifying) * [Is phone number required?](/questions/understand-the-visa-digital-commerce-authentication-program-\(dcap\)-on-stripe#phone) * [Can I use DCAP with Network Tokenization?](/questions/understand-the-visa-digital-commerce-authentication-program-\(dcap\)-on-stripe#DCAP-network-tokenization) * [Which card brands are supported?](/questions/understand-the-visa-digital-commerce-authentication-program-\(dcap\)-on-stripe#supported-cards) * [Does DCAP apply to recurring payments?](/questions/understand-the-visa-digital-commerce-authentication-program-\(dcap\)-on-stripe#DCAP-recurring-payments) * [Can Data Only authentication affect my authorization rate?](/questions/understand-the-visa-digital-commerce-authentication-program-\(dcap\)-on-stripe#authorization-rate) * [Does Data Only add latency?](/questions/understand-the-visa-digital-commerce-authentication-program-\(dcap\)-on-stripe#data-only-latency) * [Is there any dispute liability shift with DCAP?](/questions/understand-the-visa-digital-commerce-authentication-program-\(dcap\)-on-stripe#dispute-liability) * [Does DCAP exist in other countries outside of the United States?](/questions/understand-the-visa-digital-commerce-authentication-program-\(dcap\)-on-stripe#other-countries) --- ## What is DCAP? DCAP is a Visa program that provides interchange fee reductions for transactions authenticated using Visa's Data Only flow and populated with required data points. Instead of a full 3D Secure authentication challenge, Data Only authentication sends enriched transaction data to Visa for risk assessment, resulting in a frictionless experience for your customers and lower interchange costs for you. **Launch date:** April 18, 2026 in the United States. ## What are the DCAP network costs? * **DCAP alone:** 10 basis points (bps) interchange reduction, minus a 5bps scheme fee, for a net savings of up to 5bps per qualifying transaction. * **[Network Tokenization](https://stripe.com/guides/understanding-benefits-of-network-tokens) + DCAP:** 10bps DCAP interchange reduction combined with ~5bps Network Tokenization interchange benefit, minus a 5bps scheme fee, for a net savings of ~10bps per qualifying transaction. * Effective April 2026, the existing Network Tokenization interchange benefit is being reduced from ~10bps to ~5bps. DCAP provides additional savings that help offset this reduction. [Learn more](https://docs.stripe.com/reports/network-cost-updates) about upcoming network cost changes. ### Are the rates guaranteed? Authenticating transactions with a Data Only flow doesn’t guarantee that you’ll receive DCAP interchange rates. Visa may establish program eligibility criteria, including data quality guidelines. You are responsible for ensuring that you populate data in accordance with any program guidelines. If you fail to comply with program guidelines you may not receive interchange savings or you may be removed from the program. ### Are there exclusions? DCAP savings apply to qualifying customer-initiated (CIT) consumer credit Visa transactions only. Interchange reduction varies by MCC and purchase amount. Out of scope are merchant-initiated transactions (MIT), recurring stored-credential payments, MOTO, AFTs, and installments. Non-qualifying transactions aren't charged the 5bps scheme fee, so there's no penalty for transactions that don't qualify. ## Required data fields (United States) To qualify for DCAP interchange savings, the following data fields must be present on the transaction: - Field - Required - Notes --- - Email address - Yes - Cardholder email --- - Billing address - Yes - Full billing address (line1, city, state, postal_code) --- - Device ID - Yes - Captured automatically by Stripe.js and Radar for Auth Boost / Adaptive Acceptance --- - IP address - Yes - Captured automatically by Stripe.js and Radar for Auth Boost / Adaptive Acceptance Phone number and shipping address aren't required for United States transactions. ### Qualifying Stripe products There are three paths to seek DCAP qualification on Stripe: 1. **Auth Boost (Recommended)** * [Auth Boost](https://stripe.com/authorization-boost) and Adaptive Acceptance includes Stripe's [AI-driven authentication optimizations](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/analytics/optimization). When enabled, our models evaluate each transaction to determine whether submitting a Visa Data Only authentication request is likely to improve or maintain authorization performance. When the model determines Data Only is beneficial, it automatically submits the request and populates the required data fields on your behalf. Not every transaction is submitted through the Data Only flow — only those where our models predict a net benefit based on factors such as transaction type, card characteristics, and historical authorization patterns. You are still responsible for ensuring that billing details are present on the transaction. * Device ID and IP address are captured automatically by Stripe.js. Merchants who aren't using Stripe.js or Standalone 3DS API, can't pass device ID and IP address to Stripe and therefore will not qualify. * You're responsible for ensuring email and billing address are populated on the transaction. 1. **Standalone 3DS** * If you use Stripe's [Standalone 3D Secure authentication API](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/3d-secure/standalone-three-d-secure), you can seek to qualify for DCAP by setting **flow\_preference[type]** to `data_share` on your ThreeDSecureAuthentication requests. * You must provide browser[ip_address] and browser[device_id] in your API calls. * You must also ensure email and billing address are populated, passing the billing details in the payment_method_data[billing_details] hash either on the Standalone 3DS API or in the Payment Method API (when tokenising the card). * Performance note: Not all card issuers handle Data Only requests consistently. You are responsible for monitoring your authorization rates and managing when to apply Data Only. Data Only also adds latency to the authentication flow (additional network call to Visa's risk engine). Auth Boost helps you manage these concerns by using AI to apply Data Only selectively. 1. **3DS Import** * If you use an external 3DS provider and [import authentication](https://docs.stripe.com/payments/payment-intents/three-d-secure-import?locale=en-GB) results into Stripe, DCAP qualification depends on your external provider supporting Visa's Data Only flow and providing all required data points. * Your external 3DS provider handles the data fields, including Device ID and IP address, within their authentication flow. * Confirm with your provider that they support Visa DCAP Data Only authentication. * Not all card issuers handle Data Only requests consistently. Because your external provider controls when Data Only is applied, you and your provider are responsible for monitoring authorization rates. Data Only also adds latency to the authentication flow. Consider Auth Boost if you want Stripe's AI to manage these decisions automatically. ## FAQ ### Do I need to opt in to DCAP? If you use Auth Boost or Adaptive Acceptance, no additional opt-in is required, our models automatically determine when to submit a Data Only authentication request for each transaction. You should ensure the required data fields are present on your transactions to maximize eligibility. If you use Standalone 3DS, you need to set **flow\_preference[type]** to `data_share` on your authentication requests. If you use 3DS Import, your external provider must support Visa's Data Only flow. ### What is the cost of DCAP? The fee for qualifying transactions that are successfully benefitting from DCAP incentives is 5bps. These are bundled with the 3DS network fees that are passed through to IC+ merchants. Additionally, while Auth Boost and Adaptive Acceptance merchants don't pay a Stripe 3DS fee for Data Only requests, merchants performing 3DS with Stripe's standalone 3DS API will pay standard 3DS scheme fees, based on their agreed pricing. ### Will my customers see a challenge or redirect? No. Data Only authentication is completely frictionless. No challenge is presented to the cardholder. ### What happens if a transaction doesn't qualify for DCAP? Non-qualifying transactions are processed normally and you won’t be charged the 5bps DCAP scheme fee but if you perform 3DS with Stripe’s standalone 3DS API, standard 3DS scheme fees apply. ### Is phone number required? No. Phone number isn't required for United States DCAP transactions. ### Can I use DCAP with Network Tokenization? Yes. Combining Network Tokenization with DCAP may yield the highest savings: ~10bps net per qualifying transaction. ### Which card brands are supported? DCAP is a Visa program. Only Visa transactions are eligible. ### Does DCAP apply to recurring payments? DCAP applies to customer-initiated transactions (CIT) only. Merchant-initiated transactions (MIT), including stored-credential recurring payments, don't qualify. Customer-initiated recurring payments where the cardholder is present in the browser session can qualify if all required data fields are present and submitted to Visa as specified above. ### Can Data Only authentication affect my authorization rate? If you use Auth Boost or Adaptive Acceptance, no. Auth Boost's AI only applies Data Only where authorization rates stay the same or improve. If you use Standalone 3DS or 3DS Import, you are responsible for managing when Data Only is applied. Not all card issuers handle Data Only requests consistently, and some may show lower authorization performance. Monitor your authorization rates and adjust your Data Only usage accordingly. ### Does Data Only add latency? Data Only authentication adds an additional network call to Visa's risk engine before authorization. Auth Boost accounts for this in its optimization decisions. If you use Standalone 3DS or 3DS Import, factor this additional latency into your integration. ### Is there any dispute liability shift with DCAP? No, there’s no dispute liability shift like there is with regular 3DS. ### Does DCAP exist in other countries outside of the United States? DCAP is launching in other geographies in 2 waves: * **April 2026:** Europe, most of APAC * **October 2026:** Canada, LATAM, UAE and India * There will be an interchange incentive only in Canada and we’ll share those details when available from Visa.