Every team wants the same thing: strong security, high approvals, and a customer experience that feels effortless.
For a long time, authentication tools like CAPTCHA, one-time SMS codes, and blanket 3DS coverage helped deliver on that. They were straightforward to implement and got the job done – especially when fraud tactics were more straightforward and shopping behaviors more predictable.
But today’s customer journey moves faster. It’s spread across devices, shaped by automation, and powered by AI assistants. What once worked well might now be standing in the way.
If your authentication flow feels heavier than it should, now’s the time to rethink how it works and who it’s really working for.
Are Your Authentication Tools Stuck in the Past?
Most authentication flows still include familiar tools:
- CAPTCHA challenges
- Blanket 3DS coverage
- Step-up verifications triggered at checkout
- One-time passwords (OTPs) via SMS or email
They’re easy to implement, and they’ve been the default for years. But these tools weren’t built for how people – or fraudsters – interact with digital commerce today. And they definitely weren’t built for an agentic AI-powered landscape.
Customers expect a seamless and secure checkout experience. But legacy authentication often slows things down, frustrates mobile users, and drives up abandonment. Meanwhile, fraudsters have evolved. Many of these checks end up blocking good users more than bad ones.
That doesn’t mean these tools are “bad.” It just means they’re out of touch with how digital experiences (and threats) are evolving.
If your authentication flow is creating more friction than clarity, it might be time to rethink what “secure” really looks like.
Fast Doesn’t Always Mean Fraud
Today’s shoppers don’t always act the way we expect. They use autofill to breeze through forms, hop between apps and devices, and increasingly rely on personal shopping assistants or AI-powered tools to search, compare, and buy.
It’s fast, fragmented, and it doesn’t always look like a human behind the screen… even when there is.
These aren’t bad behaviors — they’re the new normal. But authentication flows that expect static sessions and manual inputs can’t keep up. What used to look suspicious — ultra-fast clicks or cross-device shopping — might now be totally legitimate.
When legacy systems can’t tell the difference, real customers get flagged and experience friction, while fraud still slips through the cracks. That’s why it’s time to start designing for how people (and their tech) actually shop – now.
Relying on Legacy Fraud Tools Creates Risk
The tools many businesses still depend on weren’t built for how people — or fraudsters — shop today.
- CAPTCHA challenges are frustrating for real users and easily bypassed by sophisticated bots.
- Blanket 3DS coverage slows down everyone – even trusted customers.
- Step-up verifications at checkout interrupt the flow and increase abandonment, especially on mobile.
- One-time passwords (OTPs) via SMS or email delay the experience and can be intercepted or ignored.
Again, these tools aren’t always “wrong.” But if they’re adding friction without adding clarity, they may be doing more harm than good. The risk isn’t just higher fraud – it’s lost revenue, slower experiences, and good customers quietly walking away.
Smarter, Low-Friction Authentication Alternatives
It’s possible to protect your business and give customers the smooth experience they expect. Modern authentication doesn’t rely on interruptions — it’s built on trust, timing, and intelligence.
Instead of blocking the flow, these strategies work quietly in the background to protect you and your customers:
- Identity-based trust scoring that evaluates risk before the customer reaches checkout
- Risk-based 3DS to provide additional verification only for borderline risky transactions
- AI-powered behavioral intelligence that learns from each session and gets sharper over time
- Real-time decisions powered by insights from a global network of data
- Cross-functional alignment between fraud, payments, and digital teams — so authentication supports the whole journey
These tools reduce guesswork and make life easier for your best customers — without opening the door to fraud. Forter helps teams build toward this kind of experience by anchoring authentication in trust, not friction.
Let Trust Lead Customer Authentication
AI is changing how people shop – and how fraud shows up. Authentication needs to be just as dynamic.
You don’t need to add more steps. You need smarter context, stronger signals, and systems that can keep up without slowing anyone down. Because when trust drives your flow, authentication works quietly in the background, keeping real customers moving and real risks out.
