When reviewing your GuestPay transactions in Trust Portal, you may see entries marked as THREEDQUERY. These are not payments — they are 3D Secure verification steps that occur as part of the online payment authorisation process. Understanding what they represent helps you interpret your transaction records accurately.
What is a THREEDQUERY?
A THREEDQUERY is a security verification step in the online transaction process. It is triggered when a cardholder is required to confirm their identity as part of 3D Secure authentication — an additional layer of protection used during online payments processed through Trust Payments.
A THREEDQUERY is not a payment. No funds are moved or deducted from the customer's account as a result. It confirms the card's validity and that the cardholder authorises the transaction before any payment is processed.
🔖 Note: If you see a THREEDQUERY entry in MyST, check the associated transaction record to confirm the payment outcome.
THREEDQUERY in Trust Portal
THREEDQUERY entries appear in your Trust Portal transaction records separately from payment transactions. They indicate that a 3D Secure verification was initiated during the payment process.
A THREEDQUERY does not result in a charge on the customer's bank statement. Depending on the customer's bank, they may see a temporary pending entry, but no funds are transferred.
🔖 Note: For a full reference of transaction statuses and codes in Trust Portal, see Guestline GuestPay: MyST transaction codes and status messages.
Payment method security
When processing transactions through GuestPay, use payment methods in the following order of preference:
Cardholder Present (C&P) — most secure.
E-commerce (ECOM).
Mail Order/Telephone Order (MOTO) — least secure.
⚠️ Important: MOTO transactions carry the highest level of risk. They are less secure and more susceptible to chargebacks.
Merchant Initiated Transactions (MITs)
When transactions are scheduled, they are processed as Merchant Initiated Transactions (MITs). MITs inherit the security level of the original (parent) authorisation.
The security level of a MIT depends on how the parent authorisation was completed:
ECOM parent authorisation: If the original authorisation was completed via ECOM, and it was clearly agreed at the time of collection that it would be used for a subsequent payment, the MIT benefits from a stronger level of security.
MOTO parent authorisation: If the original authorisation was completed via MOTO, 3D Secure (3DS) authentication is not applied. As a result, these MITs carry a higher level of risk.
🔖 Note: Selecting a more secure payment method at the initial stage can help reduce overall transaction risk and the likelihood of chargebacks.
Why THREEDQUERY matters
Understanding THREEDQUERY entries helps you:
Distinguish between security checks and actual payment transactions in your Trust Portal records.
Avoid unnecessary concern when reviewing transaction records that include non-payment entries.
Identify where 3D Secure verification has been applied during the payment process.