In the future, strong authentication may be required when you use your payment card to pay for tickets in the HSL app and the HSL card service. Strong authentication may be required in the following situations:
- You buy a ticket in the HSL app using a payment card
- You attach a new payment card to the HSL app
- You buy a ticket in the HSL card service using a payment card
- You save your payment card details in the HSL card service
In practice, strong authentication means that you have to confirm your ticket purchase using your online banking credentials or some other means for strong authentication required by your bank such as an SMS message or a fingerprint.
There may be differences between banks in terms of the amount of card payment for which they require strong authentication as well as whether they require authentication for each purchase or only occasionally. HSL cannot influence decisions made by banks.
In any case, when you buy tickets via the HSL app or the HSL card service using your payment card, you should be prepared for one more step to be included in the process in the future. We advise you to allow enough time for buying your ticket.
Towards safe card payment
The aim of the reform is to improve the security of card payments and to reduce the scope for abuse. The requirement for strong authentication is based on the EU’s Payment Services Directive (PSD2).
There will be no changes to the purchase of tickets through other channels (e.g. ticket machines).
Despite strong authentication, you must have a valid ticket when travelling on public transport also in the future. You must buy your ticket and it must be on your smartphone before you board a vehicle or enter the Metro platform area or the Suomenlinna ferry pier.
If, for one reason or another, strong authentication in the HSL app fails, you will have to buy a ticket by other means to avoid being issued a penalty fare. Fortunately there are several alternatives: for example, you can buy your ticket via the HSL app using another payment method or buy your ticket with your HSL card or from a ticket machine.