Transaction status is Yellow: "Challenged"

Modified on Wed, May 6 at 2:14 PM

A Challenged status means the customer's bank has triggered an extra identity check — called 3D Secure (3DS) — before the payment can complete. The payment is not finished until the customer passes this check.

Challenged is not a completed payment

Do not release a vehicle or close an RO based on a Challenged status. The transaction is pending bank verification and has not been approved.

What 3D Secure means

3D Secure is a security step triggered by the customer's bank — not by DealerWorks. Common forms include a one-time code sent by text, an approval prompt in their banking app, or a browser security challenge.

It is not a decline. The bank has not rejected the payment — it is asking the customer to verify their identity first.

What to do

1
Ask the customer to check their phone or banking app for a verification prompt — a text code, an app notification, or a browser challenge screen.
2
Tell the customer to stay on the verification screen until it completes. Closing the browser or pressing Back before it finishes will cancel the verification.
3
Once they confirm the verification, refresh the transaction in DealerWorks to confirm the status has moved out of Challenged.

If the customer didn't receive a verification prompt

1
Ask the customer to call the number on the back of their card.
2
Have them request that the bank clear the 3D Secure authentication challenge for that specific purchase.
3
Once cleared, the customer can retry the payment.

Do not retry repeatedly

Submitting multiple attempts back-to-back can create multiple pending authorizations on the customer's account. Wait for the current attempt to resolve before trying again.

Need more help?

Contact DealerWorks Support if the customer completed bank verification but the transaction is still showing Challenged, or if the verification screen keeps looping. Have ready: Transaction ID, date and time, store/location, and RO/invoice number.