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Modulr glossary

Automated Fund Transfer / AFT / EFT

Automated Fund Transfer (AFT), also known as Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), involves moving money from one bank account to another electronically. In Canada, AFT is used for recurring payments like payroll, while EFT is a global term covering a broad range of digital transfers – including ACH in the US, SEPA Credit in Europe, and other regional schemes.

Applications

E-commerce:

Reduces fraud in online card payments by verifying the cardholder's identity

Banking and fintech:

Helps issuers and payment providers comply with Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) requirements.

Advantages

  • Enhanced security: Reduces unauthorised transactions by verifying that the genuine account holder is authorising the payment
  • Fraud prevention: Helps reduce chargebacks related to fraud.

Challenges

  • User Experience: Additional authentication steps can cause friction and increase checkout abandonment
  • Implementation complexity: Requires integration with card schemes and issuer systems.

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