# Data Only

Improve authorization rates by sharing transaction data with issuers through 3D Secure without requiring cardholder authentication.

Data Only is an optimization available to [Authorization Boost](https://stripe.com/authorization-boost) customers. It uses 3D Secure (3DS) infrastructure to share transaction and cardholder data with issuing banks without presenting a challenge to the cardholder. The issuer uses this additional signal to make better authorization decisions, which can increase approval rates and reduce costs.

Data Only is also referred to as Data Share Only (DSO) in the EMVCo 3D Secure specification.

## Availability

Data Only is available only to Authorization Boost customers. Contact your Stripe representative to learn more about enabling it for your account.

## Understand Data Only

In a Data Only flow, Stripe sends an authentication request through the 3DS protocol with data about the transaction and cardholder. Unlike standard 3DS authentication:

- Stripe doesn’t show a challenge to the cardholder.
- Liability shift doesn’t occur.

The issuer receives the data and uses it as additional context when deciding whether to approve the subsequent authorization request. This frictionless process is invisible to the cardholder and requires no action from your integration.

Stripe’s AI model determines when a Data Only flow is likely to improve authorization outcomes and applies it automatically for eligible transactions.

When Stripe performs Data Only on a transaction, you can see it in your [Transactions dashboard](https://dashboard.stripe.com/payments) recent activity as “Data Only 3D Secure authentication was performed.”

## Digital Commerce Authentication Program (DCAP) 

Digital Commerce Authentication Program (DCAP) is Visa’s framework for card-not-present transactions that sends additional cardholder data during authentication to the issuer. DCAP requires specific data fields that vary by region, including:

- Cardholder IP address
- Device ID, except in Europe
- Billing address
- Email address
- Phone number, except in the US

DCAP can provide interchange benefits in certain regions and reduce cost. In the United States and Canada, Visa has introduced specific interchange programs for transactions that qualify for DCAP, with additional benefits when DCAP is combined with network tokens.

Stripe automatically collects and sends DCAP-qualifying data when available for Authorization Boost customers, with no additional integration work required.

## View Data Only in the Dashboard

When Stripe applies a Data Only optimization to a transaction, you can see it in the payment timeline on the transaction detail page. The timeline shows “Data Only 3D Secure authentication was performed.” to indicate that Stripe shared data with the issuing bank to help with the authorization decision.