PSS Brings EMV 3-D Secure Authentication to Ethiopia’s Digital Payments Landscape

Premier Switch Solutions (PSS), in partnership with Mastercard, has launched Ethiopia’s first certified Access Control Server (ACS) built to global standards, a technology turning point that brings risk-based, EMV 3-D Secure authentication to the country’s online payments ecosystem.

The locally hosted ACS verifies cardholder identities during card-not-present transactions, combining one-time password (OTP) protection with a smoother user experience. By keeping the infrastructure in Ethiopia, the solution reduces reliance on foreign systems while ensuring compliance with international security standards.

Speaking at the launch event at the Sky Light Hotel on Thursday, PSS CEO Amha Tadesse said the platform aims to address one of Ethiopia’s largest digital commerce bottlenecks.

“We want to simplify the payment process, which remains a major hurdle in Ethiopia,” he said.

Until now, authenticating online card payments required registration with foreign processors, often involving OTP delivery through international channels. With its new certification, PSS can now process Mastercard authentication locally. Founding shareholder banks: Awash, Berhan, Hibret, and Nib are the first to integrate, enabling customers to make domestic online purchases using only their existing ATM card credentials.

“This is a great opportunity for other banks to join in,”  Seyfeselassie Meaza, Technical Lead at PSS told Shega.

 He noted that integrating with the ACS allows banks to expand service portfolios, strengthen client retention, and eliminate the need for customers to transact in foreign currency. Payments for the authentication service are settled in Ethiopian Birr.

Ethiopia’s payment card infrastructure remains modest, with just over 10,551 ATMs and around 15,000 POS terminals nationwide, a factor that has slowed the uptake of card payments in e-commerce. PSS, founded in 2009 by a consortium of six private commercial banks, has been expanding aggressively. Last month, it became the fourth company in East Africa to join the Visa Approved Vendor Program (AVP). As Ethiopia opens to foreign banks and increasingly integrates into regional trade treaties, PSS’s investments into the payment infrastructure could pay long-term dividends.