By John Murphy | November 3, 2026
For years, Ekata Pro Insight has been a valuable tool for ecommerce merchants who need to verify customer identities, investigate suspicious transactions, and reduce their exposure to online payment fraud.
But changes to Mastercard's Ekata offering are creating uncertainty for smaller ecommerce businesses that have relied on these identity verification tools.
With merchant access reportedly being revoked from January 1, 2027, store owners who currently use Ekata will need to find an alternative solution.
If you're searching for an Ekata alternative, the good news is that there are several approaches to fraud prevention, including automated identity verification platforms and services that investigate orders on your behalf.
However, not every solution is designed for the same type of ecommerce business.
In this article, we'll look at what made Ekata useful, what to consider when replacing it, and which alternatives make the most sense for Shopify merchants selling high-value products.
Ekata, acquired by Mastercard in 2021, became well known for helping businesses verify digital identities using information such as names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and IP data.
Its Pro Insight platform was particularly useful to fraud investigators and ecommerce merchants who wanted additional context before approving questionable orders.
According to information concerning changes to merchant access, some ecommerce businesses are being told by Mastercard that they will be dropped and will lose access to Ekata's services from January 1, 2027.
This should not be confused with Mastercard shutting down all Ekata technology. Mastercard continues to offer identity verification and fraud prevention capabilities through its broader identity solutions portfolio.
The specific impact on an individual merchant will depend on its product, contract, and the access changes communicated by Mastercard.
For merchants affected by the transition, the important question is straightforward:
How do you replace the identity verification and fraud investigation capabilities that Ekata provided?
Ekata offered something that standard ecommerce fraud detection systems often lack: deeper identity intelligence.
For example, imagine a Shopify merchant receives a $3,500 order for an electric bike.
The customer enters a residential billing address, requests delivery to a different location, and completes payment successfully.
Shopify might classify the transaction as low risk, but that doesn't necessarily answer several important questions:
Is the customer genuinely associated with the billing address?
Does the phone number appear to belong to the person placing the order?
Is the shipping address connected to the customer or a legitimate recipient?
Does the email address have an established history?
Are there unusual inconsistencies between the customer's identity and the transaction information?
Ekata Pro Insight helped merchants investigate questions like these by providing additional identity signals.
That made it especially useful for high-ticket ecommerce stores, where one fraudulent order can result in thousands of dollars in losses.
But there was a limitation.
Ekata provided information. The merchant still needed to interpret that information and decide whether the order was safe to fulfill.
This distinction becomes important when evaluating alternatives.
There isn't a single perfect replacement for every Ekata user.
Some businesses need API-driven identity verification. Others need email intelligence, automated transaction screening, or a complete fraud investigation service.
Here are several options worth considering.
FRIQ Labs takes a different approach from traditional identity verification software.
Rather than simply giving merchants access to identity data and expecting them to investigate orders themselves, FRIQ provides an outsourced fraud review service.
Its trained analysts examine orders, assess identity and transaction signals, and provide a clear recommendation about whether the merchant should approve, decline, or further investigate the transaction.
The service is specifically designed for high-ticket Shopify stores, where individual orders can be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.
What makes FRIQ different?
Human analysts investigate orders rather than relying solely on automated risk scores.
Reviews consider identity, address, phone, email, IP, and other relevant risk signals.
Merchants receive an explanation of the findings rather than an unexplained risk score.
The service integrates with Shopify to receive order information.
Merchants retain control over their final fulfillment decisions.
The biggest difference is that FRIQ takes on the investigation work.
Instead of opening several databases, researching customer details, and interpreting conflicting information, merchants receive a completed assessment.
Best for: US-based high-ticket Shopify businesses that want deeper fraud investigations without building an internal fraud department.
Considerations: FRIQ is an analyst-led service, not a direct replacement for Ekata's API or a standalone identity-data lookup platform. It also does not provide chargeback insurance or guarantee that fraud will be prevented.
You can explore the service and its approach on the FRIQ Labs Ekata Alternative page.
SEON provides digital footprint analysis and fraud prevention technology designed to identify potentially fraudulent behavior.
It combines various digital signals with automated risk assessment to help businesses detect suspicious transactions and user activity.
For merchants looking for an automated fraud prevention platform rather than outsourced investigations, SEON is worth evaluating.
Best for: Ecommerce companies that want automated fraud scoring and digital identity signals.
Considerations: Merchants should compare available integrations, pricing, and the amount of investigation required after a transaction is flagged.
AtData specializes in email-based identity intelligence and fraud-related signals.
Email information can be particularly useful when investigating ecommerce transactions because an established email address with a consistent history may provide more context than a newly created or suspicious account.
AtData is worth considering for businesses whose Ekata workflow relied heavily on email verification and enrichment.
Best for: Businesses that need email intelligence as part of an existing fraud prevention process.
Considerations: Email intelligence is only one component of a complete transaction investigation. It does not independently establish that a customer or order is legitimate.
Signifyd is a well-established ecommerce fraud prevention provider offering transaction risk analysis and fraud protection solutions.
Unlike an identity lookup service, Signifyd focuses on helping merchants manage fraud risk across ecommerce transactions.
Depending on the product and eligibility, its offerings may also include financial protection against certain fraud-related losses.
Best for: Ecommerce merchants selling low ticket products at scale because the % per revenue taken by Signifyd can add up fast for high ticket merchants.
Considerations: Merchants should compare fees, coverage terms, approval decisions, and how the service handles legitimate orders incorrectly identified as risky.
For Shopify merchants who previously relied on Ekata Pro Insight to investigate orders manually, FRIQ offers a potentially useful alternative approach.
The distinction is not simply about replacing one data provider with another.
It's about deciding who performs the investigation.
| Feature | Ekata Pro Insight | FRIQ Labs |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Identity intelligence | Ecommerce fraud investigations |
| Identity and risk signals | Yes | Yes, as part of reviews |
| Human investigation included | No, merchant investigates | Yes |
| Clear fulfillment recommendation | Merchant determines | Analyst provides recommendation |
| Shopify-focused service | General identity verification | High-ticket Shopify merchants |
| Direct data lookup | Yes | Not its primary offering |
| Chargeback insurance | No | No |
For merchants with dedicated fraud teams, direct access to identity data may be preferable.
But smaller ecommerce businesses often face a different challenge.
They don't necessarily want more software.
They want someone to investigate an order and help them decide whether it should ship.
That is the problem FRIQ is built to solve.
I spent several years building and operating eBike Generation, an ecommerce business that generated more than $10 million in lifetime revenue before I sold it in 2023.
During that time, fraud prevention was a recurring operational concern.
When you're selling products worth $2,000, $4,000, or more, a single fraudulent transaction can have a serious financial impact.
But rejecting legitimate customers also has a cost.
One of the frustrating aspects of automated fraud detection is that legitimate customer behavior can sometimes resemble suspicious activity.
A customer might be traveling and using a VPN.
They might send a purchase to their workplace.
They might use a family member's phone number.
Or they might have moved recently, leaving older addresses in public records.
None of these circumstances automatically means the order is fraudulent.
This is why I believe fraud investigation should focus on context, not just isolated warning signs.
A mismatched address is a reason to investigate, not necessarily a reason to cancel.
An unfamiliar IP address is a signal to assess, not proof of fraud.
And a Shopify low-risk rating should never be treated as a guarantee that an expensive transaction is safe.
My experience with these challenges ultimately led me to establish FRIQ Labs, providing the kind of fraud investigation support I would have valued while running my own store.
Before committing to an alternative, I recommend answering three questions.
This is the most important distinction.
If your team already has experienced fraud investigators, you may prefer an identity enrichment provider that supplies data.
If you don't have a dedicated investigation team, a managed fraud review service may be more practical.
For businesses selling inexpensive products in high volumes, fully automated fraud screening may be the most economical option.
For merchants selling furniture, generators, electric bikes, industrial equipment, or other expensive products, the economics are different.
Spending additional time examining a $5,000 transaction can be justified if it helps prevent a significant loss or avoids unnecessarily rejecting a legitimate buyer.
A fraud detection system is only useful if it helps you make better decisions.
If an order is flagged, who investigates it?
Who checks conflicting information?
Who determines whether an address mismatch is suspicious or entirely reasonable?
And who makes the final fulfillment decision?
When comparing Ekata alternatives, consider the entire process rather than focusing exclusively on the data or risk score provided.
The best option depends on your fraud prevention needs. For high-ticket Shopify merchants who want outsourced manual order investigations, FRIQ Labs is worth considering. Businesses seeking automated identity signals or fraud scoring may prefer platforms such as SEON or specialist data providers.
There are reported changes affecting ecommerce merchant access from January 1, 2027, but this should not be interpreted as confirmation that all Ekata technology or Mastercard Identity services are shutting down. Existing customers should verify the precise impact with Mastercard.
Shopify provides useful transaction risk indicators, but its built-in fraud analysis is not a complete replacement for the deeper identity information historically available through Ekata Pro Insight.
Merchants handling expensive orders may still need additional verification and investigation.
FRIQ Labs uses multiple fraud intelligence signals in its investigations, but it is not a direct replacement for Ekata's underlying databases or API services.
FRIQ's main product is the completed fraud investigation and accompanying recommendation, rather than access to a particular data source.
Yes, particularly Shopify businesses selling high-value products. Merchants can evaluate whether the cost of manual investigation makes sense relative to their order values, margins, and exposure to fraud.
For ecommerce merchants affected by changes to Ekata access, the priority should be finding a sustainable replacement before their existing fraud investigation workflow is disrupted.
There are capable fraud detection and identity verification providers on the market.
But the right choice depends on what you actually need.
Some merchants need identity data. Others need automated fraud scores. And some simply need an experienced investigator to review orders before expensive products leave the warehouse.
For high-ticket Shopify businesses, that third option deserves serious consideration.
If you're evaluating an Ekata replacement and want a service that investigates orders rather than just supplying another risk score, take a look at FRIQ Labs' Ekata alternative for ecommerce merchants.
The objective isn't to eliminate every possible risk. It's to make better, more informed fulfillment decisions while protecting both revenue and legitimate customers.
Disclosure: John Murphy is the founder of FRIQ Labs and previously founded eBike Generation. This article includes his professional experience and discusses FRIQ alongside other fraud prevention solutions.
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