VIP Bypass
5 min read
VIP Customer Bypass is the setting that prevents your established, trusted customers from being caught by Card-Testing Defense velocity rules. It’s on by default. This page explains exactly which customers the bypass protects, when it applies, and when (rarely) you might want to turn it off.
Despite the name, the bypass is not limited to customers literally in the VIP segment. It protects any proven repeat customer who isn’t already showing risk — so the protection is broader than the label suggests.
Who the Bypass Protects #
At checkout time, TrustLens looks up the customer by their billing email (this works for both logged-in users and guests whose email matches an existing customer record). A customer is bypassed only when all of the following are true:
- The bypass setting is on (the default).
- They have at least the minimum-orders threshold of completed orders — the same
trustlens_min_ordersvalue used for confident scoring (default 3). A single completed order is deliberately not enough, so a fraud actor can’t earn permanent immunity by completing one order. - Their segment is not Risk or Critical. A chargeback-prone or high-risk repeat customer never bypasses card-testing defense, regardless of order count.
Customers who aren’t found, who fall below the order threshold, or who sit in the Risk/Critical segments are subject to velocity rules as normal. The lookup happens before velocity counters are read or incremented.
Allowlisted customers (locked at score 100 / VIP) always satisfy these conditions, so allowlisting a customer also exempts them from velocity rules while the bypass is on.
What Bypass Does #
When a bypassed customer is identified at checkout:
- The velocity counters are not read for their fingerprint
- The lockout flag is not checked
- The Panic Freeze block is skipped (unless explicitly disabled)
- Their checkout proceeds normally regardless of any rules that would otherwise block them
The bypass is comprehensive — it short-circuits the entire Card-Testing Defense layer for that request. The customer’s checkout experience is identical to having no defense in place.
Why Bypass Exists #
The bypass solves a specific class of false positive: legitimate VIPs producing high checkout velocity for innocent reasons. Common scenarios:
- VIP placing several orders in quick succession (gift-giving, bulk restocking)
- VIP using a corporate card that requires multiple validation attempts
- VIP testing payment options across multiple cards
- VIP returning after a typo’d email or expired session and retrying checkout
Without the bypass, any of these could trip the velocity threshold and produce a lockout error message on a customer who is, by definition, the kind of customer you want to keep.
When to Turn Bypass Off #
Bypass is a tradeoff between false-positive prevention and defense coverage. Turn it off if:
- You suspect a VIP fingerprint has been compromised. If an attacker has somehow stolen a VIP’s session or fingerprint, bypass would let them through.
- You’ve allowlisted very broadly. If your VIP segment includes many customers (e.g. you’ve allowlisted hundreds), the bypass exposes a larger surface than it protects.
- You’re under active attack and uncertain about VIP integrity. Temporarily disable bypass during the incident.
For most stores, the default of “on” is the right choice. The bypass is most valuable when you have meaningful VIP populations and active velocity protection.
Bypass vs Allowlist #
These are different concepts that work together:
| Mechanism | Effect |
|---|---|
| Allowlist (per customer) | Locks customer score at 100, marks as VIP, prevents all negative signals |
| VIP Bypass (system-wide) | Skips Card-Testing Defense velocity rules for established customers (≥ minimum orders, not Risk/Critical) |
Allowlisting puts a customer into VIP; the bypass then skips them through Card-Testing rules. Disabling bypass doesn’t affect their allowlist status — they’re still segment-VIP, just subject to velocity rules.
Configuration #
Settings: TrustLens → Card-Testing Defense.
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| VIP customer bypass | On | Skip velocity checks for established customers (≥ minimum orders) who aren’t in the Risk or Critical segments |
Changes take effect immediately on the next checkout request.
Bypass and Panic Freeze #
By default, VIP bypass applies even during a Panic Freeze — meaning your VIPs can still complete checkout even when the store is otherwise frozen. This is intentional: the most valuable customers should not be punished for an attack they’re not part of.
If you want a Panic Freeze to halt all checkouts including VIPs (e.g. you suspect VIP fingerprints are compromised), turn bypass off before activating the freeze.
How to Verify Bypass Is Working #
Quick sanity check:
- Use an established customer that qualifies for the bypass (3+ completed orders, not Risk/Critical) — or allowlist a test account, which always qualifies
- Have them attempt several checkouts in quick succession with a card that intentionally declines (e.g. a card with insufficient funds)
- Confirm they keep their default of 3 declines in 60 seconds without being locked out
- For comparison, repeat with a non-qualifying fingerprint — confirm the lockout triggers once 3 declines accumulate
This is also useful regression testing if you’ve customized the customer-identification logic via filters.
Reading Bypass Activity #
The Pro Attack History tab shows bypass events in the event log:
- How many checkout attempts went through bypass
- Which VIPs triggered it
- Whether any VIP fingerprints would have been locked without bypass
If the last item is non-zero — meaning bypass is consistently saving VIPs from lockouts — your VIPs are producing velocity above the threshold, and you should consider whether they need allowlisting or if there’s an underlying issue.
