The illustrative embodiments described herein provide systems and methods for authenticating a customer in an online transaction. In one embodiment, a method includes initiating, in conjunction with an online transaction, an authentication query via a communication device associated with a customer in the online transaction, receiving customer authentication data from the communication device, sending the customer authentication data to a third-party authentication server to authenticate the customer using the customer authentication data, receiving a determination from the third-party authentication server whether the customer is authenticated, and allowing the online transaction to proceed in response to receiving the determination that the customer is authenticated.