The coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic is making touch-free payments more critical than ever. American Express, Discover, Mastercard, and Visa are now seeking to streamline the digital payment process further, taking the technology to merchants in more countries around the world. The four payment networks have announced an expansion of Click to Pay – a simple, consistent digital checkout experience. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is Click to Pay?
Click to Pay is a digital payment system that aims to make online checkout secure and straightforward.
The Click to Pay Program began in 2019. More than 10,000 merchants have allowed consumers the option of clicking to pay since then. Specifically, Click to Pay allows shoppers to have their card information securely stored. This does away with the process of having to input the entire credit card number and other details. Notable brands currently using the service include:
- Cinemark
- Crate & Barrel
- Expedia
- Fresh Direct
- Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts
- Joseph A. Bank
- Rakuten U.S.
- Saks Fifth Avenue
According to American Express, “the advanced digital checkout solution mirrors the consistent, interoperable checkout experience in physical stores – with one terminal to accept all card payments. Consistent with the goal of interoperability, the vision for the future is that Click to Pay will provide consumers a streamlined experience across any digital checkout environment or network.”
American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa Cooperating to Lead the Charge
The Click to Pay online checkout platform is based on the EMV Secure Remote Commerce industry-standard, currently in use in countries such as Canada, Australia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore, among others. Notably, EMV chip technology has been gaining traction in the United States, with Discover, Amex, Visa, and Mastercard making the feature more widely available.
To make checkout synchronized, all the four major payment networks are beginning work with their payments service providers, acquirers, and gateways in preparation for a fully streamlined online checkout experience for consumers.
According to a press release, U.S. partners including ACI Worldwide, Blackbaud, BlueSnap, Braintree (a PayPal Service), Cybersource, Global Payments, Aurus, Mastercard Payment Gateway Services, and Square are providing their merchants with the option to enable Click to Pay.
Beyond the 10,000 merchants who currently offer Click to Pay, the following companies have committed to supporting the new streamlined payment options:
- Emirates
- Noel Learning
- 1-Day
- Pizza Hut Australia
- The Warehouse
- Ticketek
- Warehouse Stationery
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