Eckoh has brought a customer’s ability to pay with ease to the next level with the announcement that it can now take a secure payment directly via live web chat (“Live Chat”). That means the company is the world’s first Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) Level 1 service provider able to offer secure payment solutions across the full spectrum of phone, web, mobile app, SMS and now Live Chat.
In a press release, it added that this new capability extends Eckoh’s already impressive payments portfolio, as well as builds upon the company’s acquisition of Klick2Contact EU Limited in July 2016, which allowed Eckoh’s merchants to take secure payments across the full range of card-not-present channels.
These capabilities are especially important since card-not-present fraud is the fastest-growing form of credit card fraud globally, with losses that are expected to exceed $7 billion by 2020. With Live Chat becoming a popular way for merchants to stay in touch with customers and offer support, the ability to accept secure payments through this communication channel can mean increased revenue for businesses that utilize it.
Live Chat is believed to be more secure — and convenient — for consumers. The consumer can simply place an order within the chat session rather than having to be redirected to another channel to complete their purchase.
“Live Chat is very popular with our clients and their customers, because it provides instant online assistance, and the ability to take a secure payment is a compelling enhancement of this channel,” said Graham Pollard, managing director of Klick2Contact. “As with our other secure payment products, Eckoh and K2C have made this process completely seamless to the customer, and their sensitive card data is never exposed to the chat agent or our client’s IT environment, helping them to be compliant and reducing the risk of fraud.”