Customer payments - don't fall at the last hurdle

As more customers turn to online purchases, businesses need to keep up with the twin demands of user experience (UX) and security – or risk losing out. Callsign’s Joe Micara looks at how organizations can stay ahead in the race.

Businesses are striving to remove as many hurdles as possible in the race for customers’ interest and loyalty, with fluid and intuitive user journeys increasingly the norm. But time and again, customers are being tripped up on their sprint to the finish by clumsy checkout processes. Customers want and expect payments to be secure and safe; but all too often, that security comes with unacceptable levels of friction and, as a result, is often sacrificed.

Acting on impulse

It goes without saying that enhancing online customer experiences should be something businesses strive towards. And at a time where innovations and technological advances appear on a seemingly daily basis, the opportunities for hyper-personalization are abounding – and exciting.

A cursory glance at any social feed reveals that many businesses are getting this right, at least in part. Targeted and relevant adverts are commonplace, creating a powerful retail channel for impulsive shoppers.

So why are the actual payments fraught with difficulty? Trying to make a purchase from a mobile device – the platform where customers are most likely to encounter those adverts – is a case in point. In so many cases, it’s more cumbersome and friction-filled for users than web-based purchases.

That friction comes in many forms. Customers might be prompted for a static password that they have long since forgotten – and in fact, password resets are rapidly becoming the new login. They might be expected to authenticate via an SMS OTP, a hugely outmoded and insecure method of operation.

Making the payment experience rapid and easy to use is critical: if it isn’t, then those potential customers are just as likely to abandon the transaction and turn to other vendors impulsively.

Extending a helping hand

In short, personalization shouldn’t stop with the adverts and the offers: it needs to be an end-to-end aspect that keeps the customer engaged through to checkout. Otherwise, what’s the point?

Utilizing adaptive web technology to enable mobile features is an obvious step to take. That means mobile customers can enjoy the same rich experience as web users, such as the merchant identifying (and offering) local preferences for payment options. Improve the UX, and the result will be fewer instances of cart abandonment.

Customers respond well to a helping hand, and the easier it is for a user to go from browsing to purchasing, the easier it is for a business to increase customer loyalty and return business. It’s as simple as that.

Keep it simple – and secure

Simplicity is one watchword, but security is another.

Low-effort payments, while attractive to customers, can sometimes be problematic to privacy-focused users concerned about the security of the information they share. Rapid transactions need to ensure users feel they are in control of their activity and haven’t been rushed through a process in which their unprotected data is handed over to malicious actors.

Organizations must balance the actual and perceived security to craft fluid user journeys that feel secure to the end user. The task is complex and important. A single instance of fraud can destroy customer loyalty and trust, leaving merchants facing reputational damage.

More than one fifth of customers who have been a victim of fraud said they stopped using the brand which the scammer claimed to be from[1]. So even just by association, fraud can harm business.

That’s why any solution for creating the perfect payment experience must go beyond just introducing fraud detection steps that add friction to the user journey; it needs to positively identify, welcome, and protect legitimate customers.

While prioritizing good customers, Callsign’s technology also allows businesses to weed out illegitimate shoppers, protecting businesses from Account Takeover (ATO) fraud and even instances of friendly fraud, such as promo code and incentive scheme abuse.

With an awareness of the additional challenges both users and businesses face, Callsign’s robust solutions include bot detection, device intelligence, and behavioral biometrics to passively identify customers without the need for a friction-filled user journey.

Merchants can identify customers and fraudsters from the onset, enabling users to travel seamlessly along their journey to the finish line. As a result, not only are journeys safe and secure, but payment transactions are seamless – no longer requiring clumsy authentication methods.

A marathon, not a sprint

The race to attract and retain customers is a hard-fought battle and one that shouldn’t be lost at the final, critical point of checkout. It’s better to give your customers a push over the finish line than move it further away from them.

Users shouldn’t have to jump through hurdles to make an online payment, and businesses should be removing the barriers to get them across the line – all while keeping them safe. Using tools like device intelligence and behavioral biometrics to passively and positively identify customers is crucial to this and key for offering better UX and increased digital trust.

Users should not stumble on their digital journeys. Let’s help them by clearing the track and opening a seamless pathway from start to finish.