Clickatell, Cybersource Offer Simplified Chat-Based Payment System

Mobile communications commerce company Clickatell has joined forces with Visa’s fraud management platform Cybersource to simplify chat-based payments and contact-free checkout, according to a Thursday (Sept. 16) report from IBS Intelligence.

The partnership has enabled the Chat 2 Pay option for businesses to accept payments and transactions to customers via chat, according to the article. Chat 2 Pay allows customers to make payments through chat messages rather than having to share credit card details over the phone or through a point-of-sale device, according to Clickatell’s website.

As part of the joint effort, Cybersource will set up Chat 2 Pay via a pay-by-link option that allows customers to make contact-free payments by text message and chat apps on mobile devices, according to the article. The Chat 2 Pay feature allows businesses to send customers payment requests and provides the technology for customers to make the payment and receive a payment receipt, all within the mobile device’s chat apps. It will be available to retailers and partners in 190 countries.

Amid the pandemic, the popularity of contact-free payment options has grown at a fever pitch. From March 2020 through November, the number of shoppers making purchases with digital devices increased from 27% to 42%, according to PYMNTS. Research indicates that shoppers are more often starting their shopping online, and that a growing percentage are opting to complete their transactions there. The percentage of consumers who prefer wholly digital shopping experiences has increased more than 20% since the pandemic began — meaning that digital-first shoppers now account for more than one-quarter of U.S. consumers.

Related: New Data: More Than Forty Percent of U.S. Consumers Shop Through Digital Channels … And Stay There

Recognizing the push for contactless payments, firm Everyware earlier this year announced a partnership with Visa’s Cybersource and Authorize.net to offer payments processing to enterprise and small- to medium-sized businesses. Like the Chat 2 Pay technology, the joint effort features a contactless payment and communications experience, according to PYMNTS.

Read more: Everyware Teams With Cybersource, Authorize.net To Power SMB Contactless Payments