Secure Payment Processing
It is with good reason that clients have reservations about giving their personal financial details over the telephone. The security in place to protect their details was ropey at best for many years and with the risk of card numbers and other essential financial information being scribbled down on bits of paper it was clear things needed to change.
Taking payments over the telephone securely is essential for the peace of mind of the customer and the reputation of the company. Call centres have been primed for data theft and though changes have been made, the absence of all pens, paper and electronic devices for example, there was still a significant risk.
That is, until now.
PCI compliance allows call handlers to securely take the financial details of a client without any risk to the security of this information – the call handler has no access to the payment information being provided.
PCI Compliance is set at a range of different levels, dependent on the size and value of transactions taken. Below we’re taking a closer look at the Aquarius PCI compliance option as well as providing a better general understanding of the term.
What is PCI Compliance?
PCI compliance is an adherence to a set of specified security standards that have been developed to protect personal and payment information during and after a financial transaction. From a call centre perspective this means that a transaction can take place over the phone without the financial details of the client being shared with the call handler.
How does it work
At Aquarius we use PCI-PAL for secure payment processing. This works through the use of the customer’s phone keypad to enter payment information.
The call handler directs the customer through the process, asking them to enter their card number, expiry date, CVV number etc. however the information is starred out / hidden on the screen of the person handling the call.
As each section is filled the call handler will be able to see that the data the customer has provided is complete and, once all elements are complete, they can finalise the transaction.
Aquarius is the very first contact centre in the UK which has Tier 1 PCI compliance. With this compliance, client transactions are protected against fines of up to £500,000 and the organisation significantly reduces the risk to a consumer’s financial information being acquired
More information about our PCI compliance and the system we utilise is available here: https://www.aquariusuk.co.uk/services/telecoms-services/pci-compliance/.
PCI Compliance has given business who transact over the phone a new boost of security and this feeds consumer confidence, essential for ensuring long-term loyalty and customer retention.
