With the UK’s departure from the EU just around the corner, many businesses are wondering with uncertainty what future trading of goods and services with European customers will entail. As talks between leaders continue (at the time of writing), businesses are being advised to put in place procedures and practices to ensure a smooth transition to a new trading and operating environment, whatever it may be.

But while much will change for those businesses that trade overseas, whatever the outcome, be it a deal or no deal scenario, there are some systems, requirements and responsibilities that will remain the same – PCI DSS compliance being one of them. Here’s a reminder of the key points you need to remember:

1. PCI DSS compliance was established by the major global payment card brands and applies to every business that stores, processes or transmits cardholder data, regardless of its size or industry – so every retailer, online seller, service provider and contact centre should have policies and procedures in place to protect their clients – whether they are from the UK or beyond – from the risks associated with card fraud and data theft.
2. The extent of your business’s PCI compliance obligations is based on the number of transactions it processes annually. There are four levels of compliance, with Level 4 applying to merchants that process fewer than 20,000 transactions annually, up to Level 1 applying to those that process over six million. For those businesses that fall within Levels 2 to 4, compliance is achieved through a process of self-assessment. For those that fall into the Level 1 category, more rigorous and in-depth assessments take place involving external audits and reporting.
3. Being PCI compliant is an ongoing process, not an annual tick box exercise. It includes the frequent monitoring and testing of systems and networks, ongoing training for employees on security policies and protecting cardholder data and ensuring that anti-virus software or programs are updated regularly.
4. Failure to comply with PCI DSS which then results in a data breach will undoubtedly result in a substantial fine and more seriously, cause irreversible damage to your brand. Today’s consumers have high expectations when it comes to the protection of their personal and payment data – a breakdown of trust between your business and your customers will ultimately lead them to your competitors.

Here at PCI Telecom, we create and maintain card payment processing solutions, for card-not-present transactions made over the phone or online, that are bespoke to your business whatever its shape and size. Our solutions are cost effective, flexible, robust and cloud-based so there is no need for bulky bits of equipment to be installed. They are also accredited to a PCI DSS Level 1 standard so you can descope your business of much of its PCI compliance requirements leaving you the time and resources to focus on managing the day-to-day running of your business and delivery to your customer. For more information, visit our Solutions page or alternatively get in touch here or by using our webchat function over on the right.

You can find out more about the Brexit transition and what your business needs to do to prepare by visiting www.gov.uk/transition

More information on PCI DSS compliance can be obtained by visiting the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) website here.

Shopping on the high street remains anything but ‘normal’. Tighter lockdown restrictions, social distancing measures, face masks and queues mean many consumers are shifting their shopping habits to buy online or over the phone from the comfort and safety of their own home. And as we enter the busy pre-Christmas build up, retailers will be looking at how they can prepare for this increase in card-not-present (CNP) transactions to create the best possible customer experience without the face to face interaction.

With this in mind, does your business have the systems and processes in place to make the most of this expected change in consumer behaviour? Here, we look at questions that retailers should be asking themselves.

Can your business handle the fluctuations in sales?

For smaller retailers with limited budget and resources to hand, the continued Covid-related uncertainty makes planning for the future a challenge. Implementing CNP payment channels that require limited staff resource can assist with ensuring that customers can always access your goods and services even at the busiest times. The ecommerce option is the obvious choice for many but an IVR service, interacting and accepting payments over the phone, offers an additional channel for reaching customers.

Can your payment processing system be accessed remotely?

It’s reassuring to know that your business can stay open and maintain a high standard of service, even when your staff are working from home. Implementing a sales and payment processing solution that can be easily rolled out and accessed remotely is critical for this purpose, enabling communication with the customer while being able to SECURELY accept and process payments made over the phone as well as via alternative interactive CNP channels such as webchat.

Does your payment processing system integrate with back-end functions?

Busier periods can mean less time being available to monitor stock levels or update customer records, in some cases leading to disrupted service delivery. Having a payment processing solution that integrates with back-end functions such as your CRM database and accounting system, saves time and resources and supports the delivery of seamless, glitch-free customer service.

Are you and your customers protected from card fraud and data breaches?

Unfortunately, the rise in CNP transactions will inevitably bring with it an increase in card fraud and cyber-attacks. While you want to protect your business and your customers from this risk, you’ll also want to minimise the impact of fraud management and cyber security policies on the customer experience. Opting for a card payment processing solution that complies with the latest in PCI DSS guidelines will ensure that both parties are protected and by choosing one that delivers an efficient transaction process, you’ll also maintain customer confidence and satisfaction.

Here are PCI Telecom, we build and implement card payment solutions for businesses of every shape and size, taking into consideration their needs and their budgets so that they end up with the solution that does exactly what they want it to. We create solutions for individual sales channels or as part of a wider omni-channel provision and these integrate seamlessly with other areas of the business. Our Level 1 PCI DSS accreditation means that data and card payment security is at the heart of everything we deliver. For more information, visit our Solutions page or get in touch here.

Being an integrated solutions partner of an accredited PCI DSS Level 1 provider is something that we regularly mention to highlight the reliability and robustness of the card payment solutions that we provide.  But what does it mean for the businesses that we work with and their customers?

What are the PCI DSS levels?

PCI DSS are a set of technical and operational requirements, established by the major payment card brands, that help organisations to maintain payment security, prevent card fraud and protect against data breaches. They apply to any organisation that stores, processes or transmits cardholder data regardless of the size or type of organisation – from small retailers through to large contact centres. The standards are made up of 12 components ranging from building a secure network to developing organisational data policy; the requirements for which varies depending on the number of transactions processed by the organisation each year. There are four levels of compliance, with Level 4 applying to merchants that process fewer than 20,000 transactions annually, up to Level 1 applying to those that process over six million.

For those businesses that fall within Levels 2 and 4, compliance is achieved through a process of self-assessment. For those that fall into the Level 1 category, more rigorous and in-depth assessments take place involving external audits and reporting.

As a service provider, it is this PCI DSS Level 1 assessment that is undertaken every 12 months along with added requirements including penetration testing and internal scans, to ensure that the solutions we provide via our integrated partner remain robust and inaccessible to data hackers scouring for weaknesses in IT networks.

What this means for your business

Our solutions have been through the highest degree of card security testing and scrutiny to achieve the Level 1 standard of compliance. Our clients are therefore reassured that their transaction environment is secure and provides them with confidence that they are protected against credit card fraud and breaches of cardholder data; a comfort that they can pass on to their customers.

In addition to this, many organisations view the process of becoming compliant with PCI DSS, even at the self-assessment levels, as complex and resource intensive. Moving to our external card payment processing solutions, takes away this headache by removing the transaction environment from your scope into ours, giving you the benefit of a higher level of compliance without the stress or expense.

Our suite of solutions – PCI Agent (for attended, over-the-phone transactions), Auto IVR, Online and PCI Webchat – are all adaptable to suit the needs of any business, whatever its type, shape and size. Being cloud-based they are simple to install, without the need for equipment on-site, and are easy to use both in the office and when accessed remotely.

Visit our Solutions page to find out more about our PCI DSS Level 1 accredited products or alternatively get in touch with us here to talk through your requirements.

As the upheaval of lockdown begins to diminish, many businesses are turning their attention towards the re-occupancy of offices and what the post-Covid-19 ‘normal’ looks like for their business operations. With social distancing measures still in place for the time being, it appears unlikely that there will be a return to full office capacity any time soon and as a result, many businesses are exploring ways to manage the split between workers based in the office while others continue to work from home.

As facilities and building managers grapple with the issue of social distancing, managers of customer-facing functions are wondering how they can best deliver a consistent customer service when their teams are spread across multiple locations. Here are some suggestions of things that can help during these topsy-turvy times.

Ensure customer-facing staff are equipped and informed

Frontline staff, the faces and voices of your organisation, are core to your brand’s identity and its reputation. Managing calls competently and efficiently offers valuable reassurance to the customer that your service is reliable and that transactions are being processed responsibly. To do this, your teams need to be equipped with the tools and information to do their job in the best way possible, whether that be telecoms equipment or remote access to cloud-based software.

In addition, creating and implementing clear, company-wide policies for dealing with customer calls and processing card-not-present payments are essential to the delivery of a consistent service across the board and to maintain a secure environment for transactions to take place, regardless of where your team members are based. This includes guidance on cyber security, particularly for those working remotely, as well as rules on firewalls and multifactor authentication. This will help staff to recognise the importance of their role in the delivery of high-quality service and understand the impact this has on reassuring customers and the long-term success of the business.

Facilitate omni-channel payment methods

Catering for a broader spectrum of payment preferences, across multiple platforms, brings obvious benefits in terms of reaching more customers. It also means that you aren’t completely reliant on just one channel or team for payments to be processed – extremely useful during periods of disruption. Concerns about the availability of staff to handle incoming sales calls can be easily managed with the installation of an IVR solution, providing an automated option that directs callers to exactly the service they need. Similarly, offering online payments via the website or a webchat function, adds another access point to your services for customers who may not have the time to call.

There are many advantages to choosing a single provider for your omni-channel payment processing including the simplification of back end systems such as accounting and reconciliation as well as improved all-in-one sales reporting, giving you a better understanding of customer behaviours and improving your ability to plan effective sales and marketing strategies.

How we can help

PCI Telecom offers a range of cardholder-not-present payment solutions that help equip your staff with the tools they need to offer a consistently seamless service, whichever channel is being used to pay. Our solutions are reliable, easy to use and secure – accredited to a PCI DSS Level 1 standard – so you can focus on the delivery of products and services while leaving the payment processing to us. Here’s how they can work for you during this time:

Our PCI Agent over-the-phone payment solution enables callers to stay on the line to a member of staff – whether that person be located in the office or at their kitchen table – and input their card details via their phone keypad. The member of staff, logged into our cloud-based card processing system, is at no point able to see the card details and the transaction is swift and seamless.

Our flexible Auto IVR solution easily integrates with your existing phone network and enables customers to select automated options to reach the service they need AND make payments securely by inputting the details via their phone keypad.

During a live chat, web chat, SMS or social media engagement, our PCI WebChat solution can be used to generate a unique and secure payment URL link that is sent to the customer, into which they enter their card details. The PCI Webchat function remains open to the agent and customer so they can continue to ‘chat’ during the process but card details are at no point made visible to anyone other than the customer.

Similarly, our PCI Paylink generates a unique and secure URL that is emailed to the customer for completion with their card details. With full encryption, the payment is then processed, at no time revealing the card details to a member of staff.

Our solutions are created on a bespoke basis, either individually or as part of an omni-channel suite of payment options, that work to meet the needs of your business, helping you to maintain a consistently high standard of service and a safe and secure transaction environment. For more information visit our Solutions page or get in touch to talk through your requirements.

As a business, it can often feel like you’re on a treadmill when keeping up with the latest in consumer trends and technological developments. The last decade has seen more changes in consumer behaviour than ever before; how they access your products and services and also how they pay for them. So how do you make sure you meet these needs while maintaining a good standard of customer service? One way is to opt for an omnichannel payments solutions provider. Here, we look at the key advantages that these can bring.

Offer a consistent, seamless customer experience

Obviously catering for a broader spectrum of payment preferences, across multiple platforms, brings benefits in terms of reaching more customers. But there are other reasons why it is more advantageous to choose an omnichannel solution to do this, namely improving the customer experience and earning a good reputation amongst your target audience. It is easier to implement a good quality, consistent customer journey using one solution rather than trying to manage many.  Today’s consumers have high expectations when it comes to seamless service provision and this consistency is key to building brand recognition and ultimately brand loyalty moving forward.

Streamline the payment process and improve integration with back-end systems

It isn’t just the customer’s experience that improves with an omnichannel payment solution. For the business, using one system to handle and process sales transactions, streamlines the whole payment function, generating a wealth of benefits. This includes all-in-one reporting to simplify accounting and reconciliation as well as easy monitoring of sales and stock levels. In addition to this, an omnichannel solution enables you to gather and map your customers’ buying behaviours across all platforms, generating invaluable data that gives you a greater understanding of how they interact with your business and opening up opportunities to develop more effective sales strategies and targeted marketing activities.

Save money and boost productivity

Investing in one solution that works across all platforms, rather than multiple systems to manage each payment channel, saves money in the long run – requiring fewer updates and lower maintenance costs. Plus, with fewer hours spent managing multiple payment strands and suppliers, you and your teams can invest more time focussing on developing the business and delivering your service.

Simplify your PCI DSS compliance

Crucially, having one omnichannel payment solution removes the complexities of PCI DSS and other compliance obligations. With only one system being in-scope rather than many, you save time and resources to redeploy elsewhere in the business.

At PCI Telecom, we create bespoke card payment processing solutions for multiple channels including over the phone to a live agent, IVR, online and via webchat. Our cloud-based solutions are affordable, simple to install, easy to use and integrate seamlessly with your phone system as well as other areas of the business. They are accredited with PCI DSS Level 1 standard so you don’t have to worry about compliance – we take that on so that you can focus on your day job. For more information, visit the Solutions page or get in touch to talk through your requirements.

The payments landscape has evolved at an exceptional rate over the last few years, with the rise of contactless and the use of smart devices as well-recognised examples of new technology that has changed the way that customers pay. This evolution is set to continue as banking services and businesses look to introduce easier and more secure ways to manage payments, most notably with the use of biometric data in the authentication process. So what does this mean for your business and your customers?

What are biometric payments?

Biometric payments use biological and behavioural data, such as fingerprints, voice and facial recognition, as part of the authentication process when making a payment, be it online or in person. The introduction of biometric data being used in payments has created a new level of security, moving away from ‘something you know’ authentication such as a password or PIN, towards ‘something you are’ – a characteristic unique to the individual.

With the estimation that around 90% of passwords are easily hackable and the number of card fraud cases continuing to rise, it’s no wonder that the search for ways to tighten security for card payments has become a priority. 2018 saw the launch of the EU Payments Services Directive (PSD2), part of which included the introduction of Strong Customer Authentication (SCA), requiring card issuers to implement multi-factor authentication for all online purchases over €30 and increasing the scope to include not only a PIN or password but also integrating biometric data.

What are the benefits of biometric payments?

Biometric data can’t be lost or forgotten and is near impossible to steal or duplicate so for businesses, biometric authentication creates a new line of defence against card fraud as well as reduces the number of abandoned payments because of lost passwords and PINs.

Added to these security benefits are the enhancements that biometric payments can make to the customer experience. Gen Z, the digital-first generation who make up a growing proportion of today’s consumers, have greater confidence in sharing biometric data with banks and businesses than in previous generations. According to GlobalData’s 2018 Consumer Payments Insight Survey, two thirds of consumers are comfortable using a fingerprint or other biometric measure to secure their payment details, with only 11% opposed to the idea. With more emphasis on convenience and being able to manage their lives while on the go, today’s consumers have high expectations when it comes to customer service with biometric payments supporting these needs by facilitating easier, quicker, reliable and more convenient transactions, known in the industry as ‘frictionless’. Many businesses see the opportunity to use biometrics to streamline their payment processing and enhance the customer experience to gain that ever-important competitive differentiator.

While balancing customer experience with data security will continue to be an ongoing challenge, we should expect to see even greater focus on biometrics over coming years, steadily becoming commonplace as technology is further developed and deployed.

The expansion in use of biometric data in the payments process increases the need for revised regulation and compliance obligations. The new PCI DSS v4, the launch of which is expected in late 2020, will encompass new payment technologies to ensure that businesses maintain robust payment processing security to protect you and your customers from cyber-attack, data security breaches and card fraud.

Here at PCI Telecom, we create bespoke card payment processing solutions that meet the needs of businesses whatever their shape and size. Our solutions are not only accredited to a Level 1 standard for PCI DSS compliance but are also compatible to meet the requirements of SCA for online transactions. You can find out more about our online payment processing solutions as well as our over the phone card payment systems by visiting our Solutions page or get in touch to discuss your requirements in more detail.

As we move towards the end of 2019, we are celebrating another great year for PCI Telecom. In March, we attended our first ever exhibition – the Call & Contact Centre Expo at Excel London – at which we showcased our unique, budget-friendly PCI DSS compliant solutions to a range of businesses and contact centre consultants, opening the door to new clients and an even broader range of projects. Interestingly, but unsurprisingly to us, the chats we had over the two days confirmed that we are filling a gap in the market in delivering compliant card payment solutions targeted specifically towards the needs of SMEs. We know that for many small and medium sized businesses, often with fewer resources to hand than their larger corporate counterparts, an affordable solution that is efficient at processing payments while integrating with existing systems such as the phone network and accounting software is much-needed. Our aim is to continue to fill this gap by developing products that meet the ongoing requirements of businesses and protect their customers through the payment process.

Here are just a few examples of projects we’ve delivered on in 2019:

Imperial War Museum

Imperial War Museum manage a collection of five historic sites and visitor attractions across the country with permanent displays alongside a range of events and exhibitions. The team was exploring options for a ticket purchasing system that addressed concerns relating to their PCI DSS compliance, specifically with over-the-phone card payments being made to a live operator. Our PCI Agent TFR solution was installed and adapted to suit their needs, fully interacting with their existing ticket software, telephone systems and IT networks, allowing callers to purchase tickets by inputting their card details securely via their telephone keypad without the need to temporarily cut off the agent.

Arriva Rail North

The rail operator responsible for providing trains in the north of England was keen to introduce easier payment options for passengers that had received penalty notices. They needed a solution that could facilitate payments via a range of channels, was easy for staff to use and that could integrate with processes already in place. Our PCI DSS compliant suite of products could do just that – meeting with all of their needs through our hosted AUTO IVR solution for those wishing to pay over the phone as well as our PCI MOBILE Chip & Pin solution for those preferring to pay on the spot.

Charles Clinkard

The team at Charles Clinkard, sellers of high quality footwear with stores located across the UK, was looking to introduce a facility for their customers to make payments over the phone in a secure environment to address their PCI compliance obligations while at the same time integrating seamlessly with other retail software. Our PCI Agent TFR solution was launched, integrating fully with their existing systems from ordering stock through to despatch.

Could we do the same for your business?

If you’re looking to introduce or update to a PCI DSS compliant card payment processing system that works to meet the specific needs of your business then please do get in touch with us to find out how we can help. Until then, we wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Since the launch of Open Banking in January 2018 a wave of new products and applications has arrived on the market both for businesses and consumers, opening up the financial services industry by introducing competition to the provision of banking systems, previously controlled by a handful of bank corporations. Open Banking has given consumers and businesses greater control over their money and their budgeting processes with simplified and improved functions such as accounting and budget management software along with up to date financial data and analysis.

Understandably, the movement of financial data between third party services and banking providers requires significant data protection and encryption. Behind the scenes, Open Banking applications, regulated by the FCA, use integration software also known as APIs (or application programming interfaces) to seamlessly manage this passage of data between the app and the bank in a secure environment to avoid the risk of a breach – crucial for the protection of your business’s sensitive financial information.

This interface between business systems and the bank is comparable to that which takes place during the processing of card payments with security and data protection also of the highest importance. Similar to the regulation of Open Banking, card payment processing should adhere to the latest PCI DSS guidelines to ensure that the transaction environment is secure at every stage of the payment process, from the customer entering their card details right through to communicating with the card issuer for processing. For businesses, there are high risks associated with using systems that are out of date or that don’t interface effectively, namely the leakage of customer data into the hands of cyber criminals and the subsequent hefty fines and damage to reputation.

Security aside, Open Banking has introduced effective tools to streamline your financial systems and monitoring, saving you time and in turn giving a boost to your business productivity. Could updating your card payment process with similar modernisation and simplification lead to the same outcome?

At PCI Telecom, we believe it will. We have developed a range of solutions for payments made over the phone and online to suit the needs of every business regardless of its shape and size. Our solutions are easy to install, simple to use, fit seamlessly and securely with your other business functions and have PCI DSS Level 1 accreditation so you don’t have to worry about data security and can continue to deliver a high standard of service to your customer. For more information, visit our Solutions page or alternatively, get in touch with us to talk through your requirements.

For more information about Open Banking visit www.openbanking.org.uk

We’ve worked with a broad range of clients including visitor attractions, transport providers and retailers so we know that the summer can present a big challenge for businesses, balancing significantly higher than usual call frequency with employees on summer leave. This can be particularly problematic for smaller businesses with fewer resources, experiencing the peaks and troughs of variances in sales and demand more intensely than their larger counterparts.

Investing in the right card payment processing solution can help to manage these fluctuations in business. Here’s how:

Introduce automated over-the-phone card payments

IVR (Interactive Voice Response) technology enables calls and payments to be dealt with and processed without the involvement of an agent or call handler. The automated call handling system allows customers to select options and move through the payment process independently, entering their card details into a secure transaction environment. For your business, this means that during busy times or when there are fewer staff available, general payments can be directed to the automated process while your attention can move to handling the more detailed enquiries. Most importantly, you keep your customers happy by not putting them on hold for long periods and being able to accept payments at convenient times outside of office hours.

Speed up the payment process

Swift and efficient transactions lead to more satisfied customers but they also improve your business’ productivity by saving time, freeing up staff to focus on other areas of the business. An improved card payment solution which integrates with your other back end systems such as the CRM database and stock monitoring also cuts the number of steps required in the transaction process, in turn improving efficiency and reducing the need for staff involvement.

Adapt to demand by introducing flexible solutions

Opt for card payment solutions that offer flexibility and scalability so that you can handle higher demand during busy periods by adding and removing users as required. This assists with the planning in advance of busy periods to ensure you have the right amount of staff available to manage calls effectively and maintain a positive customer experience.

At PCI Telecom we offer a range of Level 1 accredited PCI DSS compliant card payment solutions that are created to suit the specific needs and requirements of your business. Whether you’re an SME or a larger enterprise, we can provide a solution that works for you and your budget, that fits seamlessly with your existing systems without the need for major infrastructure changes. For more information and to discuss your requirements, get in touch with us here.

More about our PCI DSS compliant card payment solutions:

PCI Agent ™, PCI Agent™ Outbound, PCI Agent™ TFR, PCI Agent™ Advance – whether you’re a one-man-band business, an SME with up to 100 employees or a larger organisation, we have a variety of solutions for card payments made over the phone.

 Auto IVR solutions enable fast, effective payments to be made automatically by callers any time of day without the need to speak to a person or wait in a queue.

Our ONLINE card payment solutions come with EV SSL and 3D-Secure processes as standard so you and your customers can rest easy that personal and payment data is protected throughout the transaction.

 PCI MOBILE™ chip & pin solution means you can take payments from customers in person while out and about and on the move. Fully secure with end-2-end Level 1 accreditation.

There has been a lot of talk recently about the introduction of the new Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) requirements for online card transactions coming into effect this September. So what are they and what do they mean for your business?

What is Strong Customer Authentication (SCA)?

Following a steady increase in cases of payment fraud loss over the last few years, the new EU Payments Services Directive (PSD2), which was launched in January 2018, features a core component to enhance consumer rights and reduce online fraud. Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) is a key element of this, introducing additional security authentications for online transactions.

From 14 September 2019, any purchase made online over €30, will require extra form of customer identification. Also known as ‘two-factor’ or ‘multi-factor’ authentication, this will include at least two of the following:

• Something they know, for example a PIN or password
• Something they have such as a smart phone
• Something they are, using biometric data such as fingerprint or facial recognition

The SCA requirements will apply to transactions where both the purchaser and the merchant are based in the European Economic Area (EEA).

So will SCA still apply after Brexit?

It is expected that the SCA regulations will be enforced regardless of the process or conclusion of the UK leaving the EU.

What SCA means for your business?

As a merchant, implementing and complying with SCA isn’t something that you can address yourself. The responsibility sits with the card issuer to put a mechanism in place for authentication via your payment service provider (PSP).

Currently, any payment that a card issuer deems as risky is usually diverted to the 3D Secure service, sometimes known as Verified by Visa or Mastercard Securecode, as a means of authenticating the customer. The new SCA requires nearly all online transactions (bar a few exemptions) to be diverted to a new improved version of 3D Secure – named 3D Secure v2 (or 3DSv2) – which will be in place from September. This new service will address the new SCA requirements, promising ‘frictionless authentication’ including the use of biometric data and better integration with devices such as smartphones.

Here at PCI Telecom, we know how important it is to ensure your customer journey is as smooth as possible so, to aid the transition, we are upgrading our processing solutions to support 3DSv2 to meet the requirements of SCA for online transactions. You can find out more about our Online card payment processing solutions as well as our over the phone card payment systems by visiting our Solutions page or get in touch to discuss your requirements in more detail.