What Is Click To Pay & Is It Safe For Online Payments?

Click to Pay is a service that aims to make it easier for customers to pay online with credit cards. Click to Pay is an online checkout standard supported by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. With a single Click to Pay account, a customer can store payment information for all of their credit and debit cards that belong to these four card networks.

This guide breaks down everything you need to know about Click to Pay, including whether Click to Pay is safe, how Click to Pay works, and the benefits of using Click to Pay.

What Is Click To Pay?

Click to Pay is an online checkout that lets customers complete online purchases without repeatedly entering their card details. Customers can choose which card to use from their stored payment methods and then complete the transaction quickly and securely.

How Does Click To Pay Work?

Click to Pay allows consumers to add their payment cards to a single account and pay for online purchases with Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, debit cards, and prepaid cards. It works on participating websites and mobile apps that display the Click to Pay icon.

Ultimately, Click to Pay replaces similar programs offered by major card brands, including Amex Checkout, MasterPass, and Visa Checkout. The major disadvantage of these previous programs was that they each only worked with one card brand, potentially requiring customers to sign up for multiple accounts.

Click To Pay Solves A Major Problem With Online Payments

Click to Pay offers a convenient and secure way to make online purchases by creating a single sign-in account that works with multiple payment cards across many online retail websites and can be used with virtually any device with an internet connection.

One-click services, such as Click to Pay, help reduce online cart abandonment. Click to Pay also allows the major credit card companies to compete directly with other one-click services and digital wallets offered by tech companies, such as Apple Pay, PayPal, and Google Pay.

Is Click To Pay Safe For Online Payments?

The security standards for Click to Pay are maintained by the same organization that maintains EMV security standards. The primary security features include:

• Tokenization: Tokenization replaces credit card information with random letters and numbers when transmitting that data between systems. The token is ultimately worthless outside of the context of that transaction.
• 3D Secure: EMV 3-D Secure can add identity verification and fraud screening to eligible online transactions before authorization.
• One-Time Passcodes: Click to Pay may send a temporary verification code by email or text to confirm the customer’s identity. Some implementations also support biometric authentication or payment passkeys.

How Does Click To Pay Work For Merchants?

Merchants generally enable Click to Pay through a participating payment processor, gateway, or eCommerce platform. Businesses building a custom checkout may also integrate it through supported APIs.

In most cases, you can obtain the necessary code from your current merchant account provider. For example, Stripe provides some information about Click to Pay in its developer documentation for those trying to add the service to their hosted payment page.

Braintree also mentions that the program is currently on a limited release, so small businesses might have to wait a while longer before it becomes available to them.

Are Click To Pay Transactions Different From Credit Card Transactions?

Transactions processed using Click to Pay will incur the same interchange fees and processing costs as a credit card transaction of its type normally would. You’ll also have to be concerned about chargebacks and PCI compliance requirements, just like you would with any other payment method.

Adding Click to Pay may improve checkout conversion and generally doesn’t introduce a separate card-network transaction fee, though your processor, developer, or ecommerce platform may charge implementation or service costs.

Are There Any Disadvantages To Offering Click To Pay?

While Click to Pay is a low-risk, high-reward prospect, there are some minor disadvantages.

How Does Click To Pay Work For Consumers?

Consumers can enroll in Click to Pay during checkout, through a participating card issuer’s website or app, or through a card network’s Click to Pay portal. Some eligible cards may already be enabled by the issuing bank.

Enrollment varies by card network and issuer. Some eligible cards may already appear when you enter the email address associated with your card account, while others can be added during checkout.

When you check out with a participating merchant, simply click on the Click to Pay icon (see above). If you already have a profile set up, you just have to choose which of your credit cards you’d like to use.

The Bottom Line On Click To Pay

For many eCommerce merchants, Click to Pay can simplify guest checkout without requiring customers to use a proprietary wallet. There’s little downside beyond a small amount of work upfront.

If you’re interested in joining the eCommerce merchant game, you’ll need an eCommerce platform to manage your online storefront. The best eCommerce merchant accounts offer online sellers multiple ways to accept payments, including Click to Pay options.