Press release

Semafone Introduces Cardprotect Relay+ for Seamless and Secure, Omni-Channel Payments

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Sponsored by Businesswire

Semafone®, the leading provider of data security and compliance solutions for call and contact centers, today introduced Cardprotect Relay+, a new, multi-channel payments solution that enables businesses to securely accept payments through the customer engagement channel of their choice for a superior customer experience, while simplifying compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). With Cardprotect Relay+ businesses can generate secure digital payment hyperlinks that can be sent via webchat, social media, email, SMS, QR codes, e-commerce & m-commerce and consumed easily by chatbots and AI technologies while descoping Big Data and Machine Learning technologies – creating fast, easy and secure new ways for consumers to make purchases or pay bills.

“Organizations in all industries are struggling to provide unified, seamless customer experiences across a host of different channels,” said Gary E. Barnett, Chief Executive Officer, Semafone. “Cardprotect Relay+ makes it easy to securely transact with customers in any channel – be it voice, digital, in-person or even via a paper printed QR code – by simply sending a payment link for a fast, frictionless and secure payment process.”

Cardprotect Relay+ enables businesses to transact with customers anywhere and in any channel, without the need to invest in costly hardware or enter closed payment ecosystems. Customers simply click the secure link to enter their payment details. Their sensitive payment data and personally identifiable information (PII) is securely routed directly to the payment service provider (PSP) and never enters the merchant business’s network infrastructure, thus reducing the PCI DSS scope and dramatically simplifying compliance. At the same time, real-time progress updates are relayed to the merchant business as the link is opened, used and payment information has been collected, as well as confirming when the payment has been successfully processed by the PSP.

As a cloud-based solution, Cardprotect Relay+ is easy to deploy, highly configurable and scalable. It integrates effortlessly with third-party applications, supporting all transaction types, currencies and major PSPs. For stronger security, businesses can choose to password protect links, retire unused links if a payment has been made via another channel or after a specified amount of time, restrict certain geographic regions based on IP address, or control how many attempts or retries a customer may use to complete their payment.

“While speaking on the phone remains one of the most popular ways for consumers to connect with customer service for payment or billing issues, digital channels are quickly growing in popularity as consumers increasingly embrace self-service and digital transactions,” added Barnett. “Cardprotect Relay+ will allow businesses to accelerate digital transformation projects and leverage these fast-growing channels; creating a seamless, omni-channel experience that increases sales conversion rates and boosts customer loyalty, while simplifying PCI DSS compliance.”

Consumer desire to conduct transactions through digital channels is growing and Gartner, Inc. estimates 25 percent of customer service operations will use virtual assistants such as webchat and AI chatbots by 2020. At the same time, research shows that omni-channel customers are more valuable and loyal, spending more on every shopping occasion, making more repeat purchases and being more likely to recommend a business to family or friends, than single channel customers. Whether sending a secure payment link through digital channels such as chatbots or using them in-person, such as enabling field service representatives to accept payments in face-to-face transactions without a costly point-of-sale (POS) terminal, Cardprotect Relay+ makes it easy to engage with customers across all channels while ensuring strong data security and compliance.

About Semafone

Semafone provides pure cloud, hybrid cloud and on-premises solutions to contact centers and all businesses accepting payments; enabling them to collect personal data securely across all channels – including the telephone, webchat, social media, email SMS, QR codes and more. Semafone’s patented data capture method collects sensitive information such as payment card or bank details and social security numbers directly from the customer for processing. This prevents personal data from entering the business and IT infrastructure, which protects against the risk of fraud and the associated reputational damage, ensuring compliance with industry regulations such as PCI DSS. Semafone’s suite of solutions create a seamless, omni-channel experience that increases sales conversion rates and boosts customer loyalty, while at the same time simplifying compliance.

The company was founded in 2009 and now supports customers in 26 countries on five continents. Semafone is vertically agnostic and its extensive customer base includes companies such as Aviva Canada, Amica Mutual Insurance, British Sky Broadcasting, Pethealth, Rogers Communications, Santander, Sutter Health and TVG.

Major investors of Semafone include Octopus Ventures and BGF (Business Growth Fund).

Semafone has achieved the four-leading security and payment certifications: ISO 27001:2013, PA-DSS certification for its Cardprotect payment solution, PCI DSS Level 1 Service Provider and is a registered Visa Level 1 Merchant Agent. To learn more, visit www.semafone.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.