What are Agent-Assisted Payments?
Agent-assisted payments are telephone transactions where a contact centre agent guides the customer through the payment process while on the call. The agent may handle the full transaction or use technology to capture card details securely without hearing or seeing them. This approach combines the personal service of a phone call with the security requirements of PCI DSS.
How Agent-Assisted Payments Work
In a typical agent-assisted payment, a customer calls a business to make a payment. The agent verifies the customer's identity, confirms the amount, and then initiates the card payment. How the card details are captured varies depending on the security approach:
Traditional Approach
The customer reads their card number, expiry date, and security code to the agent, who types the details into a payment terminal or virtual terminal. This method exposes card data to the agent and any call recording systems, placing the entire contact centre within PCI DSS scope.
Secure Approach
The customer enters their card details on their phone keypad while the agent stays on the line. DTMF masking technology suppresses the tones so the agent cannot hear the digits. The card data is routed directly to the payment processor, bypassing the agent and the contact centre infrastructure entirely.
Why Businesses Use Agent-Assisted Payments
Many transactions benefit from human interaction. Customers may need help understanding charges, selecting payment options, or resolving account queries before paying. Agent-assisted payments allow this conversation to happen naturally, with the payment completed during the same call rather than requiring the customer to be transferred or call back.
Common use cases include:
- Insurance premium collections where policy details need discussion
- Utility bill payments where account queries are resolved first
- Charity donations where the caller has questions about how funds are used
- Healthcare payments where billing is explained before collection
- Government payments where callers need guidance on which service to pay for
Security Considerations
The main challenge with agent-assisted payments is protecting card data while maintaining the human connection. Traditional methods where agents hear card details create significant PCI DSS compliance burden and insider fraud risk.
Modern solutions address this by keeping the agent on the line for the conversation while routing card data through a separate, secure channel. The agent can see that a payment is in progress and confirm when it completes, but never has access to the card details themselves.
Agent-assisted payments are at the heart of what Paytia does. Our agent-assisted payment platform keeps the agent fully involved in the customer conversation while ensuring card data never enters the contact centre environment.
The customer keys in their card details on their phone keypad, Paytia's DTMF suppression technology replaces the tones with flat sounds, and the payment data is routed directly to the processor. The agent sees a real-time payment status screen showing the transaction progress without ever seeing the card number. The result is a natural, personal payment experience that is fully PCI DSS compliant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the agent stay on the line during a secure payment?
Yes. With DTMF masking technology, the agent remains on the call throughout the entire payment process. They can hear the customer's voice and guide them through each step, but the keypad tones are suppressed so the agent cannot hear the card digits being entered. There is no need to transfer the call or put the customer on hold.
What is the difference between agent-assisted payments and IVR payments?
In agent-assisted payments, a human agent is on the line guiding the customer through the process. In IVR payments, the customer interacts with an automated system that uses voice prompts to collect payment details. Agent-assisted payments offer a more personal experience, while IVR is suited to high-volume, routine transactions.
Do agent-assisted payments require special phone equipment?
No. Cloud-based agent-assisted payment platforms work with existing phone systems. The customer uses their normal phone keypad to enter card details, and the security technology sits between your telephony infrastructure and the payment processor. No hardware changes are needed.
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