PCI DSS Level 1 Certified

Channel Separation Two channels during card capture. The agent's off-line.

When the customer is ready to pay, we split the call into two channels. The agent's audio path goes off-line while the customer keys their card on their own phone, guided by voice prompts. The agent can't hear the digits, the recording stays clean, and the audio reconnects the moment the payment authorises. PCI DSS scope drops from SAQ D to SAQ A.

How a call actually flows

Phase 1

Normal call

Agent

On the call

Connected

Customer

On the call

Both parties talking, business as usual

Phase 2

Card capture

Agent

Hold music

Audio split

Customer

Keys card on phone

Card data never reaches the agent or your systems

Phase 3

Reconnected

Agent

Back on the call

Connected

Customer

Payment confirmed

Conversation picks up where it left off

DTMF Suppression or Channel Separation?

Two ways to do the same job. Both keep card data out of your business and drop you to SAQ A. The difference is what the agent does during card capture. See the full side-by-side.

DTMF Suppression

Single channel. Agent stays on the line. Tones are suppressed in the live audio so the agent doesn't hear the digits.

Pick this if your agents handle complex calls and need to stay engaged through the payment step. Conversational throughout.

Read about DTMF Suppression →

Channel Separation

You're here

Two channels. Agent's audio goes off-line during capture. Voice prompts run the flow on the customer leg.

Pick this if your compliance team wants a hard physical separation for audit, or if you'd rather agents had no involvement in the capture step at all.

What you get

No agent script

Voice prompts run the capture from start to finish. The agent presses one key and waits for the green light. Nothing to remember, nothing to fluff.

Recording stays clean

Hold music plays on the agent leg, voice prompts play on the customer leg, the recording keeps running. No silent gaps, no card data, nothing to redact later.

Same flow every call

Because Paytia runs the capture, not the agent, every call goes the same way. New starters take payments on day one.

Works from anywhere

Office, home, hybrid — doesn't matter. There's no secure-room requirement and no per-seat hardware to ship.

PCI DSS scope, before and after

PCI DSS Level 1 Service Provider certification badge

PCI DSS Level 1

Paytia carries the highest level of PCI certification, so your scope drops the moment you connect.

AreaWithout PaytiaWith Paytia
Self-assessmentSAQ D (329 controls)SAQ A (22 controls)
Network in scopeMost of your stackNone
Call recordingsPause-and-resume or redactNo restrictions
Staff trainingMandatory and recurringNone required

Who uses it

If you take card payments on a phone call, this fits. A few of the patterns we see most.

Contact centres

Agents take card payments mid-call without touching card data. No secure-room build-out, no scope creep onto the rest of the floor.

  • Same flow for office and remote staff
  • No agent training
  • Zero scope on the contact-centre estate

Healthcare

Take patient co-pays, balances, and payment plans on the call. Card data never enters the clinical system.

  • Co-pays on the booking call
  • Payment plans set up live
  • No card data in patient records

Charities

Capture donations and recurring gifts on fundraising calls. No pledged-but-unpaid follow-up cycle.

  • Live one-off donations
  • Recurring gift setup
  • PCI handled, not yours

Service providers

Take deposits and final payments at the point of booking or service completion, instead of invoicing and chasing.

  • Pay-on-booking
  • Final payment on completion
  • Less invoice chasing

Frequently asked questions

What is Channel Separation?

When it's time to take payment, we physically separate the audio between agent and customer. The customer enters card details on their own keypad while voice prompts guide them. The agent hears hold music and a progress indicator on screen. When the payment authorises, the audio reconnects.

How is Channel Separation different from DTMF Suppression?

Both keep card data out of your business. The difference is in how. With DTMF Suppression the agent stays on the line throughout — tones are suppressed in the live audio so the agent doesn't hear digits. With Channel Separation the agent's audio path goes off-line completely during capture, and voice prompts run the flow. Pick Channel Separation if your compliance team wants a hard physical separation for audit, or if you don't want agents involved in the capture step at all.

Can the agent help if the customer gets stuck?

Voice prompts handle the common cases — wrong number of digits, expired card, declined. If the customer needs human help, the agent can rejoin and either retry the capture or send a payment link instead. Most calls don't need it.

How does it reduce PCI DSS scope?

Card data never touches your network, your agents, or your recording. Most businesses move from SAQ D (329 controls) to SAQ A (22 controls). The recording system stops being in scope because there's no card data in it to begin with.

Is staff training required?

No. Agents press one key to start the capture and watch a progress indicator. There's no script and no procedure to remember. Roll-out is days.

Can Channel Separation be used for MOTO payments?

Yes. It's built for card-not-present transactions over the phone — agent-assisted sales, mail-order, telephone-order, anywhere a customer reads card details over a call today.

Want to see it on your telephony?

We'll set up a demo against the same phone system and gateway you already run. Most businesses are taking live payments within a week.

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