Visa partners with DigitSecure and HDFC Bank for Tap to Phone solution

By Edil Corneille

Today, global payments technology company Visa announced the first successful live deployment of a PCI certified Tap to Phone card acceptance solution, in partnership with DigitSecure and HDFC Bank. DeliveryPlus is the first merchant to go live with HDFC Bank as the acquirer. This solution enables merchants to securely accept contactless card payments in seconds through an app on their NFC-enabled Android smartphones, and without having dedicated card acceptance devices. In line with the ‘Make in India’ goal of local innovation, DigitSecure is said to be the first company based in the Asia Pacific to receive the PCI security certification for the deployment of this technology.

Shailesh Paul, Head of Merchant Sales & Acquiring, India and South Asia, Visa said, “…In line with our global commitment of digitizing 50 million small businesses, we’re delighted to do the first deployment of a PCI-certified Tap to Phone card acceptance solution in partnership with HDFC Bank and DigitSecure, to offer easily accessible and asset light, cost-effective solutions to merchants…”

With this deployment, India joins a list of more than 15 markets that now provide the Visa Tap to Phone technology for merchants to accept contactless card payments.

Seshadri Kulkarni, CEO at DigitSecure said, “…With DigitSecure’s PCI Certified App-first SoftPos platform with ready global processing integrations, financial institutions can quickly enable small businesses for card acceptance at a small fraction of cost and time. Global businesses will find the platform compelling for it helps deliver consistent customer experience by way of minimal integrations and changes…”

As per a recent Visa study, about 55 percent of consumers surveyed in India during the pandemic mentioned that they would likely use the Tap to Phone payment method due to its ease of use, saving of time, and eliminating the need to carry cash.

Parag Rao, Country Head for Payments, Business, Consumer Finance, Digital Banking and Marketing, HDFC Bank said, “…The MSMEs and merchant segments form a critical backbone of the economy and it is imperative that they have access to the latest platforms available to enable digital payments. This global first Tap to Phone deployment, using smart phones, is part of our endeavour to provide affordable platforms for small merchants.”

Visa and DigitSecure have also entered into a strategic partnership to empower small businesses and enterprise merchants. DigitSecure has integrated the Tap to Phone solution with Visa’s Cybersource platform to provide a single connection for an omni-channel commerce solution across segments, use cases, channels, and payment modes.