Phone payments remain a preferred channel for many customers, yet the experience has changed little in decades: a customer calls, reaches an agent, and verbally shares sensitive payment information. As expectations for convenience and data privacy rise, forward-thinking organizations are replacing that interaction with automated self-service, such as IVR Payments, that enables customers to pay securely at any hour, on their own terms, without the friction of a staffed interaction.

But leading organizations are going even further. Rather than treating phone payments as an isolated transaction, they are embedding payment collection into broader customer experience workflows that orchestrate outcomes like service reconnection, account confirmation, and payment plan fulfilment as part of a single, continuous interaction. The result is a customer experience that doesn’t just accept a payment, but resolves a situation.

This shift reflects a broader movement toward business process orchestration: aligning payment automation with the operational logic of the business from disconnect and reconnection workflows to real-time account status updates so that every phone interaction delivers a complete, coordinated outcome rather than a handoff to another step, another agent, or another call.

While phone payments remain an important customer service channel, many organizations continue to rely on employees to manually collect payment card information during customer interactions. As cybersecurity threats increase and compliance requirements evolve, business leaders are taking a closer look at the operational, security, and compliance implications of staff-assisted payment collection.

According to Datatel, organizations are increasingly evaluating ways to reduce employee involvement in the handling of payment card data, recognizing that every system, process, and individual with access to cardholder information can contribute to additional security obligations, compliance requirements, and operational complexity.

“Many organizations have historically accepted staff-assisted phone payments as simply part of doing business,” said Barnard Crespi, Datatel’s CEO. “What we’re seeing now is a shift in mindset. Leaders are beginning to evaluate whether employees need access to payment card data at all, and whether alternative payment workflows can improve security while reducing administrative burden.”

Organizations across a broad range of industries , are now exploring phone payment modernization initiatives that allow customers to securely provide payment information without exposing payment card data to employees, call recordings, desktop applications, or other internal systems.

This benefits of this approach include:

• Reduced exposure of payment card data within the organization
• Simplified PCI compliance efforts and ongoing audit activities
• Lower operational costs associated with payment handling
• Reduction of risks associated with employee access to sensitive information
• Improved payment availability through self-service channels
• Enhanced customer convenience and payment experiences
• Support for broader cybersecurity and risk management initiatives

These discussions extend beyond compliance alone. Payment modernization initiatives are increasingly being evaluated as part of broader efforts to improve operational efficiency, strengthen cybersecurity programs, and reduce unnecessary complexity within customer service environments.

“Organizations are under constant pressure to improve security while controlling costs,” added Crespi. “When payment processes are redesigned to limit exposure to payment card data, the benefits often extend far beyond compliance. We frequently see improvements in operational efficiency, customer experience, risk management, and overall payment experience.”

Datatel notes that payment workflows reviews often reveal opportunities to streamline payment experience, reduce employee dependency for routine payment transactions, and create more secure customer payment experiences without disrupting existing business operations.

As organizations continue to modernize customer engagement and payment operations, reducing unnecessary exposure to payment card data is emerging as a key consideration in long-term security, compliance, and operational strategies.

Wondering how dependent your organization is on staff-assisted phone payments?

Complete the complimentary Phone Payment Resilience Snapshot to identify operational risks, payment bottlenecks, customer experience challenges, and opportunities to increase payment self-service adoption.

About Datatel

Datatel is a payment technology and advisory company that helps organizations modernize how they securely accept and manage payments. For more than 25 years, Datatel has specialized in secure payment infrastructure, IVR payment technology, and PCI compliance advisory services that reduce the risks associated with handling payment card data. As more organizations introduce AI technologies into customer interactions, Datatel helps ensure payment transactions remain isolated, secure, and compliant by protecting Voice AI and other automated systems from directly handling sensitive cardholder data. Datatel’s solutions are used by healthcare providers, utilities, financial services organizations, and government agencies across North America.