Barclaycard launches customisable SmartPay system

Banknotes seemingly rising out of a mobile phone and into the sky.

Barclaycard has launched a new online payment processing system, allowing customisable options for merchants.

Created in collaboration with ecommerce solutions firm Adyen, Barclaycard's SmartPay system allows online businesses to play around with skins to suit their customer base.

This means various layouts can be implemented for different devices, such as smartphones and iPads, while the merchant's branding can be maintained during the payment process something other services are yet to offer.

By using IP address tracking, SmartPay also enables retailers to offer payment methods to fit a consumer's location, while translation capabilities also help support the "multi-domestic" transaction service.

"Satisfying the complex expectations of European online consumers has become critical for success," said Stewart Roberts, business development director for global payment acceptance at Barclaycard.

Furthermore, companies who opt for Barclaycard's hosted solution will not have to worry about Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) compliance.

"To deliver a service that is compliant is expensive and complex," Roberts said at the SmartPay launch event this morning.

Using SmartPay takes away that complexity of PCI-DSS compliance and gives ecommerce companies strong security, said Roberts, who was unable go into technical details.

SmartPay is the first system to have been created after the implementation of PCI-DSS and has been built with that in mind, he added.

For added security, the system comes with integrated Verified by Visa and MasterCard SecureCode authentication services.

The overall concept of SmartPay is to offer a "seamless experience," so the payment process is all encompassed on one page, rather than taking the consumer to other sites to complete a transaction.

"Interruption in the process of making a transaction will probably dissuade the person from coming back," Roberts said, noting that improvements will continue to be made to the system.

"SmartPay will not sit still. We will continue to enhance it," Roberts added.

He said he would love to be able to offer the consumer greater say over the experience, rather than placing the responsibility of creating a bespoke service solely in the hands of the merchant.

High-growth markets may also be a target, but licensing issues will have to be overcome.

Tom Brewster

Tom Brewster is currently an associate editor at Forbes and an award-winning journalist who covers cyber security, surveillance, and privacy. Starting his career at ITPro as a staff writer and working up to a senior staff writer role, Tom has been covering the tech industry for more than ten years and is considered one of the leading journalists in his specialism.

He is a proud alum of the University of Sheffield where he secured an undergraduate degree in English Literature before undertaking a certification from General Assembly in web development.