The credit card provider Visa wants to establish its simplified online payment method “Click to Pay” at more large retailers in Germany by the end of the year. “One third of the top 20 online retailers in Germany will offer Click to Pay by the end of the year,” said Visa Germany boss Tobias Czekalla in Frankfurt.
When paying with a debit or credit card on the Internet, it is sufficient to provide an email address and receive confirmation from the buyer in order to place an order, it was said. This eliminates the tedious process of entering data, for example with credit and debit cards.
Strong competition among payment service providers
According to Visa, “Click to Pay” is already available on the portals of major retailers such as Lidl and Kaufland as well as Saturn and Mediamarkt, as well as at around 15,000 retailers across Europe. The jeweler Christ, Netto and Marktkauf are also currently introducing the payment method, according to the company.
Visa faces tough competition from other payment service providers such as PayPal, which has a strong market position in online commerce. Apple Pay also offers a payment method that is less complicated than a conventional credit card payment online.
Visa promises fewer complications
To use “Click to Pay,” consumers must register their debit or credit card once, Visa explained. They will then be recognized in the online shop via their email address. If approval is required when placing an order, this is done via the card-issuing bank, for example by confirmation in the banking app.
From the beginning of 2025, the payment can also be authorized using facial recognition or fingerprints on the mobile device. The first banks are cooperating with Visa, including the direct bank DKB.
More purchases and greater security
Pilot projects have shown that “Click to Pay” significantly increases the purchase completion rate, said Frank Reuter, Head of Merchant Services at Visa. Purchase cancellations are often due to complications when paying.
In addition, “Click to Pay” increases security. Since merchants do not store a card number in the process, but only a digital placeholder, the risk of becoming a target of fraud is significantly reduced. According to the company, merchants do not incur any additional costs compared to card payments from Visa.
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