Agent Assisted Payments

What is an Agent Assisted Payment?

A payment method where a live agent assists a customer in completing a transaction over the phone or chat, with a customer service representative on hand to help as needed.

What are the benefits of using agent assisted payment solutions?

Key IVR’s agent-assisted payment solutions offer several key advantages:

• Payment data never reaches your systems, de-scoping your entire office and remote-working environments from PCI-DSS assessment
• PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant and ISO 27001 accredited, recommended by international payment gateways and PCI QSAs
• Three options to suit your call traffic: Inbound, Warm Transfer, and Outbound
• Real-time reporting, multiple agent logins, concurrent licensing, and an optimised Client Dashboard
• Works with all major PSPs, telephony providers, and CRM or billing systems

Are agent-assisted payments suitable for enterprise contact centres?

Yes, enterprise scale is where they make the largest impact.

For contact centres operating across hundreds of agents, multiple regions, and several call platforms, agent-assisted payments remove cardholder data from every agent, recording, and system in scope.

This descopes dozens of systems from PCI-DSS assessment, eliminates the overhead of pause-and-resume procedures, and works inside CCaaS platforms you already use, including Amazon Connect, NICE CXone, Genesys, and Five9.

How does an Agent Assisted Payment solution work?

Key IVR’s solution removes sensitive payment details from the call, ensuring payment data never reaches your systems. Here’s how the process works:

1. The customer calls to make a payment.
2. The agent initiates a secure, PCI-DSS compliant line in seconds and continues the conversation as normal.
3. The customer enters their payment details using their phone keypad.
4. The details are suppressed — the agent can assist if needed but cannot see or hear any card data.
5. The payment is passed to the payment service provider and processed.
6. The agent monitors progress via a dashboard, then moves on to the next customer once complete.

How does Key IVR ensure PCI DSS compliance?

All sensitive payment data is removed from the call before it can reach your systems.

Key IVR is PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant and ISO 27001 accredited, recommended by international payment gateways and PCI QSAs alike, ensuring your customers’ payment details are always handled securely.

What payment methods are supported?

Credit and debit cards, bank transfers, and direct debit. The system can also be configured to support additional payment methods if required.

Can it integrate with my existing systems?

Yes. Key IVR supports integrations with dozens of third parties and can build custom integrations where needed. Options include:

• API & SFTP — connect your existing systems to accept payments without leaving your application, including via SIP headers or iframe
• CRM integration — manage customer data and payments in one place
• Webhooks — receive real-time payment notifications in your application
• Bespoke integration — for businesses with more complex requirements

Is technical support available?

Yes. Key IVR offers phone, email, and online support, backed by an experienced team available throughout implementation and beyond.

How long does setup and integration take?

It depends on the complexity of your integration and the number of systems involved, but most implementations are completed within a few weeks.

A dedicated team of integration specialists works closely with you throughout to minimise disruption.

What types of businesses can benefit?

Any business that takes payments over the phone. Key IVR’s solutions are used across a wide range of sectors, including the following:

• Utilities — bills, services, and charges
• Financial services — loan and credit card payments
• Healthcare — medical bills and insurance premiums
• Retail — online and in-store transactions
• Hospitality — reservations and event bookings
• Non-profits — donations and contributions
• Government — fees, taxes, and charges

Why is PCI DSS compliance important for agent assisted payments?

When a customer provides card details over the phone without proper protection, that data is vulnerable to theft or misuse.

PCI DSS compliance ensures businesses maintain a secure environment for processing, storing, and transmitting card data — protecting both customers and the business from fraud and data breaches.

How can Key IVR help my business become PCI DSS compliant?

Achieving PCI compliance independently can be time-consuming, costly, and complex.

Key IVR’s already-established PCI-DSS Level 1 compliant platform takes the pressure off — we assess your systems and provide a secure, ready-to-go solution, saving you the time and cost of doing it alone.

What are the fees?

All solutions are tailored to your requirements, so pricing is best discussed directly. Contact us to arrange a call with a payment specialist.

What does it cost per agent?

We offer multiple agent login and concurrent licensing models to suit different scales and budgets.

A payment specialist will discuss your requirements and recommend the most cost-effective solution for your organisation.