Visa, the credit card giant, is set to expand its simplified online payment method “Click to Pay” to more major retailers in Germany by the end of the year. This move aims to streamline the online shopping experience, which has been trending upwards for years, by simplifying the often complicated process of paying with credit cards and other methods.
Expansion of “Click to Pay” in Germany
Tobias Czekalla, Visa’s Germany chief, announced in Frankfurt, “One-third of the top 20 online retailers in Germany will offer Click to Pay by the end of the year.” The new payment method allows customers to complete online purchases using debit or credit cards by simply entering their email address and providing confirmation, eliminating the need for lengthy data entry of card details.
According to Visa, “Click to Pay” is already available on the portals of major retailers such as Lidl, Kaufland, Saturn, and Mediamarkt, as well as approximately 15,000 retailers across Europe. The company also stated that jeweler Christ, Netto, and Marktkauf are currently implementing the payment method.
Competition and enhanced security
Visa faces stiff competition from other payment service providers like PayPal, which holds a strong market position in e-commerce, and Apple Pay, which also offers a streamlined online payment process compared to traditional credit card payments.
To use “Click to Pay,” consumers need to register their debit or credit card once, Visa explained. They are then recognized in online shops via their email address. If authorization is required for an order, it is processed through the card-issuing bank, typically via confirmation in the banking app.
Starting in early 2025, payment authorization can also be done through facial recognition or fingerprint on mobile devices. Some banks, including the direct bank DKB, are already cooperating with Visa on this initiative.
Frank Reuter, Head of Merchant Services at Visa, reported that pilot projects have shown “Click to Pay” significantly increases the purchase completion rate, as purchase cancellations are often due to payment complications.
Moreover, “Click to Pay” enhances security. Since merchants only store a digital placeholder instead of the actual card number, the risk of fraud is significantly reduced. According to Visa, merchants incur no additional costs compared to standard card payments when using this new method.
