New ‘click to pay’ options to arrive for online purchases in France

An online payment method known as ‘Click to Pay’ is expected to arrive in France later this year, as credit and debit card companies look to compete with alternative online payment options. 

The method will end requirements for customers to add full payment details from their card (16-digit bank card number, security code, expiry date) to make payments online, although it is not guaranteed to be offered by all merchants.

Backed by Visa, Mastercard, Groupement CB and American Express, the system looks to help card companies regain ground lost to competitors such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal who use connected apps for quicker online purchases.

An exact rollout date is not yet available, but the scheme is available elsewhere and was originally touted for a 2024 rollout in France before being delayed. 

How will it work?

To use Click to Pay, users will need to pre-save their card details on the Visa or Mastercard website or via their bank website or app (exact details will depend on the account you have).

Once the information is saved – and several cards can be saved – it will be available to use through any website or app using Click to Pay.

The option will be available via a button on the merchant’s website, similar to Apple Pay, etc currently.

When customers choose to click the corresponding button, it will send them to a secure page where all the credit and debit cards they have saved through the Click to Pay system will appear. 

They will then choose the card they wish to use, leaving the process only taking a few clicks as opposed to having to enter their full card details each time they want to use it online.

Note, this is different to saving your card details on certain websites (such as SNCF or Amazon) or on certain browsers such as Google Chrome, and will be available across several platforms and devices.

Will it be successful?

It is not guaranteed to be available everywhere, as merchants need to opt-in to use the service that will be competing with several others.

Alongside tech heavyweights such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal, companies such as Klarna – that offer payments in several instalments – are becoming increasingly popular, taking a portion of market share sales for everything from clothes and electronics to takeaways.

While banks are likely to implement the service as they already work closely with card companies, merchants will need to be convinced to add yet another payment method to their sites.

Under current Click to Pay rules, merchants need to pay the card companies a commission on each sale made this way. 

This has led to some, such as e-commerce giant Amazon, not offering the service in every country where it is currently available.

If the rollout is a success and sees significant demand from customers, it may convince a majority or merchants to adopt it, as increased sales can justify any extra commission payable. 

Click to Pay will also need to compete with Wero, a European instant payment service backed by banks and financial institutions.

Currently limited to peer-to-peer payments, it is looking to expand with commercial usage in a similar manner to competing services.