Secure Every Channel: Why Contact Centers Must Prioritize Omnichannel Payment Solutions

The rise of omnichannel engagement requires organizations to ensure they have robust omnichannel security in place. Multichannel engagement, encompassing voice, chat, email, social media, and messaging apps, has transformed how consumers interact with businesses. Consumers expect to be able to transact seamlessly across whatever channel they choose, but they also require all those channels to be secure. This shift necessitates that contact centers adopt solutions capable of managing secure payments across multiple channels.

It’s no longer viable for organizations to manage each channel individually. Customers expect the ability to make secure payments regardless of the channel they choose, be it a phone call, live chat, or social media interaction. Failing to provide a unified payment experience can lead to customer frustration and potential loss of business. A holistic approach to payment security across all channels is needed. 

The Evolution of Customer Expectations

We know that consumers demand consistency and convenience in their interactions with brands. This is not a new trend. As far back as 2014, 90% of consumers said they expected a consistent experience across all channels, including online, mobile, and in-person interactions. However, brands have been slow to catch up. Many are still managing individual channels in parallel rather than taking a truly omnichannel approach and thinking in terms of the overall customer journey.

This disjoined approach frustrates consumers and ultimately impacts on organizations’ bottom line. The numbers speak for themselves. Companies with strong omnichannel engagement strategies retain an average of 89% of their customers, while those with weaker strategies only retain about 33% of their customers.

Managing channels with individual payment platforms is inefficient

Managing multiple payment platforms across different customer channels doesn’t just offer a poor customer experience. It also leads to significant internal complexity and therefore higher costs. Each system requires its own set of processes, integrations, maintenance schedules and staff training, creating duplication of effort across IT, compliance and support functions. This fragmented approach not only increases operational costs but also slows down response times when issues arise. In contrast, a unified omnichannel solution centralizes these operations, allowing teams to focus on delivering consistent service rather than managing disparate systems.

Managing multiple payment platforms across different channels makes PCI compliance harder to achieve

While some organizations attempt to address PCI DSS compliance on a channel-by-channel basis, applying controls to voice, but not to digital, or vice versa, this fragmented approach leaves gaps in protection and adds unnecessary complexity. The most effective and future-proof strategy is to descope all customer engagement channels from PCI DSS scope. By removing sensitive payment data from the contact center environment entirely, regardless of channel, businesses can significantly reduce compliance overhead, mitigate risk, and simplify audits. A fully descoped estate not only provides consistent protection across every touchpoint but also ensures greater agility as new channels emerge.

Why now is the time to implement a true omnichannel payment strategy

For many organizations, embracing true omnichannel payment security requires a fundamental shift in mindset. Traditionally, channels have been managed in silos—each with its own systems, teams and processes. But this internal structure bears little relationship to how customers perceive their experience.

Customers don’t think in terms of channels; they think in terms of convenience. They expect to move seamlessly between platforms - starting a conversation via webchat, continuing it on the phone and completing a payment without friction. Treating each channel as a separate entity no longer reflects the way people engage. To meet modern expectations, organizations need a new mindset based around unifying their approach in order to deliver a consistent, secure experience wherever the customer chooses to interact.

Adopting an omnichannel approach now provides security for the future

Adopting a truly omnichannel approach to payment security not only addresses today’s challenges, but also helps future-proof organizations. As customer expectations and behaviors evolve and new communication channels emerge—whether that’s messaging apps, voice assistants or yet-to-be-invented platforms—a centralized, channel-agnostic solution provides the flexibility to adapt without compromising security or compliance. Rather than retrofitting payment processes each time a new channel is introduced, organizations with a robust, integrated strategy can extend secure capabilities with minimal disruption.

Sofology's Omnichannel Success

Sofology, a UK-based sofa retailer, exemplifies the benefits of implementing an omnichannel payment solution. With 44 stores and a significant online presence, Sofology aims to provide a seamless shopping experience across all customer touchpoints.

To achieve this, Sofology has partnered with Eckoh to implement a secure, centralized payment system. This solution enables customers to make payments via the website, in-store using staff iPads, or over the phone with contact center agents. The integration ensures that sensitive payment data is protected, maintaining PCI DSS compliance and enhancing customer trust.

The result is a cohesive shopping experience that allows customers to transition effortlessly between channels, leading to increased customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Why Eckoh?

Eckoh is a globally trusted partner for organizations looking to secure customer payments across every channel. As a PCI DSS Level 1 Service Provider, we meet the highest industry standards for data protection, and our solutions are used by over 200 enterprise-level clients worldwide, spanning retail, finance, utilities, healthcare and public services. Each year, we help secure billions of payments across voice, chat and digital and in-person channels—reducing compliance risk, increasing efficiency and enhancing customer trust.

To learn more about how Eckoh can help secure every channel of your contact center, explore our solutions or contact us to chat about your own situation and how we can help you.