(12 May 2017 – United Kingdom) Visa announced the launch its online payment method, Visa Checkout in the UK, with travel company lastminute.com the first domestic merchant to offer the platform.
According to the global payment service provider, Visa Checkout allows consumers to securely store shipping and payment details without having to re-enter information while shopping online. Instead, customers can simply enter a username and password that’s consistent across all merchants offering Visa Checkout.
The service first launched in the US in 2014, quickly expanding into 23 countries and boasting 20 million registered users worldwide. UK consumers have been able to shop at global merchants such as Marriott, Emirates, Wyndham Hotel Group and Stubhub.com, but lastminute.com is the first U.K.-based retailer to join the service.
“We are delighted to welcome lastminute.com on board as the first U.K. retailer to offer the benefits of Visa Checkout,” said Kevin Jenkins, managing director of Visa U.K. & Ireland.
“We are actively working with leading retailers to bring the benefits of faster and more secure checkouts to online shoppers in the UK”
“Streamlining the online shopping journey is something we know our customers will welcome, so we’re looking forward to being one of the first issuers in the UK to offer Visa Checkout,” says Brian Cole, CEO UK Cards, Barclaycard.
“By removing the need to input personal and payment information every time they shop online, Visa Checkout makes it quicker, easier and more convenient for customers, and most importantly it does so whilst keeping their details safe and secure.”
A majority of merchants in the UK have adopted online payments according to the latest research from East & Partners. The firm’s UK Merchant Payments Market Report, which interviews 2,100 businesses across the region, has found that 89.5 percent of all merchants accept, or are planning to accept online payments.
However, mobile payments compatibility remains a barrier to universal payments acceptance with one in four UK merchants reporting its adoption. While nearly half of all Lower Corporates have that functionality, that number more than halves among businesses with annual turnover between £1-20 million.