Simplify your customers’ buying journeys with flexible solutions

The digital revolution isn’t on the horizon, it’s here—and it’s reshaping commerce as we know it. As customers become more involved and thoughtful in their payment journeys, it’s imperative to stay ahead of trends in consumer buying behavior as digital commerce continues gaining popularity. A clunky checkout experience can make or break a sale. According to Forrester, 44% of U.S. adults say the option to buy online and pickup in-store (BOPIS) significantly influences their decision to purchase a product online from a specific retailer or brand.¹ Customers want options, and the options you offer play a huge part in their overall payment experience.

Let’s explore what a consumer journey looks like step-by-step to help you think about areas where you can make improvements so your next customer’s payment experience is successful.

We’ll start with what payments in action looks like for Will, who is dreaming of his perfect apartment after just moving to a new city.

Will wants to buy some quality furniture for his new apartment. He logs into his store account via an app, selects the items he wants, clicks on his saved payment method, chooses to pick them up in-store, and places the order.

After arriving at the store later that week to pick up his items, Will shows his confirmation email and QR code to a store employee, and he’s on his way with his new purchase.

To facilitate Will’s purchase, the store uses a few solutions that work together:

1. Global payment gateway processes payments from almost anywhere in the world
2. Token Management Service secures Will’s transaction data and helps manage tokens
3. Unified Checkout Integration enables quick and seamless in-app checkout
    

Will leaves happily with his new purchase, knowing that his information is protected, and you finish the day with a new customer and a new sale.

While picking up his purchase, Will also finds a lamp that he likes, which he decides to buy. He has multiple payment options to choose from, including:

1. Making a purchase instantaneously without waiting at checkout with Tap to Phone, which turns employees’ smartphones into contactless point-of-sale (POS) devices.
2. Using Card Present Connect or other acceptance devices to make contactless payments through his digital wallet at checkout.
    

These options give Will the freedom to pay how he wants, when he wants.

Will enjoyed the smooth, easy payment experience he had with his new furniture, so when the store sends him a personalized email later that month offering him a chance to earn loyalty points, he jumps at the opportunity. The store uses tokenization to store Will’s credentials on file and connect his previous orders together to offer personalized product suggestions, boosting the likelihood he’ll buy from them again. Our Token Management Service connects the store’s customer management software to its loyalty program, linking together Will’s payment details, customer data, and network tokens for a more complete view of his shopping behavior.

Will’s payment experience was quick, easy, and protected—and your customers’ payment journeys can be, too. With Visa Acceptance Solutions, you can build a unified commerce journey using the flexible, modular solutions on our open platform. Utilize our all-in-one bundle, build your own, or connect with our partner ecosystem for endless options. Together, we can create seamless shopping experiences for your customers that also help you boost revenue and prioritize security so you can focus on running your business.