Payment Request API
The main idea
Payment of goods via the Internet can be a nightmare, isn’t it? You have no choice, you have to enter evey time credit card information, when you buy something. Especially it is hard via a smartphone. Even though, nowadays the traffic from mobile devices is increasing, but mobile purchases take a third of all purchases. It means that, users do not complete the buying process on mobile devices in two times more than on computers.
Why is it happening?
Making purchases on the Internet, you need to fill your information in special forms, which are often complex and incomprehensible. In addition, they load and updated slowly. Reasons of a low speed are security and convenience (two most important characteristics of Internet payments) which are often difficult to realize at the same time. Secure process is more difficult and inconvenient than insecure.
Programmers, who implementing complicated interfaces with lots of checks, suffer more than anyone. But nowadays everything became much easier.
In the latest release of the Samsung Internet browser was implemented long-awaited support of Payment Request API. This API enables you to make a payment on the website, using the native UI of the device, which can show the card and contact details, delivery addresses.
General Information
The main aim of developing Payment Request API is to create the condition, when we can completely abandon the forms of payment. This API significantly simplifies the purchasing process for users, standardizing it. Also it allows Internet sellers to use different methods of payment.
You should understand that Payment Request API is not a new method of payment, it is just a part of the process, which goals are:
browser usage as intermediates between sellers, users, and payment systems;
maximum standardization of data exchange in the payment;
support various safe payment methods;
ensuring that work in any browser on any device or platforms.
Payment Request API is an open, cross-browser standard, which can replace the traditional purchase process, allowing sellers to request and accept payments with a single API call.
How does it work?
Payment Request API provides an independent system for implementation the financial transactions. When the user makes the order, the website calls the API in the browser, passing it the details of this order.
Then browser shows drop-down menu to the user, suggesting the choice of payment and delivery.
Gathering all the necessary payment information, the browser (not the website) connect with the payment processor of the user’s Visa, Mastercard or any other.
After the successful payment, the browser sends the response back to the website, which has already recorded the transaction and completed the purchase. Browser has already known that the money for the goods are in his Bank account.
PayPal is no need anymore
When a new purchase standard on the websites was presented, there appeared a question of using services like PayPal, that keep your card details and add payment “button” on many sites. The influence of these services can fall, because now users can do the same things in the browser easier.
What about security?
When all credit cards’ information is saved in the browser, the responsibility for its privacy becomes a task of browser vendors and users. Nobody can guarantee that modern malicious software easily steals the number of cards and its passwords.
The API is still in development, what means the existence of undetected early mistakes in the final release, which can be used by hackers. Such flaws have already been discovered by an independent researcher of cybersecurity and privacy branch of the technology Center of Princeton Lukasz Olejnik.
Olejnik found that websites, which don’t sell any products, can use API for getting users’ profiles, defining what each browser keeps in its settings. They also will be able to determine both if a user pays in regular mode and incognito session.
Bitcoin in browser
After the announcement of the Payment Request API, developers from some high-tech companies said that in the near future this method can simplify the purchase of goods and services, using cryptocurrency. Consumers will be able to choose from the drop-down menu available payment methods, in addition to the cards, will be added function of the payment by cryptocurrency.
Ian Jacobs, the head of department payment systems development in World Wide Web consortium (W3C), believes that it is the right time for developers to start writing code to implement the methods of payment, which developers would like to see. Jacobs said:
“This is a great opportunity to begin a development of the payment methods, which based on the blockchain and try to test the Payment Request API. This is the period where we are — the stage of testing development and interaction. The specification has matured, and now we have moved on a stable version of the Payment Request API. Now we know what API will do, and we create test packages and work for interaction with the browsers to safe implement and the stable API work.”
In conclusion, a new payment process is convenient for both sides. The user has an opportunity to perform a complex process (request, authorization, payment and getting results) in a single step. The website needs to make the only one call to the API. Moreover, from the point of view for payment system this process does not changed.
