Verified by Visa upgraded to improve cardholder experience

Verified by Visa, the online password-protected identity-checking service, now has a new user interface that aims to enhance the cardholder experience.

Research commissioned by Visa Europe earlier this year confirmed that while Verified by Visa was popular with the vast majority of cardholders, improvements to the user interface could improve the customer experience.

The research highlighted that consumers wanted to be certain that Verified by Visa was part of the purchase process. A key feature of the new user interface is that the consumer does not leave the merchant site during the identity checking process; instead the Verified by Visa authentication window appears as an overlay on top of the merchant page.

The new interface also incorporates better communication of Verified by Visa’s benefits during the authentication process and provides information to answer potential cardholder questions as part of the checkout process.

Westley Stringfellow, Vice President Innovation, Visa Europe, said: “Verified by Visa has already authenticated millions of transactions and is growing rapidly with 104% growth in European usage in the past two years. In the last 12 months alone Verified by Visa has handled over 100 million European transactions and US$21 billion in payments.

“The new user interface looks to further increase Verified by Visa’s usage and adoption by directly addressing merchant and cardholder feedback to keep the cardholder and authentication experience on the merchant’s website throughout the authentication process. Visa Europe is delighted by the launch as we are looking to continue the strong growth in cardholder and merchant adoption of Verified by Visa.”

Pilots of the new process are under development and will be followed by a wider launch in 2009. Visa Europe will be supporting our member banks and their end users during the rollout.

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About Visa Europe  

In Europe, there are over 360 million Visa debit, credit and commercial cards. In the 12 months ending June 2008, those cards were used to make purchases and cash withdrawals to the value of over €1.3 trillion. 11.4% of consumer spending at point of sale in Europe is with a Visa card.
Visa Europe is owned and operated by its 4,600 European member banks and was incorporated in July 2004. In October 2007, Visa Europe became independent of the new global Visa Inc., with an exclusive, irrevocable and perpetual licence in Europe.
As a dedicated European payment system it is able to respond quickly to the specific market needs of European banks and their customers - cardholders and retailers - and to meet the European Commission’s objective to create a true internal market for payments.

Visa enjoys unsurpassed acceptance around the world. In addition, Visa/PLUS is one of the world’s largest global ATM networks, offering cash access in local currency in over 170 countries.

For more information, visit www.visaeurope.com.