Payments company Planet has partnered with Cybersource, Visa’s global payment management platform, to launch a new digital payments platform for European merchants. The new service will deliver solutions to merchants across Hospitality, Food and Beverage and Retail sectors to simplify complex digital payments.     

The digital payments platform will offer access to more global integrations with leading eCommerce platforms and online payment systems, all through Planet. With a wide choice of payment options, consumers can pay in their preferred method and currency wherever they are in the world.

When merchants select Planet, they consolidate multiple supplier agreements and contracts through one supplier for all payment connections. This saves them time and additional administration. Furthermore, they benefit from Planet’s revenue generating value-added services for digital commerce, including online Currency Conversion services with Multi-Currency Pricing.

Through the platform, merchants have the flexibility to integrate their chosen shopping cart software with Planet’s payment gateway. Established integrations with leading eCommerce platforms ensure that merchants can connect their existing commerce system with minimal web development effort. Integration via a hosted payment page helps to simplify the process by which merchants ensure they are PCI compliant, while using API integration gives full control at the checkout. Integrated Pay By Link services will be included in future developments to offer digital payments through a secure web link. As part of the single integration with Planet, merchants will also be able to access Cybersource’s fraud management tools to monitor transaction risk and help preserve revenue, giving their customers the peace of mind that payment details are safe.

Planet have also integrated with Cybersource’s Token Management Service to help create a smoother, faster payment journey that improves conversion rates. Shoppers will have the power to pay in just one click, to avoid re-entering payment details at the online checkout. While payment use cases such as click and collect, or online Hotel check-in, add convenience and build brand engagement, a unique benefit of the platform will be the ability to bring together all online and physical Point of Sale payments into one single view. This would allow merchants to track cross-channel payment experiences, and gain deeper insights about how consumers shop and spend; offering a more personalised service.

Steve O'Donovan, Chief Payments Officer at Planet said: "Merchants have undoubtedly faced challenges to trading conditions over recent months. Many have had to adapt and act quickly when it comes to meeting consumer expectations to support digital payments. We are thrilled to be partnering with Cybersource at this time to expand our range of digital solutions for new and existing clients. Instead of trying to juggle multiple systems and payment methods, merchants can now save themselves extra time and cost with a single connection to the Planet platform. And with our acquiring and value-added services, we also help them grow their revenue from payments. By collaborating with Cybersource, our clients will be able to realise the benefits of one unique view of the consumer across both physical and digital worlds; all through one payments partnership."

Christian Deger, Head of Europe at Cybersource said: "Over the past year, there has been an unprecedented shift in consumer demand for digital payment options and this continues to be a key priority for merchants across the globe. We’re delighted to be teaming up with Planet and to support them in bringing enhanced digital payments capabilities to their clients through our global payment management platform. Planet is great addition to our growing partner base and we are looking forward to working closely with Planet, providing them with access to the power of our ecosystem so that they can bring creative, flexible commerce solutions to the market."