So let me tell you about my payments headaches. Why I didn't want to get off my comfy sofa on a Friday night to make a payment!

A few weeks ago, I spent £1,500 on a new rattan garden sofa set. With the warm weather in the UK, demand is very high; so choice is limited. Meaning I’ve spent a lot – yes a lot – of time looking online for the right set. One that would work perfectly in my family's back garden, with our new log cabin and decking.

I'm fussy too. Given this is part of our back garden makeover, I want things to be perfect.

And that also goes for the shopping experience. Having eventually found the perfect product, I was very relieved that my experience of buying the furniture online went smoothly. But when I reached the online checkout, my stress levels went up. Why? Because it's the moment of truth. That moment when I might not be able to complete the purchase. All that time spent finding the right product could be lost, leaving me dejected and having to start the hunt all over again. Just because of a troublesome payments process!

The retailer offered me two payment choices. Card or PayPal. I use both – so didn't think this would be a problem. But it was. Because my PayPal limit is less than the purchase amount. I didn’t even realise I had a spending limit! That was until I tried to complete the purchase using PayPal. And I couldn't. So that didn't work.

More stress. Card. It's the only option now. Fine. So I'll use my Mastercard debit card. Should be simple right? Why was this such a hassle?

Because if I'm honest, I can be a lazy shopper. I'd had a busy day. I'd settled onto the sofa, gone browsing online and reached the checkout. I didn't want to move. But I had to go upstairs to find my wallet, and this meant I had to pause the checkout process. A moment of panic. Would the cart be cleared if I didn’t pay within a few minutes? What if my broadband connection dropped?

So you get my point. Why are payments so stressful at times? It's all hassle – for what should be a smooth ending to the process.

Having got my wallet, I came back to find my worst fears had not in fact materialised. I could complete the purchase. I've become used to 'two stage authentication' and that worked fine. So, not a problem. All good with that prized 'transaction completed' message. Phew!

I've rambled on. So, what's my point? It's simply this. That the online customer experience so often boils down to one moment of truth. That payment moment. When it can all go wrong and you end-up missing out. That emotional attachment. All gone.

Get it right – and sadly most people won't even notice. Get it wrong, and it's got the potential to destroy the customer experience. It’s as simple as that.

Thanks for reading this. If you found it interesting please comment, like or share. Otherwise, move on. There's plenty more content out there. I won't take it personally!