For many contact centres, payment handling is still one of the most time-consuming parts of the customer journey. Agents spend valuable time processing routine card payments, queues build up during busy periods, and businesses carry unnecessary compliance pressure.Â
That’s why IVR payments (Interactive Voice Response) continue to deliver strong commercial value.
While the payments industry is evolving, especially with the long-term move away from traditional 16-digit card numbers (primary account numbers), IVR remains one of the most effective ways to reduce costs, improve efficiency and create a smoother customer experience today.
For high-volume contact centres, the return on investment can be significant. Let’s explore why.Â
The cost benefits of IVR are hard to ignore
Taking payments through a live agent is expensive. Every call adds labour costs, increases handling times and creates pressure on already stretched customer service teams.
IVR changes that completely.
Automated IVR payments can cost as little as 50p per call, compared to several pounds for an agent-assisted interaction. Research highlighted in our IVR white paper shows the average live service call costs around £5.42, while telephony self-service sessions can range between 30p and 70p.Â
In high-volume environments, those savings scale quickly.
A utilities provider that processes thousands of monthly payments through IVR can reduce operational costs dramatically while improving service availability at the same time.
Instead of adding temporary staff during peak periods, businesses can automate repetitive payment journeys and handle demand more efficiently.
24/7 payment automation improves customer access
Customers don’t want to wait for office hours to make a payment, or spend their working lunch breaks completing life admin.
IVR allows businesses to accept payments 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without agent involvement. Customers can self-serve at a time that suits them, using a channel they already understand and trust – a big tick in the box for customer experience and reputation.
Queues reduce, payment bottlenecks ease and agents are freed up to support customers who genuinely need assistance. For sectors such as utilities, finance, housing and travel, where payment volumes can spike unexpectedly, IVR provides resilience and flexibility without increasing headcount.
Encoded’s IVR guide highlights how automated payments help businesses manage seasonal demand while maintaining customer satisfaction and service continuity.Â
Better use of contact centre agent time
Most contact centre agents were not hired to process card details all day.
Manual payment handling is repetitive, time-consuming and often a poor use of skilled staff. By moving routine payments into IVR, businesses allow agents to focus on higher-value conversations.
That could mean:
- Resolving complex customer issues
- Supporting vulnerable customers
- Managing retention conversations
- Upselling additional services
- Improving first contact resolution
This not only improves productivity but can also support staff morale and reduce burnout in busy contact centre environments.
Security and PCI compliance become easier to manage with IVR
Security remains one of the biggest drivers behind IVR adoption.
When agents manually handle card details, businesses increase their PCI DSS exposure and create additional compliance risk. IVR removes sensitive card handling from the agent environment, helping reduce PCI scope and lowering the risk associated with storing or processing payment data.
Encoded’s secure IVR solutions are designed to support PCI DSS compliance while delivering a seamless payment experience across contact centre environments.
For organisations that operate in regulated sectors, this can remove a major operational headache.
The payment industry is changing, and IVR is evolving with it
There is no question that the payments landscape is changing.
Mastercard’s plans to phase out traditional 16-digit PANs (primary account numbers) over time will reshape how payments are authenticated and processed. Alternative payment methods, tokenisation, Click to Pay and biometric authentication will all play a growing role in the future of payments.
But that does not mean IVR disappears; it evolves.
Businesses still need secure, automated payment experiences across voice channels, especially for customers who prefer telephone interactions or require assisted payment journeys.
The future belongs to payment providers that can support both current and emerging payment methods without forcing businesses into disruptive system changes.
Why businesses are looking beyond standalone IVR
The most effective payment strategies no longer rely on a single channel.
Businesses want flexibility across IVR, PayByLink, eCommerce, Agent Assist and alternative payment methods, all connected through a unified payment platform.
That is where Encoded’s approach stands apart.
Encoded combines secure IVR payments with gateway services, PayByLink and intelligent payment orchestration to help businesses reduce costs today while preparing for the future of payments. Whether customers pay through voice, web, mobile or emerging digital payment methods, organisations can manage everything through a single, secure ecosystem.
For contact centres under pressure to improve efficiency, reduce compliance risk and modernise customer payments, IVR still delivers measurable ROI, and with the right technology partner, it is ready for what comes next.
