The payments industry is moving towards a future without long card numbers. Primary Account Numbers, known as PANs, are being phased out in favour of more secure, digital-first payment methods.
This change is necessary and positive. It reduces fraud, simplifies checkout, and improves security for millions of customers.
But there is an important point that cannot be ignored: Not every customer can, or wants to, pay in a fully digital way.
Why PAN removal is happening and why it matters
Removing long card numbers from payment journeys is designed to tackle fraud at its source. PANs are one of the most targeted data points for criminals, and their removal supports a shift to tokenisation, biometrics and delegated authentication.
For many businesses, this change will:
- Improve security
- Reduce fraud exposure
- Speed up payment journeys
- Simplify PCI compliance
These benefits are real and significant. PAN removal is not something to resist. It is something to prepare for.
Encoded already supports this transition through tools like tokenisation, Click to Pay and secure payment orchestration, all designed to future-proof payment flows.
The risk of a digital-only payment approach
As payments become digital-first, there is a growing assumption that customers will naturally follow.
For many people, they will. For others, they will not.
Insights highlighted by Age UK show that a significant number of older people in the UK are digitally excluded. According to Age UK:
- One in five older people are digitally excluded
- Around 1.6 million older people do not use a mobile phone at all
- More than 4 million do not use a smartphone
These customers are not fringe users. They are loyal, long-standing customers across utilities, insurance, housing, retail and financial services.
And they still pay in large numbers.
Why MOTO payments are still critical
Mail Order and Telephone Order payments are often discussed as if they belong to the past.
The reality is very different.
Mail Order and Telephone Order (MOTO) payments continue to be a meaningful part of UK payment volumes, and a large number of these are completed by customers who prefer or need assisted support. Historically, MOTO has accounted for a large share of card transactions, and many businesses still rely on these flows today
For many, speaking to a real person is the only practical way to complete a payment.
MOTO is not disappearing in a post-PAN world. But it does need support.
Traditional MOTO methods rely on customers reading out full card numbers, which increases risk, stress and compliance complexity. That model is no longer sustainable.
The future of MOTO is not about removing human interaction. It is about modernising how assisted payments work.
Human-assisted payments done properly
Human-assisted payments should combine the reassurance of speaking to a real person with the security of modern payment technology.
This is where tools like Agent Assist and PayByLink play a vital role.
Instead of customers reading card details aloud, agents can guide them through a secure payment step where details are entered directly by the customer on their own device.
This approach delivers clear benefits:
- Customers feel more comfortable and in control
- Agents handle payments faster and with less pressure
- Full card numbers are never spoken or stored
- PCI scope is reduced
- Fraud risk drops significantly
This is what inclusive, post-PAN payment journeys should look like.
Inclusion is good business, not just good ethics
Supporting customers who cannot use digital wallets or biometric checkout is often framed as a compliance or accessibility issue. But it’s also a commercial one.
When customers are forced into payment methods they do not understand or trust, they might be forced to abandon the transaction, call the support line, or even lose confidence or loyalty to the brand completely.
Businesses that maintain inclusive payment journeys protect:
- Revenue
- Customer loyalty
- Brand trust
- Complaint volumes
Human-assisted payments are not a blocker to innovation. They are part of it.
How Encoded supports the transition to a post-PAN world
PAN removal is a necessary step forward for the payments industry. It improves security and reduces fraud across the ecosystem.
At the same time, businesses must ensure they do not exclude customers who still rely on assisted support.
Encoded helps organisations strike that balance.
Through payment orchestration, tokenisation, Agent Assist and PayByLink, Encoded enables businesses to:
- Prepare for a PAN-free future
- Modernise MOTO payments without removing human interaction
- Reduce PCI exposure
- Offer secure choice across all payment channels
The future of payments is secure choice
The move away from long card numbers is a positive shift. It makes payments safer and smoother for everyone.
But the most successful businesses will be those that recognise one simple truth: Digital-first does not mean digital-only.
The future belongs to organisations that combine modern security with human support, and give customers safe choices rather than forcing them down a single path.
Not sure how PAN removal affects your payment flows?
Contact us and learn how we can help you review your current payment setup and plan for secure, compliant, human-friendly payments.
