Exploring the EMV^® Secure Remote Commerce Use Cases

In this post, Clinton Allen, Chair of EMVCo’s SRC Working Group, outlines the recently published EMV^® SRC Use Cases, that provides insights on different ways that merchants can use EMV SRC Specifications to provide secure and convenient checkout options.  

EMV Secure Remote Commerce (EMV SRC) Specifications are a common set of requirements for the development of e-commerce payment solutions that simplify the online checkout process to make it more consistent, convenient and secure. E-commerce solutions based on the EMV SRC Specifications are known as Click to Pay .

Once enrolled in a Click to Pay programme, a consumer can confidently pay online using their preferred card and expect comparable security and convenience as when making in-store purchases.

A key benefit of EMV SRC is that it is flexible, enabling merchants of all sizes to support new ways of checking out. ‘EMV^® Secure Remote Commerce – Use Cases’ is a supporting document (which is intended to be read in conjunction with the EMV Specifications) that demonstrates the scope and flexibility of the EMV SRC Specifications by providing high-level examples of the different ways it can be used to enable a range of different payment checkout use cases.

These are described within the document as SRC Checkout, Merchant Digital Card on File Checkout, Merchant Orchestrated Checkout and Merchant Presented QR Code Checkout.

1. SRC Checkout

What it is: The EMV SRC Checkout use case describes the purchase experience delivered to a consumer through the interaction of a merchant and the different participants who enable a Click to Pay experience.

What it provides: This enables consumers who have enrolled in a Click to Pay programme to access their digital cards across participating merchants without having to sign into a merchant account. Rather, they proceed as a guest by activating the Click to Pay trigger  .  If the consumer is recognised as a returning customer, a password-less experience is enabled. If the consumer is not recognised, they are prompted to input their email address or phone number as an identifier.

2. Merchant Digital Card on File Checkout

Along with the SRC Checkout model, the EMV SRC Specifications support a ‘Merchant Checkout’ model where the purchase experience is delivered by a consumer interacting only with a merchant (or their payment provider), using a stored credential managed by the merchant. This promotes increased flexibility, choice and control for merchants

What it is: Merchant Digital Card on File Checkout is a type of merchant checkout where consumers can select a preferred card, which becomes a merchant-specific digital card stored by the merchant.

What it provides: The card is then the default option for any subsequent checkout at that merchant, enabling simplified, streamlined purchasing experiences.

3. Merchant Orchestrated Checkout

What it is: In this use-case, the merchant controls the UX and the level of integration the Click to Pay call-to action has as part of the checkout process.

What it provides: Merchant Orchestrated Checkout enables merchants to fully integrate the Click to Pay checkout in to the UX within their existing checkout experience. This allows merchants to control the user experience.

4. Merchant Presented QR Code Checkout

What it is: Merchant Presented QR Code Checkout is another merchant checkout use-case where a consumer installs a dedicated app and can scan a QR code (which has been generated according to the EMV^® QR Code Merchant Presented Specification) to trigger a Click to Pay checkout.

What it provides: Using Click to Pay with EMV QR Codes gives merchants the ability to offer greater security, convenience and the choice to use the QR code payment experience for consumers shopping in a range of environments.

Enhancing the EMV SRC Specifications through Industry Engagement

As work continues to evolve on the EMV SRC Specifications, input from EMVCo stakeholders and the wider payments industry on how the specification is being used today – and how it could potentially be used in the future – will help ensure EMV SRC Specifications continue to enable consistent, seamless and trusted digital checkout experiences and support payment choice and convenience.