Advances in AI are changing how voice can be used in payment journeys, especially in the contact centre. Our partner C3 – short for Computer & Communications Co. – is using that progress to make telephone payments easier for customers, while also improving security and providing full PCI compliance. We spoke to C3 director John Wood to learn more about the company’s payment solutions.
For many organisations, phone payments still create unnecessary friction. Customers may have to read out long card numbers, repeat information, or switch awkwardly between speaking to an agent and using a keypad. At the same time, organisations need to make sure payment handling is secure and compliant.
C3’s Payment By Voice capability is designed to remove that friction. Using an AI-driven voice recognition platform, it allows customers to provide payment details naturally over the phone, with information captured in real time for both assisted and automated services.
In an assisted payment journey, the agent can move the call into a secure voice capture mode while staying in control of the conversation. The customer simply speaks their card details, and the system captures the information directly, without the agent hearing the sensitive data. The agent can still see a live transcript, which helps the conversation continue smoothly.
The same principle applies in automated payment services. Instead of working through rigid menus and manually entering strings of numbers, callers can simply say their account or reference number, date of birth, postcode and card details. That makes the process feel more conversational and less stressful.
John says that this matters because it reduces effort for callers while lowering retries, errors and dropouts. He also emphasises that PCI compliance is often a deciding factor in payment projects, especially where live agents are still taking payments.
C3 positions voice as an enhancement rather than a replacement. Traditional keypad entry remains available for callers who are in a noisy environment, have privacy concerns, or simply prefer that option. That flexibility helps organisations improve the user experience without compromising security or accessibility.
As John points out, payments are not a marginal process. They are an essential part of service delivery, and making them easier and more secure can help organisations improve both revenue collection and customer satisfaction.
For councils, housing associations and other organisations handling high volumes of inbound payments, that creates a strong case for modernising the telephony experience. C3’s voice payment capability shows how AI can be used in a practical way, not as a gimmick, but as a tool to make payment journeys smoother, safer and easier to complete.
Bramble Hub is proud to offer C3’s payment solutions across the UK public sector via a selection of procurement frameworks.
