Businesses warned to ditch '˜risky' phone payment methods amid fraud fears

The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council has issued strict new guidelines to businesses.

The watchdog's revised set of rules highlights the risks businesses face who continue to use '˜pause and resume' methods of processing card payments over the phone.

Updated for the first time in seven years, the guidelines have been introduced as a way to prevent fraud attacks and are urging businesses to avoid using call centres to take card payments.

It comes as many companies are still using outdated and risky techniques to take payments '“ which can involve customers reading out their card details over the phone.

Telephone payment experts Ultracomms has reiterated the watchdog's warning

Derwyn Jones, Ultracomms' chief executive, said the new rules would provide '˜greater clarity on the measures businesses need to take to ensure they protect consumers'. He added the '˜only sure-fire way' to protect customers from potential fraud was to use dual-tone-multifrequency masking.