Keeping Customers' Card Details on File
2 min read
This article is designed to assist merchants and does not constitute legal advice. As a merchant, it’s your responsibility to comply with all applicable regulations and to keep your customers’ card information safe.
Having customers’ card details on file allows you to take a payment without the customer needing to be present, or grant additional authorization. This is known as a card-on-file payment.
Card-on-file payments allow for a faster checkout experience, greater convenience for both you and your customer, and a more predictable cash flow for your business.
Having said that, there are also drawbacks to card-on-file payments, including a higher risk of fraud, as well as the regulatory pitfalls associated with retaining customers’ sensitive information.
Card schemes such as Visa and Mastercard require that you be extremely careful with cardholder information. We recommend you take adequate measures to ensure the security of any cardholder information in your possession.
You need to keep your customer fully informed following every transaction processed with their card. Above all, you need consent from your customer to use and retain their card details. This is why you must get authorization from your customer.
Getting authorization from your customer
Wix provides you with a suggested template form you can send to your customer. Once your customer has signed the form, be sure to send them a copy of the signed form that they can keep for future reference. Explicit consent is a requirement of card schemes. It also helps to build a relationship of trust between you and your customer.
To get authorization:
- Download the authorization form available from your checkout.
- Send the form to your customer, asking them to complete and sign the form.
- Once your customer has returned the completed form, make a copy and send it back to your customer for their own records.
Note: We recommend you send the copy within 24 hours of you receiving the completed form. - File your customer's completed form within your own records, using a file name that can be easily retrieved later and not confused with another customer.
- Click the Save this card to the customer's file checkbox to keep your customer's card details on file within your Wix account.
Note: If your customer wishes to remove their card information, they can do so from the My Wallet page in the Members Area of your site.
Tip:
For additional advice on managing an online business and avoiding payment disputes, see our best practices for merchants using Wix Payments.