Semafone, the leading provider of data security and compliance solutions for call and contact centers, today announced at HIMSS 2019, a partnership with InstaMed, healthcare’s most trusted payments network. InstaMed will leverage Semafone’s patented payment method which uses dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) masking to deliver a fully secure telephone payments solution for the healthcare market -- InstaMed VoIP Protection. The solution will give providers and payers a way to create a secure and consumer-centric payment experience while payments are made over the phone -- all while significantly reducing Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) scope and costs.

“Consumers are demanding a better healthcare payments experience. Healthcare organizations have to deliver security and convenience to patients and members,” said Chris Seib, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of InstaMed. “InstaMed VoIP Protection allows organizations to give consumers the option to make healthcare payments over the phone similar to experiences they have paying other household bills. The dramatic reduction in costs and PCI DSS scope combined with the superior consumer experience assure the C-suite that they are meeting the needs of their entire organization.” 

Using Semafone’s DTMF masking technology, patients and customers can simply enter their credit card number into their telephone keypad instead of having to read their credit card number aloud to the agent on the other end. During this process, the incoming data is intercepted, and the agent is presented with masked (flat tone) digits. Once the customer has input their numbers and the system has verified that the information is correct, it can then seamlessly pass the transaction data through to the payment service provider (PSP) for processing, by-passing the agent and their desktop environment. Throughout a transaction, sensitive data neither enters the contact center nor is stored or recorded anywhere. Semafone shields the entire payment environment from sensitive card data and takes it out of scope for PCI DSS.

Additionally, by integrating Semafone’s solution, a call will never need to be rerouted or transferred – agents remain in constant verbal communication with the customer while taking a payment, allowing easy assistance if any issues arise. This greatly improves customer satisfaction and key call center metrics -- increasing first contact resolution (FCR) & reducing average handling time (AHT) and the number of abandoned calls. With Semafone’s technology, healthcare providers can simplify compliance and avoid hefty noncompliance fines, all the while safeguarding data, maintaining customer trust and reducing the risk of a brand-damaging data breach.

“InstaMed’s integration with Semafone shows how InstaMed is placing the highest priority on payment data security, privacy and regulatory compliance. With Semafone’s patented payment method using dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) masking technology, InstaMed’s vast network of healthcare providers and payers and their consumers will get an unmatched level of security and privacy every time a payment is taken over the phone,” said Iain Regan, Chief Commercial Officer, Semafone. “We are proud to help protect organizations across the globe from the rising threat and hefty costs associated with a data breach, while keeping them compliant with stringent PCI DSS regulations.”

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