What are MOTO Payments and How Can You Take Them Securely?

What Is a MOTO Payment?

A MOTO payment is any transaction where:

• the cardholder is not physically present
• the card is not inserted or tapped
• payment details are provided manually

Common examples include:

• telephone payments
• payments taken via email or order forms
• manual invoice payments using a virtual terminal

These transactions are processed through a payment gateway or virtual terminal, which connects to the cardholder’s bank for authorisation.

Why Businesses Still Use MOTO Payments

Despite the risks, MOTO payments are still essential for many businesses.

They are commonly used in:

• contact centres
• B2B sales
• hotels, hospitality and bookings
• trades and service-based businesses
• high-value or consultative sales

They allow businesses to take payment in real time while speaking to a customer, which can help close deals faster.

The Problem with Traditional MOTO Payments

The traditional process involves asking customers to read out:

• card number
• expiry date
• security code

This creates three major issues:

1. No authentication

You have no way to confirm the caller is the genuine cardholder.

2. Full liability

If the transaction is disputed, the business is usually responsible for the loss.

3. PCI DSS exposure

Handling card data directly increases your compliance obligations and risk of data breaches.

Authorisation alone does not guarantee a secure payment or protect against chargebacks.

Why MOTO Payments Are High Risk

Because these transactions lack physical verification, they are a prime target for fraud.

Key risks include:

• stolen or compromised card data
• impersonation of legitimate customers
• friendly fraud and chargebacks
• data exposure during the payment process

Acquirers recognise this risk, which is why MOTO transactions often come with:

• higher processing fees
• stricter compliance expectations 

How to Make MOTO Payments More Secure

Reducing risk comes down to changing how payments are taken.

Avoid verbal card capture

Do not rely on customers reading out card details.

Remove card data from your environment

Keeping sensitive data out of your systems reduces both risk and compliance burden.

Introduce authentication

Secure methods allow the customer to confirm the payment themselves.

Use secure payment channels

Modern alternatives enable payment without exposing card data.

When Should You Use MOTO Payments?

MOTO payments are most useful when:

• customers cannot pay online
• transactions are handled over the phone
• payments are high value or time-sensitive
• flexibility is needed across multiple channels

With the right controls in place, they remain a valuable part of a modern payment strategy.

A Safer Way to Take Telephone Payments

Instead of collecting card details manually, businesses can:

• send a secure payment link during the call
• allow the customer to complete the payment on their own device
• apply authentication such as 3D Secure

This approach:

• confirms the cardholder’s identity
• reduces fraud risk
• removes sensitive data from your systems
• improves customer trust

How SOTpay Secures MOTO Payments

SOTpay replaces traditional MOTO processes with a secure, customer-controlled payment flow.

It allows businesses to:

• take payments over the phone without hearing card details
• send payment requests via SMS, email, or live chat
• apply authentication to each transaction
• reduce fraud and chargebacks
• simplify PCI DSS compliance

Payments can be completed while the customer is still on the call, keeping the experience fast and seamless.

Take Payments Over the Phone Without the Risk

MOTO payments are still essential for many businesses, but the way they are handled has changed. By removing manual processes and introducing secure, authenticated payment methods, you can protect your revenue while keeping the customer experience smooth and efficient.

The team of payment experts at SOTpay are ready to offer no obligation demonstrations of how SOTpay provides a secure, safe and lower cost way of accepting MOTO payments. Get in touch now.