The @w3payments Working Group released yesterday its roadmap of work for 2018 lists.w3.org/Archives/Public… . This is the group developing new features to facilitate and improve payments in Web browsers.
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Its most well-known and deployed API is the Payment Request API, which streamlines the Web checkout process: browsers take charge of collecting and managing users' payment information, bringing less typing and more consistency in that experience w3.org/TR/payment-request/
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On the browser side, the picture is already pretty good for such a young API: it's available in @googlechrome, @MSEdgeDev , @samsunginternet , @opera and in preview in @webkit safari and @firefox
Jan 25, 2018 · 12:55 PM UTC
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Part of the 2018 roadmap is to get further adoption from merchants as highlighted by the group's staff contact @ibjacobs w3.org/blog/wpwg/2017/12/14/…
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This API should actually expand your view of what a merchant is: because it significantly reduces friction in payment flows, it enables to ask for on-line payment in situations you would not even have considered before.
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Combined with the no-install / just-in-time quality of the Web, it creates brand new opportunities. You could imagine e.g. to get tourists to pay for a bus ticket by flashing a QR code. Or even better, YOU could imagine new usages 😋
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If you're interested in adopting it in your projects, developer.mozilla.org/en-US/… and github.com/w3c/payment-reque… are good starting points - and as always, your feedback on the API is most welcomed at github.com/w3c/payment-reque…
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Beyond this, the 2018 roadmap includes pushing further experimentation with another major work item of the group: Payment Handler w3.org/TR/payment-handler/. That API enables innovation in online payments by facilitating integration of Web sites as payment providers.
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The idea is that if you want to develop a new e.g. paypal, it will make it easier for merchants to include your service among their payment options, and make the over payment flow a lot more user-friendly.
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Even if you're not in the business of creating payment systems, by enabling greater competition among payment providers, it should help merchants and buyers by reducing costs and improving flows.
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The group also wants to increase built-in security for on-line payments: once the browser manages payment data, merchants can opt not to receive sensitive data (e.g. card numbers) directly, and instead get a proof of a payment order from the user - known as tokenization.
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Likewise, this can facilitate the adoption of stronger authentication mechanisms, such as 3D secure or the 2-factor authentication mechanisms being developed by another W3C Working Group, Web Authentication w3.org/webauthn
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Finally, the group will be on the look for new method of payments: the current work enables credit cards, native apps and Web apps to act as payment system. A lot of innovation is happening in that sphere (cryptocurrencies, interledger) that may have specific integration needs.
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@w3payments is undoubtly well-positioned to significantly change how we use on-line payments and what for. Watch this space, experiment with the APIs and contribute your feedback!
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