As organizations modernize digital payments, manual phone payments remain a hidden source of PCI exposure, audit complexity, and operational risk.
(PRUnderground) January 20th, 2026
Datatel Communications Inc / Datatel Inc a leader in IVR Payments and payment risk management released a new presentation that highlights why manual phone payments are a growing enterprise risk. As organizations continue to modernize their digital payment channels, one legacy process remains largely overlooked. Manual phone payments, where staff collect credit card details directly from customers, continue to expose organizations to unnecessary risk, compliance burden, and operational inefficiency.
According to Datatel, this workflow quietly expands PCI DSS scope and introduces human-driven variables that are difficult to control and defend during audits. Even limited manual handling of card data triggers additionalcompliance obligations, more complex controls, and greater scrutiny from auditors and regulators.
“Every time a person handles card data, the organization assumes risk that no longer makes business sense,” said Barnard Crespi, Co-CEO of Datatel. “This is not about technology adoption. It’s about governance, consistency, and protecting the organization from avoidable exposure.”
Manual phone payments can result in accidental call recording, handwritten notes containing sensitive information, and reliance on network environments that may not be properly segmented. As privacy regulations tighten globally, these risks are increasingly viewed as unacceptable.
Datatel emphasizes that modernizing phone payments through secure automation removes card data from internal systems entirely. This reduces PCI scope by design, simplifies audits, and aligns phone payments with broader payment modernization strategies already in place for online and in-person channels.
“Leaders are starting to ask different questions,” Crespi added. “Where are we still handling sensitive data unnecessarily. What risks are we quietly accepting. And how do we create a defensible position that holds up under regulatory and board scrutiny.”
Datatel recommends that leadership teams identify where manual phone payment handling still occurs, assess the associated compliance and audit burden, and develop a clear roadmap to modernize phone payments alongside other payment channels.
Watch the presentation here: https://youtu.be/9z6DMZRBxTo
About Datatel Communications Inc
Working For Your Success!
At Datatel, we empower businesses to de-risk their payment processes, helping them focus on being more agile, profitable, secure and successful. By leveraging our cutting-edge payment software solutions and PCI-focused services Datatel helps businesses significantly reduce the inherent vulnerabilities of handling credit card data by ensuring efficient operations, meeting payment card industry security requirements, and enabling them to focus on growth and their customers.
As a PCI Level 1 Service Provider and PCI SSC Associate Participating Organization, we are committed to safeguarding our customers payment ecosystems and advocating for payment security standards globally.
Twenty-seven years ago, we launched Datatel with the vision of delivering innovative interactive voice response and business process automation solutions to enterprises. As we evolved and grew, our focus homed in on secure payment software and secure phone payment solutions to help our clients achieve greater efficiencies and future proof their operations.
Datatel’s IVR Payments, Payment Technology, and transaction automation solutions are employed globally by thousands of businesses, healthcare providers, academic institutions, government, software companies, and service providers.
At Datatel, we believe that a society that shortchanges its youngest and most vulnerable members is one that forfeits its own future. With that in mind, Datatel is involved with our community, working as a team to provide those who are in need with the support that will help them overcome their challenges, resulting in a brighter future for all of us and for generations to come
Our success comes from investing in our people, our customers, our partners, and technology. With a focus on innovation and security, we have arrived at a service delivery model that guarantees our customers’ satisfaction.
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Original Press Release.
