New Datatel Video Highlights Why Manual Phone Payments Pose Growing Enterprise Risks and Why IVR Payments Are the Path Forward

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