Credit cards and their usage in mobile and online game technology is an ever-evolving topic, which has revolutionized and shaped how users consume content. This is part 2 of a 12-part series discussing credit cards' evolution in regards to their mobile and gaming usage and customer base, how people around the globe are utilizing them, and where they are going in the future. 

Credit cards, short forms, and one-click payments: your new best friends.

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Improve Game Purchases: Short CC Forms and One-Click Payment

In keeping with Wednesday's theme of rules to keep in mind while you implement your in-game payment system, today we will go over two basic principles that may seem simple but are often overlooked or forgotten by developers, new and veteran alike. In our last post, we discussed how the detour of browser redirects can deter users from making in-game purchases, so the best way to ensure steady and closed sales is through emphasizing truly in-game transactions.

There are two other similar ways developers can improve their game content purchases: utilizing short credit card forms and emphasizing one-click payments.

Forms online and offline are hardly ever a pleasant task. Reduce customers' frustrations and see your revenue grow.

Utilize Short Credit Card Forms

Because if there is one thing people love to do in life, it's fill out lengthy forms, right? Wrong! Forms, online and offline, can frustrate customers, and in the online world where you have a fraction of the time to retain a customer, it could mean the difference between a sale and a turned off user. Keeping credit card forms as short as possible and making sure the offer the option to keep a card on file means that the customer won't have to interrupt their gaming to make a purchase. The caveat in this scenario is using a verified security system that users know and trust.

Make sure to include well-known credit card logos and security icons, and make sure that it matches with the user's country of origin. Using a third party system can aide in this process, taking the difficulty of managing all of this information securely and simply. Either way, making sure that you choose a short credit card form will mean the number of users who actually complete and submit the form will be exponentially higher than if you use a longer, more cumbersome form.

Xsolla's credit card storage as an example of a third party system of secure, seamless one-click payment.

Emphasizing One-Click Payments

Initially, a credit card form may be required with no way around it. So, you've made sure to make that form a concise, simple one. Now is the time to emphasize one-click payment options. Less options to leave during a purchase leads to higher conversion rates, so cutting down the payment process to one simple tap is a game's best bet to earn more revenue. Making bright, visible buttons or icons is a great way to draw attention to the saving functionality. Proper placement and, as mentioned above, prominently displayed security seals will go a long way towards making your customers feel at ease saving their info.

Another great way to make sure your gamers know one-click payments is to their benefit as well as yours is by adding an explanation of why it helps them: Saving credit card information saves time and hassle, ensuring you can keep gaming without the annoyance of re-entering all of it mid-game. One-click payments are becoming more common place in online marketplaces, but people still may be wary of having their financial information saved in the virtual world. Reassuring users that all security measures are being met, especially by using an entrusted third party provider, can go a long way to bump up your in-game purchase revenue.

Here are some strong reasons to reinforce the pros of one-click payments with a credit card on file:

Thinking of credit card forms and one-step saved payment as a symbiotic relationship will lead to increased revenue and a stronger user base.

Symbiotic Steps to Secure Sales

With one short form to fill out and one-click payment systems activated, it's no surprise both that both users and developers stand to gain from an easy, saved credit card payment system. Users are saved the time, effort and less interruption and developers are guaranteed more in-game sales and potential future purchases.