For years, Dual-Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) suppression and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems were the backbone of secure card payments in contact centres. They allowed customers to key in card numbers using their phone keypad, masking tones from agents and call recordings. At the time, these were seen as cutting-edge solutions to reduce fraud risk. 

Fast forward to 2025, and the story is very different. DTMF and IVR payments are no longer fit for purpose. They’re expensive to maintain, outdated in the face of modern cyber threats, and out of step with the way customers want to interact. At the same time, regulatory and card scheme pressures — particularly Visa’s new Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) — are making dispute management tougher than ever. 

Today’s businesses need faster, smarter, more flexible payment technologies — and pay-by-link solutions like SOTpay are leading the way. 

The Limitations of DTMF Payments 

DTMF was once an effective workaround for “card-not-present” transactions, but its weaknesses are now clear. 

High cost to maintain: specialist hardware and secure phone lines drive up operational expenses. 

Outdated security: tones can be intercepted, recordings can still leak data, and compliance demands have moved on. 

Restricted channels: DTMF only works over voice calls. It doesn’t extend to live chat, social media, email, or WhatsApp. 

Customer friction: tapping in long card numbers on a keypad feels slow and clunky in an age of instant digital authentication. 

Businesses clinging to DTMF are paying more for less, while exposing themselves to unnecessary risk. 

The Rise and Decline of IVR Payments 

Interactive Voice Response systems promised to automate payments and reduce agent time. Customers followed a recorded voice menu, entered their details, and completed transactions without human assistance. 

But in practice, IVR systems suffer from the same issues as DTMF, plus new challenges: 

Poor customer experience: navigating complex menus often leads to frustration and abandoned calls. 

Limited flexibility: IVR struggles with variable billing, instalments, or multi-channel journeys. 

Not future-proof: as customers migrate to mobile-first engagement, voice menus feel dated and inconvenient. 

Operational silos: IVR transactions often sit outside other engagement channels, fragmenting the customer journey. 

In 2025, IVR is seen as a stopgap at best — and at worst, a costly relic that damages brand perception. 

Visa VAMP: Raising the Stakes for Merchants 

Starting April 2025, Visa’s Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program (VAMP) combines fraud and chargeback monitoring into a single framework. This means: 

All disputes, whether fraud-related or not, now count towards a merchant’s dispute ratio. 

Rapid Dispute Resolution cases, which previously helped keep ratios down, will no longer provide relief. 

Stricter thresholds will apply, increasing the risk of fines or compliance penalties for merchants that fail to manage disputes effectively. 

For merchants still relying on fragile systems like DTMF or IVR, this is a dangerous mix. Payment methods prone to errors, customer frustration, and disputes will directly inflate compliance risk under Visa’s tougher rules. 

Why Pay by Link Is Replacing DTMF and IVR 

Pay-by-link technology solves the problems DTMF and IVR cannot. With solutions like SOTpay, agents can send secure, PCI-compliant payment links to customers instantly by email, SMS, WhatsApp, or live chat. Customers complete the transaction in their browser, using digital 3D Secure authentication, without ever sharing sensitive data with the agent. 

Here’s why this model has overtaken legacy systems: 

Stronger security: digital 3D Secure shifts liability to the card issuer and removes card data from your environment entirely. 

Lower costs: no expensive hardware, no complex IVR menus, no secure phone lines to maintain. 

Multi-channel flexibility: works across voice, chat, social, and messaging platforms. 

Faster implementation: cloud-based solutions like SOTpay can be deployed in days. 

Better customer experience: simple, secure links that feel familiar and fast to use. 

Fraud, Compliance, and the New Reality 

One of the biggest reasons businesses are moving away from DTMF and IVR is compliance. With Visa VAMP setting stricter thresholds, merchants can no longer afford high dispute rates. 

DTMF suppression alone is no longer enough — the technology is too vulnerable to interception. 

IVR menus frustrate customers, which can trigger unnecessary disputes that now count against merchants under VAMP. 

3D Secure authentication in pay-by-link ensures both fraud prevention and liability shift. 

In other words: outdated tech doesn’t just hurt your customer experience — it risks pushing you out of compliance. 

Customer Behaviour Has Changed 

In 2025, customers expect choice. They want to pay where they already are — on their phones, in chat apps, or through a quick web link. Forcing them into clunky IVR menus or keying card details into a phone system feels like stepping back in time. 

Modern consumers value: 

Speed – instant transactions from a link. 

Trust – a checkout process that feels secure and professional. 

Convenience – the ability to pay across multiple channels without friction. 

Businesses that fail to offer this risk losing customers — and under Visa’s new rules, they risk higher compliance penalties too. 

Cost Comparison: Old vs New 

Maintaining DTMF or IVR comes with hidden costs: hardware, secure lines, compliance audits, staff training, and lost sales from abandoned calls. 

Switching to a cloud-based pay-by-link platform like SOTpay eliminates most of these costs. Transactions are handled securely, compliance scope is reduced, and implementation is quick. The total cost of ownership is dramatically lower, while conversion rates are higher. 

SOTpay: Future-Proofing Against Both Fraud and VAMP 

SOTpay is built to replace outdated payment technology with a modern, flexible alternative. It enables: 

Agent-assisted payments without card data exposure. 

Pay-by-link across all channels – phone, email, SMS, WhatsApp, live chat, and social media. 

Digital 3D Secure authentication, shifting liability away from merchants. 

Cloud-based deployment, reducing costs and speeding up implementation. 

Custom branding, so every link and page reflects your business. 

Crucially, SOTpay helps merchants reduce fraud and disputes at the same time — giving them a smoother path to compliance with Visa’s new VAMP thresholds. 

FAQs 

What is DTMF suppression and why is it obsolete? 
DTMF suppression masks keypad tones when customers enter card details by phone. It is obsolete because it is costly, insecure, and limited to voice-only transactions. 

Why are IVR payments declining? 
IVR menus frustrate customers, add friction, and don’t integrate with modern channels. They also drive disputes, which under Visa VAMP are more damaging than ever. 

How does pay by link compare to DTMF and IVR? 
Pay by link is cheaper, more secure, and multi-channel. Customers receive a secure link and complete payment in their browser with 3D Secure. 

What is Visa VAMP and why does it matter? 
From April 2025, Visa VAMP unifies fraud and chargeback monitoring, with stricter thresholds. All disputes, including those resolved early, now count against merchants. This makes dispute reduction critical. 

How quickly can businesses move from DTMF/IVR to SOTpay? 
SOTpay is cloud-based and deployable in days. It reduces fraud, improves compliance, and helps merchants stay ahead of Visa’s evolving standards.