ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Thanks to a new document published late last week, there is now a way to get a sneak peek at what the future of e-commerce looks like. On April 16, the Web Payments Interest Group at W3C announced publication of the First Public Working Draft of Web Payments Use Cases. The document elaborates on the future of payments by suggesting what should be possible with the Web platform in the coming years, utilizing the use cases to outline a roadmap for specific technical working groups and technologies that should be built into the web platform by 2020.

Conexxus, the convenience and fuel retailing industry’s technology arm, has long promoted the development of this important work as part of its advocacy of industry requirements and leadership in payment standardization. 

For those who may not closely follow technology standards, here’s why this new working draft is important: Think about how you use your favorite e-commerce website. You find what you want to buy, confirm a couple of simple decisions, and complete your order. There is minimal redundant input — especially of sensitive personal information — a couple of “clicks” and you are checked out.

Now, imagine that this same simple experience works on any website, where the use of all kinds of extended payment options like coupons or tokens are accepted almost magically, no matter where you are:  at home, in your car, on your mobile phone. That computer in your hand becomes your personal assistant, remembering which loyalty programs you are a member of and matching that to what the merchant offers. It could even calculate which payment method is most cost effective, taking into account currency conversion, card fees, rebates and loyalty rewards. 

And while this explanation focuses on the consumer experience, merchants will also benefit from the enhanced choice, faster funds clearing, and more flexible business models made possible by the work of the Web Payments Interest Group. 

This seamless experience extends to brick and mortar stores as well. At W3C, “web payments” refers to desktop, tablet, mobile, automotive or even television — essentially any device that connects to the Internet.

For more information on the new draft, visit www.w3.org/Payments/IG/. To learn more about the technology standards vital to our industry, visit Conexxus.org.