Navigating modern retail challenges: How Braintree mitigates in-person risks

The modern retail landscape is full of risks and challenges for today’s businesses — not just online but in person as well. When it comes to processing in-store payments, merchants must protect themselves and their customers from fraud, offer a range of secure payment methods, and deliver personalized, multi-platform experiences across channels.

Challenges in today’s evolving retail landscape

Large and mid-tier retailers face significant challenges when it comes to in-person retail payment processing. They not only have to deliver exceptional customer experiences to edge out the competition, but they also should be vigilant about maintaining payment security and operational efficiency at each touchpoint.

Here’s a closer look at the biggest retail payment trends and obstacles for merchants today.

Integration with digital platforms

Customers are increasingly looking to bridge the gap between online and offline platforms — creating a seamless and intuitive buying experience across both e-commerce and in-person channels. For instance, shoppers might want to buy online and pick up in store or research products on an app and then receive in-person customer service when they buy. One report found 60% of consumers prefer to shop with a brand or company that has both digital and physical stores.²

Adapting to new payment technologies

Meanwhile, in-person shoppers expect merchants to provide more convenient innovative retail payment options at checkout, such as digital wallets; buy now, pay later; and tap to pay. In one 2022 survey, 57.6% of consumers said having multiple payment options available is “very” or “extremely” influential in encouraging the use of a payments and credentials vault.³ That suggests that merchants would benefit from providing omnichannel retail experiences that meet customers wherever they prefer to shop.

Enhancing customer experience

In the competitive retail sector, creating a smooth and secure in-person customer experience is key to building trust and loyalty. If shoppers don't receive the personalization they're seeking, they could simply buy from another brand that better tailors experiences to their needs.

That's why it's so important for merchants to meet shoppers with their preferred payment methods, offer omnichannel buying and shipping options, and provide a quick and frictionless checkout process. Among more than 2,000 U.S. consumers, 80% of reported having saved their payment details online, through a retailer site or other app.³

Operational efficiency

Merchants need payment solutions that not only address security and customer experience but also improve operational efficiency, making transactions faster and more reliable. The right payment solution, for example, should help businesses automate processes such as omnichannel data collection and fraud detection — so they can securely accept transactions from customers across the globe.

How does PayPal Braintree help mitigate risks?

PayPal Braintree In-Person is a comprehensive payment processing solution that enables merchants to seamlessly and securely integrate in-person, online, and mobile transactions. Crafted to deliver a more cohesive payment experience across all customer touchpoints, PayPal In-Person works to provide the risk management capabilities today’s businesses need to navigate the modern payments landscape and meet changing retail payment trends.

From advanced fraud detection and tokenization to payment card industry (PCI) compliance, here’s a closer look at how PayPal Braintree In-Person helps enterprises mitigate risk.

Payment security

Braintree's multi-layered fraud detection system uses real-time transaction analysis, machine learning, and device fingerprinting to help monitor retail payments and help minimize fraudulent transactions and chargebacks. Braintree also uses tokenization to more securely store customer data and help businesses meet PCI compliance standards for safer transactions.

These features help establish PayPal as not just a leader in retail payment processing, but a proactive defender against in-person transaction risks. An internal study found 82% of PayPal users surveyed agree PayPal helps protect them against fraudulent activities.⁴

Omnichannel capabilities

PayPal’s all-in-one payment solution help businesses provide a more consistent and frictionless customer experience across channels. By storing data from multiple platforms in PayPal’s centralized vault, businesses can gain a unified view of each customer and meet them with personalized, omnichannel retail experiences that match their preferences.

Market trends

The rise of contactless payments and other innovative payment technologies has accelerated, especially post-pandemic. PayPal provides merchants with the tools to navigate and adapt to these retail market trends. Spanning more than 200 markets across the globe, PayPal supports a range of payment methods, including digital wallets, cryptocurrencies, and local payment types.

PayPal also helps businesses optimize retail payments with our Account Updater, which automatically updates customer payment information as it changes, and Smart Retries, which can help reduce declined payments and increase sales.

Operational efficiency

Leading payment solutions for retailers shouldn’t just improve security but also help businesses optimize processes and costs. That’s why Braintree uses automation to help identify fraud risks and handle chargeback disputes, allowing businesses cut down on manual tasks and reduce operational expenses.

Braintree can also seamlessly connect to other payment service providers (PSPs), helping businesses streamline transactions with one single integration. For example, the platform can automatically route each transaction to the most cost-effective PSP, improving sales and customer experiences.

Transparency and control

Braintree provides detailed reporting and analytics from in-person transactions, helping businesses better understand customer behaviors and identify potential risks throughout the shopper journey. Merchants can also monitor payment activity in real time and customize security settings for their unique checkout processes, so they're always in control.

Unlock opportunities for growth with an innovative retail payment solution

Risk is an inevitable part of doing business, especially for today’s in-person retailers. What’s most important is that merchants have the comprehensive solutions they need to address that risk, enhance security, and drive sales.

PayPal Braintree In-Person is a leader in helping modern retailers meet the challenges of today’s payment landscape, providing useful security features, seamless integration capabilities, and a merchant-centric approach to payment processing. In fact, PayPal’s all-in-one payment solution helps businesses not just mitigate risk, but also unlock new opportunities for future growth and customer engagement.

Learn more about PayPal’s payment solutions for retail business growth.