Microsoft talked about the Payment Request API coming to its Edge browser on Windows 10 with the upcoming Creators Update using the Payment Request API back in December. Now, the Redmond company has announced that the API will be available to UWP developers to implement in their apps.
Microsoft claims that the addition to the platform is due to less-than-ideal checkout process on most e-commerce sites. It cites Baymard Institute"s study to back up their claim identifying the major reason for the abandonment of online orders as being “too long /complicated checkout process".
Stan Chang, Program Manager at Microsoft, further explained:
Over 90% of paid App Developer revenue has been coming from In-App Purchases (IAP), now app developers can add a new business model and revenue stream by taking advantage of the new Payment Request API to sell physical goods and services or conduct other commerce not supported natively in the Windows and Xbox stores. This API provides an integrated solution for Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps to bypass the complicated process of requiring a user to input payment information and select shipping methods.
The integrated solution sounds seamless until you realize that Microsoft Wallet, upon which the experience relies, is not available outside the US. The API is based on W3C Payment Request API spec and allows developers to streamline the checkout process as the consumer"s vital information is already saved with their Microsoft account, with their permission.
While you shouldn"t expect big e-commerce companies to flock toward using this method, it surely is a step to unify the consumer experience on the platform. The Payment Request API is available for UWP app developers now, starting with the OS Build and SDK version 15003.