Testing Automation - December 27, 2023
Every card issuer, acquirer, processor or merchant has a responsibility to correctly format, send and receive messages to and from its partners, gateways and networks to ensure that consumer payment transactions are processed, quickly, correctly and securely every time.
Unfortunately, the complex fabric of the payment industry, combined with legal and regulatory oversight, technology changes and increasingly sophisticated consumers, means that it can be difficult for any organization to keep up with the relentless pace of change
When transactions are not processed correctly the results can range from a negative consumer experience to higher interchange fees to an increased incidence of chargebacks or even a processing loophole that causes a data breach or enables fraudsters to rob the bank.
Introducing modern test tools specifically designed for processing and validating issuer and acquirer transaction flows simplifies the testing process and ensures that messages are properly constructed and executed.
Test automation capabilities provide further assurance that all tests are run correctly and consistently at speed, enabling comprehensive test suites to be completed in less time.
According to the Consortium for Information & Software Quality, the average cost of a data breach in the United States during 2022 amounted to $9.44 million, up from $9.05 million in the previous year.
A Ponemon Institute study indicated that a single minute of downtime can cost a business an average of $9,000, putting the cost per hour at $500,000.
Chargebacks.com estimates that for every $100 in chargebacks, the true chargeback cost is $240 in wasted time, expensive fees, penalties or additional losses of goods and services.
This data clearly illustrates the importance of correctly and securely processing all credit and debit transactions no matter the source or destination. So, how can test automation tools be used to help enhance the security of digital transactions?
#1 - Comprehensive Test Coverage
One of the core strengths of test automation tools is their ability to quickly and accurately execute a wide variety of test scenarios. Aggressive use of automation helps ensure that all required tests are run consistently and accurately every time, maximizing test coverage and minimizing the chance for human error.
#2 - Improved Product Quality
A classic research report from Systems Sciences Institute at IBM suggested that the cost to fix a bug running in production and identified by a customer is up to 100 times greater than if the same bug had been found early in the development process.
Incorporating automated tests into a CI/CD pipeline means every update, patch, or change is immediately and rigorously tested. Test automation clearly helps uncover potential issues early and prevents them from escaping into the wild.
#3- System Availability
In the consumer oriented world of retail payments, any system failures or outage has an immediate and negative impact on your customers, as well as your brand and shareholder value. Automation facilitates regular performance testing to identify and correct any potential bottlenecks or resource limitations before they cause client satisfaction issues or expose vulnerabilities that can be exploited.
#4 - Flexibility and Adaptability
Activity levels across the payment industry are at an all-time high. Driven by legal and regulatory requirements, card scheme mandates and cybercriminals who continually look to exploit any vulnerability, financial services companies must be constantly vigilant. Automation makes it easier to manage the pace of change and minimize the amount of time, effort and cost required to keep your systems and applications both up to date and secure.
Investing in test tools that support automation helps keep your systems secure, available and compliant - while at the same ensuring that you deliver the best possible customer experience at the lowest cost.
Interested in learning more about how test automation can help you deliver more security payment conditions? Get in touch with Paragon Application Systems today.
