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I am currently reading up on credit card form design best practices, and giving visual cues for security seems to be a recurring issue.

I use Stripe for credit card processing, and I have not seen any examples of sites including a Stripe badge (powered by stripe), along with an SSL badge.

Example with just SSL badge and accompanying words:

enter image description here

Example with just Stripe Badge and accompanying words:

enter image description here

Is there an optimal way to include both (both reflect important information)? The Stripe badge indicates where the information is sent/processed (and that it is never stored on the site), and the SSL badge to indicate that all sensitive information is encrypted.

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"It depends." Who are your users? Are they devs or normal people? If they're devs they can assess the security themselves. Admittedly that's unlikely though, so:

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

In development and design, you often have to treat your users as if they're 2 and don't know what a mouse is. (Not to their face, though, clearly.) In other words, this means you should assume your users know nothing about security, so you should tell them. Explain why they're safe giving you their details. You should definitely display the Stripe badge and text; looking at your example that gives the impression that your site doesn't save their details. Good. That's how it should be.

However, be careful with the SSL badge. Remember Heartbleed? So does everyone else, including your users, and they don't necessarily know that you don't use OpenSSL, or that Heartbleed is past. Again, explain that they're safe - if you do use OpenSSL, explain that those security issues have been fixed. If you don't, say so. You may want to put all these explanations on a separate page and link to it.

Final suggestion

Include both the Stripe badge and text and the SSL badge, along with a link near them that clearly goes to a page explaining your security measures.

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  • Thanks for the input. My users are going to be mostly normal people. I didn't think about the Heartbleed concerns, but I'll definitely take that into consideration. Also didn't think about having a page explaining my security measures (although it's really just my hosts patching up for Heartbleed and me reissuining SSL cert as recommended).
    – mrl
    Aug 5 '14 at 3:48
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I worked as Creative and UX Director at a large eCommerce company for many years and I can tell you that:

A) There is no clear figures on the effectiveness of the payment gateway. (After all, as a buyer, that doesn't alter the safety of the transaction, so what do I care?)

B) There are studies (conveniently conducted by the SSL companies) that show a reduction in cart abandonment and increased sales (no more than single digit %) if the SSL logos are displayed.

I would recommend, displaying the SSL badges but to the side or at the bottom of the form. Also anti-hack badges, secure scan or TRUSTe. Payment gateway? ditch it.

Luis

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  • Thanks Luis. That's very interesting about the payment gateway. I wanted to include it so it was clear that none of the credit card information was stored on my site.
    – mrl
    Aug 5 '14 at 3:45
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"Stripe is PCI compliant and your credit card information is sent directly to them"

That sounds as if Stripe is just complying. Doesn't sound trustworthy enough for a company that introduced a far superior method of implementing Payments on websites.

What about: "Stripe is the leader in online payment security. Even we can't see your details"

For non-technical people using physical descriptions they can relate to is more effective than technical terms. Who knows what "PCI compliance" stands for. But everybody knows what a leader is. Other options to illustrate this effect: Replace "leader" with "pinnacle", "Mt Everest", Nb 1, ...

Same with "sent directly to them". That's a process description. Not a good emotional trigger and definitely nothing that screams secure. It also does not answer the underlying question who can access the information.

"Can't see your details" triggers an emotional response because nobody likes others seeing their details, peeping over their shoulder/ into their home,...

I'm a beginner in copywriting in a UX context and I didn't spend much time coming up with alternatives. If you like to go more into this topic:

I stumbled over two books that opened up my eyes. "Don't think of an Elephant" & "Metaphors we live by". Written by the creator and leader in the field "Cognitive Linguistic" George Lakoff. "Don't think of an Elephant" is a political book but it opens up your eyes. "Metaphors we live by" is an academic book that will give you tons of examples on how to choose your words to make your UX more intuitive

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