Re: Payment logic in the Browser (was Re: CfC to publish documents as FPWD of the Web Payments WG)

On 2016-04-06 11:15, Adrian Hope-Bailie wrote:
> Hi Anders,

Hi Adrian,

> *NB: Please can we restrict the discussion on the CfC thread to +1 or -1 on the CfC itself.
> *
> That said, I have forked the thread, so thanks for your input.
>
> If you read the specifications you'll see that we have explicitly NOT "put payment application logic inside of a browser".
>
> Instead we have created a standard interface to initiate a payment in a way that is
 > agnostic to the method of payment and allows the payment logic to exist almost anywhere.

Yes, I think I have got that.
I perfectly understand the motives for doing things this way as well.

So why don't I feel entirely comfortable with the specification?  It obviously depends on what you consider is missing.

I personally don't see Web payment instrument/method selection (and associated UA registration) as a problem worth fixing _now_.
If for example Apple would launch "Apple Web Pay" it should in my opinion be a slightly overhauled version of the Apple Pay wallet triggered and run by Apple Web Pay specific code in an associated Web page following the already established pattern for dealing with for example VISA/MasterCard and PayPal options.

The most important thing from my perspective is making it possible for other parties creating payment schemes that (at least technically) wouldn't be disadvantaged by the platform vendors' own schemes.
It appears that this could (if that's what other people want as well...), actually be a _true_subset_ of the existing WG specification!
Currently this part of the specification is rather unclear.

Addressing payment request and selection interoperability seems like a possible future step.
Maybe "consolidation" will do this job for us anyway :-)

Thanx,
Anders

>
> I have just pushed a proposal for another specification in this set that describes how Payment Apps integrate with this API and the many forms they might take. I'd appreciate your thoughts as I think this is starting to get into the realm of things that you have been discussing for some time:
>
> https://w3c.github.io/webpayments/proposals/paymentapps/payment-apps.html
>
> Adrian
>
> On 6 April 2016 at 01:57, Anders Rundgren <anders.rundgren.net@gmail.com <mailto:anders.rundgren.net@gmail.com>> wrote:
>
>     I'm neither a W3C member nor an invited expert so feel free ignoring the following.
>
>     Anyway, IMO there's no point putting payment application logic inside of a browser;
>     it will only constrain innovation which is the core problem with Web Payments.
>
>     That is, "Energizing" Web Payments rather than "Standardizing" is what I'm proposing.
>
>     That's obviously an entirely different project which though would be better aligned
>     with W3C's track record for standards than jumping into the very fragmented and
>     politically awkward application space where payments appear topping the list.
>
>     Sincerely,
>     Anders Rundgren
>     Consumer and Technologist
>
>

Received on Wednesday, 6 April 2016 12:04:31 UTC