Amazon Connect Collects the Digits, Not the Payment
Amazon Connect is AWS's cloud contact centre platform. It handles routing, IVR via Contact Flows, agent desktops, and integrates natively with the AWS ecosystem, Lambda, Lex, DynamoDB, S3.
It can also collect card numbers securely. Its Store customer input block can encrypt what the caller keys in, and AWS publishes a sample flow that puts the agent on hold while the caller enters their card details.
What Amazon Connect does not do is take the payment. It is not a payment processor, so the step that decrypts the card and charges it through a gateway is left to you.
That step is usually a custom Lambda function that takes the DTMF input from the flow. The card data then passes through your AWS environment and your Lambda execution context, and anything that logs it, such as CloudWatch, is in PCI scope along with it.
The Payment Gap in Amazon Connect
Amazon Connect excels at what it was designed for: scalable, cloud-native contact centre operations with pay-per-minute pricing and deep AWS integration. Its encrypted input covers the capture step, but the payment itself still needs a provider behind it.
Here is what you still need to supply alongside Amazon Connect:
A gateway integration. The encrypted DTMF digits have to be decrypted and sent to a payment gateway, which is an integration you build and maintain yourself.
PCI scope for the payment leg. Whatever decrypts the card and carries it to the gateway is in PCI scope, so that piece is better placed with a certified provider than in your own AWS account.
Multi-PSP support. A custom payment integration usually connects to one gateway. Enterprise customers with existing relationships with Worldpay, Adyen, or Stripe each need their own gateway, which means more custom development for every one.
Voice and links on one layer. When a caller can't key a card in, a payment link sent mid-call finishes the payment through the same integration as voice.
How Shuttle Adds Payments to Amazon Connect
Shuttle adds PCI-compliant card capture to your Amazon Connect payment flows. When the customer is ready to pay, the card is captured through Twilio Pay and passed to Shuttle's PCI DSS Level 1 environment, and the card data never reaches your Amazon Connect recordings, transcription, or your agents.
The setup is light. It runs on Twilio Pay, so you need to be a Twilio customer, and you build a small integration on your side. Shuttle ships the secure PCI capture, payment links, IVR, and the payment APIs; what it does not ship is an out-of-the-box agent screen, the input UX, or the amount-passing API call wired for Amazon Connect specifically. So the part you build is small: pass the payment amount to Shuttle through its API (the minimum data we need), connect the secure capture into your Amazon Connect call flow over Twilio, and add your own agent screen if your workflow needs one. If that fits, book a call and we will scope your exact setup. There is practical detail in the "What to Expect" section further down.
Secure card capture (voice)
When it is time to pay, the card is captured in a secure, PCI DSS Level 1 call via Twilio Pay. The customer enters their card details on their phone keypad, and the digits pass from Twilio Pay to Shuttle's PCI DSS Level 1 environment. They never reach your Amazon Connect recordings, Contact Lens analytics, or your AWS environment. See the Twilio IVR & Agent Assist payment docs for the technical flow.
Payment Links
This is the most turnkey path. Shuttle generates payment links and sends them via SMS or email, including mid-call to a customer who is still on the line. The customer taps the link, enters card details on a secure hosted page, and confirmation is returned in real time. Shuttle provides the link interfaces out of the box, and links work even with gateways that don't support voice capture. See the Payment Links docs.
Agent experience
For voice, the agent triggers the capture and sees the result without ever handling card data. Shuttle does not ship a pre-built agent screen or input UX for Amazon Connect, so you build that minimal piece against Shuttle's APIs: trigger the capture, pass the amount, and show the result in your own agent screen if your workflow needs one. There is more in the "What to Expect" section below.
How a voice payment works
The call proceeds on Amazon Connect as normal. The agent handles the conversation, resolves queries, and reaches the point where payment is needed.
Payment is triggered from your agent interface when the customer is ready to pay.
Card captured securely. The card is captured in a PCI DSS Level 1 call via Twilio Pay, the customer enters their card on the keypad, and the digits pass from Twilio Pay to Shuttle's PCI DSS Level 1 environment.
Transaction is processed. Shuttle routes to the configured PSP, any of 30+ supported gateways. Provider selection can be set per merchant and payment type.
Result returned to your interface and your systems via webhook. A tokenised reference is logged, no card data stored.
No card data in Amazon Connect. The card digits never touch your Connect recordings, Contact Lens, your CRM, or your AWS environment.
Multi-PSP Support
Enterprise Amazon Connect deployments typically serve multiple business units or brands, each with their own PSP relationship. Shuttle supports this.
With 30+ PSP integrations for voice, you can route transactions to different gateways based on:
Merchant identity: different business units use different PSPs
By payment method: cards through one gateway and ACH through another
Manual failover: if the primary gateway is down, you can move the affected payment types to another connected gateway. There is no automatic failover, and saved cards stay with the gateway that stored them, so repeat payments on stored cards will not run through the second one
Switching processors later is configuration, not a re-integration, though saved cards stay with the gateway that stored them. One caveat for voice specifically: a small number of gateways (for example Braintree) don't permit raw card data to be passed to them, so they don't work for voice capture, though they do work for payment links.
PCI Compliance
Shuttle is a PCI DSS Level 1 certified Service Provider, the highest level of certification in the payment card industry.
Because the card is captured in the secure Twilio Pay call, your PCI scope is heavily reduced, and merchants typically qualify for SAQ-A, the lightest self-assessment questionnaire (platforms complete SAQ-D). This is because:
Card data never enters your AWS environment
Card digits never reach Amazon Connect recordings
Call recordings contain no cardholder data
Contact Lens and other analytics tools process no card information
Your agents never hear, see, or handle card numbers
Compare this to the alternative: building custom Lambda functions that process card data puts your entire Amazon Connect instance, your AWS account, your network, and your agent workstations in scope for SAQ-D, with significant ongoing compliance costs.
The cost difference between SAQ-A and SAQ-D compliance is substantial. Voice payments cost $49 per live instance per month, plus from $0.20 per transaction, falling with volume, billed through your Twilio account, with no per-seat fees. See pricing. Full compliance documentation is in the security docs.
For Solution Providers and Amazon Connect Implementation Partners
If your team deploys Amazon Connect for clients, as a partner or a system integrator, Shuttle is the payment layer you deliver alongside the rest of the implementation. Each client keeps their own merchant account and their own gateway, and your side integrates once, so payments are not rebuilt for every engagement and client money never lands in yours.
Shuttle's voice capture runs on Twilio Pay, where Shuttle is Twilio's chosen provider to enable Twilio Pay for many payment gateways. Shuttle is not a pre-packaged Amazon Connect plugin, so your team builds a small integration between Amazon Connect and Shuttle, and voice deployments need a Twilio account. For partnership conversations, book a discovery call.
Use Cases
Insurance Premium Collection
Insurance contact centres handle thousands of premium payments daily. Customers call to renew policies, adjust cover, or make one-off payments. With Shuttle on an Amazon Connect operation, agents collect payments mid-call without breaking the conversation, while limiting PCI scope.
Utility Bill Payments
Utility companies running Amazon Connect can add secure bill payment to their agent flows. Customers call about a query, the agent resolves it, and payment happens on the same call.
Debt Collection
Collections agencies need to capture payment commitments while the debtor is engaged. Transferring to a separate system loses the moment. Shuttle allows agents to take immediate payment or set up payment plans during the collection call, all PCI-compliant.
Travel and Hospitality
Travel companies processing bookings, upgrades, and ancillary purchases through Amazon Connect can capture payment at the point of commitment. The customer confirms, enters their card via keypad, and the booking is confirmed in one call.
What to Expect
Shuttle is a payment layer you connect to your stack, not a pre-packaged Amazon Connect plugin. Here is the honest detail so there are no surprises on the call:
It runs on Twilio Pay today. Shuttle's voice capture uses Twilio Pay, where Shuttle is Twilio's chosen provider to enable Twilio Pay for many payment gateways, so you need to be a Twilio customer. Shuttle works with Twilio today, and any carrier coming soon.
You build a small integration, not a payment system. Shuttle ships the secure PCI capture, IVR, payment links, and payment APIs. What it does not ship is an out-of-the-box agent screen, the input UX, or the amount-passing API call for Amazon Connect specifically. So you build that minimal glue: pass the amount to Shuttle via its API (the minimum data we need), connect the capture into your Amazon Connect call flow over Twilio, and add your own agent screen if your workflow needs one. It is light.
Point-of-payment capture is what is live. Securely capturing the card at the moment of payment works today. Shuttle staying present across the entire conversation is not available today, and Shuttle does not ship call hand-back after payment out of the box. What happens to the caller after payment is part of the call flow you build in Twilio. Works with Twilio today, and any carrier coming soon.
Payment links are the most turnkey path and need the least build. Many teams start there and add voice capture later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Shuttle have a native Amazon Connect integration?
Not today. Shuttle's voice capture runs on Twilio Pay, and you invoke that setup rather than installing a Shuttle app in Amazon Connect. You'll need to be a Twilio customer and to build a small integration on your side (pass the amount to Shuttle's API and wire the secure capture into your call flow over Twilio). Shuttle works with Twilio today, and any carrier coming soon.
Does this require Twilio?
Yes, today. The secure card capture runs via Twilio Pay, where Shuttle is Twilio's chosen provider to enable Twilio Pay for many payment gateways. Shuttle works with Twilio today, and any carrier coming soon.
Can we just use payment links instead of voice capture?
Yes. Many teams use links only, sent via SMS or email, including mid-call. Links are the most turnkey part of Shuttle and work with gateways that don't support voice capture.
Can I use Shuttle with Amazon Connect's AI features?
Because card data is captured in the Twilio Pay call and never enters your AWS environment, Contact Lens can continue processing call recordings without PCI concerns. The card capture itself runs via Twilio Pay, not inside Connect.
What happens if the payment fails?
The agent sees the decline reason in real time and can prompt the customer to retry with a different card or payment method.
Is there a per-seat or per-agent fee?
No. Shuttle charges $49 per live instance per month, plus from $0.20 per transaction, falling with volume, billed through your Twilio account, with no per-seat fees. See pricing.
Related Reading
PCI-Compliant Payments for Contact Centres, the complete guide to secure contact centre payments
Twilio Pay Connectors, how Shuttle works with Twilio's payment infrastructure
Voice Payments, the definitive guide to taking payments over voice channels
AI Voice Agent PCI Payments, adding payment capture to AI-powered voice agents
Voice Checkout, Shuttle's voice payment product
Get Started
If you are a merchant taking payments on Amazon Connect rather than building for clients, talk to us about your deployment, or see how Voice Checkout works.