Talkdesk has positioned itself as the AI-first contact centre platform. Talkdesk Autopilot handles conversational AI, Talkdesk Copilot assists live agents, and the platform's AI capabilities extend across quality management, workforce optimisation, and customer experience analytics.
Talkdesk also sells its own secure capture product, Talkdesk Secure Payments.
Shuttle is a different kind of product: a payment layer between the call and each merchant's own payment gateway, with payment links on the same integration. That matters when your clients each need their own gateway, or when you want voice and links to run through one layer.
This guide covers how a Talkdesk-based operation can add secure payment capture using Shuttle, enabling both human agents and AI agents to collect payments during calls without handling card data, and exactly what that involves today.
When a Separate Payment Layer Helps
Talkdesk handles the conversation. A separate payment layer earns its place on the payment side:
AI-to-payment handoff. When Talkdesk Autopilot detects that a customer wants to pay, your flow can hand the payment leg to Shuttle and get the result back, so the conversation continues.
Multi-PSP support. Enterprise customers need to route payments to their own gateways. A utility company on Talkdesk needs payments going to Worldpay. An insurance company needs Adyen. A BPO needs to route to a different gateway for each of its clients.
How Shuttle Adds Payments to Talkdesk
Shuttle adds PCI-compliant card capture to your Talkdesk 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 Talkdesk 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 Talkdesk 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 Talkdesk 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 Talkdesk recordings, your Autopilot pipeline, or your agents. See the Twilio IVR & Agent Assist payment docs for the technical flow.
Triggering from Autopilot or a live agent
You can trigger the secure capture via Shuttle's APIs from a live agent's interface or from an Autopilot flow when payment intent is detected. The payment result is returned to your flow so the conversation can continue (confirming the payment, providing a reference number). The connecting logic between Talkdesk and Shuttle is something you build, because Talkdesk does not have a pre-built Shuttle app today.
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 Talkdesk, 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 Talkdesk as normal, with a live agent or Talkdesk Autopilot.
Payment is triggered from your agent interface, or via API from an Autopilot flow when payment intent is detected.
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, and the transaction is authorised in real time.
Result returned to your interface or Autopilot flow via webhook, so an agent can confirm the outcome or Autopilot can continue: "Your payment of forty-seven pounds has been processed. Your reference number is..."
No card data in Talkdesk. The card digits never touch your Talkdesk recordings, your CRM, or your agent workstations.
Multi-PSP Support
Enterprise organisations using Talkdesk typically need payment routing flexibility that goes beyond a single gateway.
Shuttle supports 30+ payment gateways with configurable routing:
By merchant: each end client or business unit routes to its own gateway. A BPO using Talkdesk for multiple clients routes Client A's payments to Stripe, Client B's to Worldpay, Client C's to Adyen.
By payment method: cards through one gateway and ACH through another.
Manual failover: if the primary gateway is unavailable, 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 the 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 payment security certification in the industry.
Because the card is captured in the secure Twilio Pay call, card data never enters your Talkdesk environment. Your telephony systems, call recordings, agent workstations, Autopilot infrastructure, and AI pipelines stay out of the card data flow, which limits your PCI scope and typically means merchants qualify for the lighter SAQ-A, while platforms complete SAQ-D. Full compliance documentation is in the security docs.
This is especially important for Talkdesk users running AI transcription, summarisation, and analytics. Because card data is never in the audio stream that reaches Talkdesk, your AI processes only non-sensitive conversation data.
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 licensing. See pricing.
For Solution Providers and Talkdesk Implementation Partners
If your team deploys Talkdesk 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 Talkdesk plugin, so your team builds a small integration between Talkdesk and Shuttle, and voice deployments need a Twilio account. For partnership conversations, book a discovery call.
Use Cases
Insurance
Insurance contact centres are among the largest Talkdesk adopters. Premium collections, renewal payments, claims settlements, and payment plan adjustments are daily operations. Talkdesk Autopilot can handle the conversation; Shuttle handles the secure payment capture via Twilio Pay.
Collections and Debt Recovery
The moment a debtor agrees to pay is the highest-conversion moment in a collections call. Any delay reduces the likelihood of payment, though a mid-call payment link keeps the customer on the line. With Shuttle, the payment is captured immediately, in-call, whether the conversation is with an agent or an AI.
Utilities
Utility companies process high volumes of bill payments through contact centres. Talkdesk's AI capabilities can handle "I want to pay my bill" calls. Adding Shuttle's secure capture lets the AI hand off the payment leg to Twilio Pay and confirm the result. At scale, this reduces cost per interaction.
Travel and Hospitality
Travel companies use Talkdesk for booking changes, cancellations, and upgrades, all involving payments.
What to Expect
Shuttle is a payment layer you connect to your stack, not a pre-packaged Talkdesk 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 Talkdesk 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 Talkdesk 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 Talkdesk integration?
Not today. Shuttle's voice capture runs on Twilio Pay, and you invoke that setup rather than installing a Shuttle app in Talkdesk. You'll need to be a Twilio customer and to build the agent-side or Autopilot-side interface for your workflow. 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 Shuttle work with Talkdesk Autopilot?
Yes, via Shuttle's APIs. When Autopilot detects payment intent, your flow can trigger the secure Twilio Pay capture and receive the result so the conversation continues. You build the connecting logic, because Talkdesk does not have a pre-built Shuttle app today.
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 we try it before committing?
Yes. You can build a proof of concept against Shuttle's sandbox gateway and demo app to see the IVR flow, then move to a compatible production gateway when you're ready.
How many gateways does Shuttle support?
30+ payment gateways including Stripe, Adyen, Worldpay, Checkout.com, and many more. Multiple gateways can be active simultaneously with per-merchant configuration, and switching gateways is configuration, not a re-integration, though saved cards stay with the gateway that stored them.
What does Shuttle cost?
Voice costs $49 per live instance per month, plus from $0.20 per transaction, falling with volume, billed through your Twilio account, with no per-seat licensing. See pricing.
Related Reading
PCI-Compliant Payments for Contact Centres, the complete guide to contact centre payment processing
Twilio Pay Connectors, how Shuttle integrates with Twilio's payment infrastructure
Voice Payments, comprehensive guide to voice payment capture
AI Voice Agent PCI Payments, adding payments to AI voice agents
Embedded Payments for CCaaS, the platform operator's guide to CCaaS payments
Get Started
If you are a merchant taking payments on Talkdesk rather than building for clients, talk to us about your deployment, or see how Voice Checkout works.