American Express Co., Visa Inc., Mastercard Inc. and Discover Financial Services are each making technical preparations for the global expansion of Click to Pay online checkout, which is a frictionless and safer online payment experience based on the EMV Secure Remote Commerce industry standard that was originally announced in 2019, according to a joint announcement.

The new standard will be added to a series of international markets, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Additional markets will follow.

The Click to Pay system is designed to make online checkout frictionless and more secure across various websites, mobile apps and connected devices by getting rid of the need to constantly enter personal account numbers and other personal information.

"COVID-19 has accelerated the shift to online and app-based purchasing around the world, and we expect that increasing preference to continue," Matthew Robinson, executive vice president, network solutions operations at American Express, said in a statement provided by the company. "This has further amplified the need for a simple, convenient and secure digital shopping experience — and Click to Pay, based on the EMV Secure Remote Commerce standard, is focused on just that."

After first announcing the new checkout experience in the U.S. in October, more than 10,000 retailers, e-commerce sites and other merchants have come aboard. A number of top merchant brands have signed up, including Cinemark, Crate & Barrel, Expedia, Fresh Direct, Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts, Joseph A. Bank, the marketplace division of Rakuten U.S., Saks Fifth Avenue and SHOP.com.

"Right now, more than ever, demand for fresh food and grocery delivery is at an all time high, with many customers trying Fresh Direct for the first time," Tammy Berentson, chief marketing officer at Fresh Direct, said in the release. "For these new customers, as well as our loyal following, Click to Pay offers confidence that their transactions will be simple, efficient and secure."

A number of payments service providers and other partners are working with merchants to facilitate this new experience, including ACI Worldwide, Aurus, Blackbaud, BlueSnap, Braintree, Cybersource, Global Payments, Mastercard Payment Services Gateway and Square.

Additional support overseas will be coming from Checkout.com, Noon Payments, SafeCharge and Windcave and other partners.