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EMV Migration Forum issues EMV chip terminal testing, certification update

Tuesday, May 03, 2016 — 12:28:52 (EDT)

Princeton Junction, N.J., May 3, 2016 -- As the U.S. migration to EMV chip technology continues, many merchants and acquirers have questions about requirements for testing and certifying contact and contactless chip-enabled terminals. To provide the most up-to-date requirements and processes from the global payment networks, the EMV Migration Forum released today a revised version of the white paper, “EMV Testing and Certification White Paper: Current Global Payment Network Requirements for the U.S. Acquiring Community.”

The white paper, developed by the Forum’s Testing and Certification Working Committee, can be downloaded at www.emv-connection.com/emv-testing-and-certification-white-paper-current-global-payment-network-requirements-for-the-u-s-acquiring-community/ .

“As merchants and acquirers continue to work to enable their terminals to accept EMV chip cards, it’s essential that they understand the requirements for testing to ensure they are obtaining certifications efficiently and effectively,” said Randy Vanderhoof, director of the EMV Migration Forum. “This update to the white paper reflects the current payment network requirements, and will be a useful resource as merchants and acquirers move forward with their move to chip payments.”

The updated white paper provides use cases that identify when testing or retesting is required for EMV chip and contactless terminals, when retesting is recommended as a best practice, and when only standard internal testing is advised. Use cases are included for:

• ATMs
• Terminals, including semi-integrated and standalone
• Acquirer processor platforms
• Value-added resellers (VARs)
• Gateways
• Unattended and automated fuel dispensers

The white paper also includes details about industry initiatives that have focused on streamlining testing and certification process. The U.S. EMV VAR Qualification Program, launched by the EMV Migration Forum, the Payments Security Task Force and the PCI Security Standards Council in April 2015, is designed to help streamline and simplify the EMV testing and certification process for VARs and ISVs1. The Forum’s Testing and Certification Working Committee’s Acquirer Subcommittee also worked with the EMVCo Terminal Integration Task Force on a payment network framework for testing and certification tool automation and process improvement that is currently being implemented globally.

The updates to this white paper are part of the EMV Migration Forum’s ongoing efforts to provide the education necessary for the U.S. to successfully move to chip cards. For more information on the Forum and additional resources, visit www.emv-connection.com and follow @EMVForum on Twitter.

About U.S. EMV Chip Migration Commonly used globally in place of magnetic stripe, EMV chip technology helps to reduce card fraud in a face-to-face card-present environment; provides global interoperability; and enables safer transactions across contact and contactless channels. Chip implementation was initiated in the U.S. market in 2011 and 2012 when American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa announced their roadmaps for supporting a chip-based payments infrastructure. Acquirer processor readiness mandates to support EMV were established for 2013, with liability shifts for managing fraud risk in a face-to-face environment established in October 2015.

About the EMV Migration Forum The EMV Migration Forum is a cross-industry body focused on supporting the EMV chip implementation steps required for payment networks, issuers, processors, merchants, and consumers to help ensure a successful introduction of more secure chip technology in the United States. The focus of the Forum is to address topics that require some level of industry cooperation and/or coordination to migrate successfully to chip technology in the United States. For more information on the EMV Migration Forum, please visit www.emv-connection.com/emv-migration-forum/ .

1 Independent software vendors

The Green Sheet Inc. is now a proud affiliate of Bankcard Life, a premier community that provides industry-leading training and resources for payment professionals. Click here for more information: bankcardlife.com?orid=33533&opid=1 .

Source: Company press release.