Category Archives: EMV® Cards

3 Reasons to Adopt EMV® at Your Establishment Today

October 21, 2015 Abtek Leave a comment

The liability shift has officially hit. Did your business upgrade its equipment in time for the deadline? If not, you’ve probably discovered that the world has not come to an end. However, while you might not feel the effects of the liability shift immediately, becoming EMV-compliant should still be at the top of your priority list.

Don’t just think of it as another task to add to your growing to-do list. By upgrading your equipment and payment processes, you’re truly being a responsible business owner, putting your customers’ data security first. Plus, at the same time, you save yourself the risk of taking on the (costly) liability should a fraudulent charge or data breach occur at your establishment. Here, we’ve rounded up the top three reasons why you should make the switch to EMV-compatible equipment ASAP.

Avoiding Liability Costs = Greater Profits

Every dollar counts when it comes to running a business, especially a smaller one. And that’s why it’s so important for merchants to get on board with new EMV terminals. New POS systems are an investment, but it’s certainly an investment worth making. Since the liability shift on October 1, merchants with outdated equipment are now liable for any fraudulent charges made at their store with an EMV chip card. No merchant is completely safe from fraud, but by upgrading equipment, they can avoid liability costs—and at the end of the day, bring home greater profits.

Meeting Consumer Demands = Happy, Returning Customers

Picture this: It’s the day after Thanksgiving and your store is flooded with customers trying to snag the best deals. A customer finally makes it up to the checkout counter, ready to dip his or her shiny new EMV card, just to find out that they have to use the mag stripe (dun dun dun…). Consumers are smart—they know that it’s more secure to use the chip to make payments than the mag stripe, and they probably also know that your competitor down the street is able to accept the new technology. Chances are, consumers may value the security of their payment data more than the deal you’re offering. Don’t risk losing customers simply because you’re behind the times. Consumers will appreciate the fact that you’re making the security of their data a priority, and you can bet that it will pay off.

New Terminals = Cool New Tech

It’s so easy for POS terminals to fall out of date. You miss one software upgrade and from then on, the technology is unable to live up to its capabilities. Use this opportunity to get a fresh start with your POS system. You can choose to include NFC or contactless payment technology, POS marketing capabilities, and many other perks that you couldn’t justify purchasing on their own. Your new terminals will be easier to manage (your employees will thank you), easier to use (your customers will thank you) and ultimately, they’ll make you look tech-savvy and cool. Bonus!

So, what are you waiting for? The sooner you adopt new EMV technology at your establishment, the sooner you can reap the benefits! Contact your credit card processor today to get started making the transition.

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EMV® Cards

EMV Equipment Guide

September 23, 2015 Abtek Leave a comment

By now, if you haven’t updated your payment equipment to be compatible with EMV chip cards, you’re already a step behind. But, don’t fret—if you own a small business, there’s still time to get new terminals before the liability shift hits on October 1. This late in the game, it will actually be tough to find a new point of sale system that isn’t compatible with EMV chip cards. That’s good news for you because it will make your search easier, plus you’ll have a wide selection of options. We’ve put together a guide to help you determine which type of EMV terminal is right for your business.

What Exactly is an EMV-Compatible POS System?

An EMV terminal differs from traditional magnetic stripe terminals in one major way: it includes a chip-reading portal into which customers insert their EMV cards. This portal features technology that can read the unique payment information that’s generated by the microchip embedded into the card.

What are Your Options?

Different types of businesses have different needs when it comes to payment processing. Here’s a look at the most popular types of EMV-compatible terminals available.

Countertop Terminals – Like their name implies, countertop terminals are placed on top of the checkout counter for customer use. These terminals are available with a number of different features including WiFi connectivity, receipt printing, near-field communication technology and more.
Pin Pads – Pin pads function similarly to countertop terminals. The only difference here is that they can only be used to process debit transactions, which typically have lower fees for the merchant. Often, pin pads are used in conjunction with compatible countertop terminals.
Near-Field Communication Peripherals – NFC is a technology that enables wireless data transfers between two devices in close proximity, often a phone or enabled credit card and a credit card terminal. NFC is kind of like a modern, cool “bonus” feature that can help to speed up the payment process. If the technology is not already embedded into the terminal, peripheral equipment is available.
Wireless Mobile Terminals – Mobile terminals will be key for businesses in the restaurant industry and businesses that interact with their customers on the floor. (Think Apple.) These point-of-sale systems are battery-powered, feature wireless connectivity and give the merchant the freedom to process payments from anywhere.

Where Can You Buy an EMV Credit Card Terminal?

If you work with a reputable merchant services provider (MSP), they’ll have a large inventory of EMV terminals for you to choose from. They’ll take care of all of the programming for you to ensure that it works properly in time for the liability shift. While you could technically purchase a terminal from an outside seller, it would still need to be reprogramed by your MSP, so it’s typically easier and more cost-effective to go directly through your provider.

Don’t Delay – Get Started Now!

Contact your merchant services provider today to place your order for new EMV-compatible terminals. The sooner you take action, the better the chances that you’ll get through this EMV transition chargeback- and fee-free!

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EMV® Cards, Tips

6 Easy Steps for Using EMV Chip Cards

September 14, 2015 Abtek Leave a comment

The EMV liability shift is now less than three weeks away! Is your business prepared for an influx of chip card-carrying customers? You may have installed new terminals and software, but now what?

If you’ve been to Target recently, you may have noticed that the staff is now actively encouraging all customers who have EMV chip cards to run them the proper way—by dipping them in the terminal, instead of swiping. Now, accepting EMV chip cards is great for your business and even better for customers—but it can be bad for your checkout line wait times if your customers don’t know how to run them properly.

So, now it’s time to train your staff. It’s important for your employees to be patient as millions of Americans learn how to use their new cards. It’s certainly not hard to run an EMV card, but it is a significant change in the way we’re used to paying. It’s a change of habit, and it will take time for the public to become completely comfortable with the new payment process. You can share this infographic with your employees to bring them up to speed on this new-fangled technology. When they understand how to use the terminals, it will be easier for them to explain to customers how to use them as well. Remember, good customer service leads to happy customers! You can see the text-only version of this guide by clicking here.

Text-Only Version:

6 Easy Steps for Chip Payments

Examine the terminal – Does it have a portal on the bottom designed to read chips?
If not, slide your card as if you would a regular magnetic stripe card.
If yes, gently insert your card into the terminal—it should be sticking about halfway out.
Leave your card in the terminal as it reads the unique code generated by the chip. You may need to wait for up to 10 seconds for the transaction to complete.
Remove your card, and place it back safely in your wallet or purse.
Sign for the purchase to help verify your identity in the case of fraud. Or, if you are using a debit card, you may need to enter a PIN.

Why the change? EMV chip cards are designed to be significantly more secure than magnetic stripe cards. Because the chip generates a unique code for each transaction, it drastically reduces the risk of a customer’s credit card information being stolen in the event of a data breach.

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EMV® Cards

How the EMV Liability Shift Will Affect Your Business

August 25, 2015 Abtek Leave a comment

Being able to accept EMV cards isn’t as simple as flipping a switch on your existing terminals. In most cases you’ll have to physically replace your POS equipment to be able to accept these more secure, chip-enabled cards. And with only half of merchants expecting to be ready by the October 1 deadline, there’s a lot of work still to be done.

What does the Liability Shift Really Mean?

Currently, merchants are at quite a disadvantage when it comes to credit card fraud. In the event of a fraudulent credit card charge, the merchant is first faced with the loss of the merchandise, which in most cases is irreversible. Then, the cardholder’s bank (the card-issuing bank) takes the hit for the lost funds, meaning that they’re responsible for refunding the person who was the victim of fraud. These banks, however, often look to the merchant for reimbursement, claiming that the business didn’t take the proper measures to prevent the fraudulent charge from occurring.

Come October 1, what we know about fraud liability will be flipped upside down. In essence, once the shift hits, the fraud liability will transfer to the party that has not adopted the new EMV chip card technology.

Here’s a detailed look at how the liability shift will affect your business, depending on the situation in which fraud occurs:

Situation 1: A magnetic stripe card is swiped at an outdated terminal

The merchant hasn’t gotten around to updating their terminals, but lucky for you, the fraudulent charge was made with a traditional magnetic stripe card. In this situation, both parties—the merchant and the card-issuing bank—are at fault, meaning that the liability falls initially on the card-issuing bank, just like today.

Situation 2: An EMV chip card is swiped at an outdated terminal

This is when things really go downhill for merchants. If a customer comes into your store with a chip-enabled card, but they don’t have the equipment to process it properly, they’ll be forced to run it as a magnetic stripe card. This puts the cardholder at an unnecessary risk for a breach of their payment data. In this case, the merchant has not invested in the more secure chip technology and the card-issuing bank has, so the liability falls on the merchant.

Situation 3: A magnetic stripe card is swiped at an EMV-enabled terminal

A recent poll shows that only one in 10 Americans have received new EMV chip cards from their banks. The cost to replace mag stripe credit cards is starting to catch up with the banks and we can expect a number of consumers to still be using magnetic stripe cards, even after the liability shift hits in October. In this case, so long as you have upgraded your equipment, the liability will fall on the card-issuing bank.

Situation 4: An EMV chip card is swiped at an EMV-enabled terminal

In this situation, all parties have put in the effort to upgrade their payment technologies, so it’s unlikely that fraud would even occur in the first place. However, if a fraudulent charge does occur, the liability would fall on the card-issuing bank.

Contact your merchant solutions provider today to find out how you can get EMV-compliant by October 1.

Abtek is here to help merchants like you make the transition from traditional POS terminals to EMV-enabled equipment. We know that EMV can be confusing, and we’re here to answer all of your questions. Give us a call today at (800) 544-9145 to explore your options, before it’s too late! October 1 will be here before you know it! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

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EMV® Cards

The EMV “Chip Card” Countdown Begins

July 9, 2015 Abtek Leave a comment

We are now less than 90 days until the EMV liability shift. Come October 1^st, if your business isn’t prepared with EMV “chip card”-compatible processing equipment, you could be liable for losses due to fraudulent charges at your establishment. But, there’s no need to panic! Here, we’ve put together a handy dandy checklist to help you stay on top of the things you need to do before the October 1^st deadline hits.

Step 1: Contact Your MSP

Merchant service providers exist to help you though your payment processing challenges—and the EMV transition definitely falls in the “challenge” category. It’s not that making the transition is difficult, but rather it can be confusing for many merchants. There are so many compliance requirements to meet, and it can be tough to keep them all straight. Your MSP can help you understand what you still need to do before October and answer your questions along the way.

Step 2: Connect with a POS Provider

The average merchant only replaces their POS equipment every seven to ten years—and if you’re one of these merchants, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re going to need an upgrade in order to be able to accept EMV cards. Since EMV, or chip-and-pin cards, use a microchip to communicate payment data instead of a traditional magnetic stripe, outdated equipment will likely need to be completely replaced with new, high tech devices.

Step 3: Check Your EMV-Compatible Equipment

If you’ve already completed steps 1 and 2, you’ll want to make sure that your equipment is still up-to-standards. Even if you’ve received new EMV-compatible equipment, it might not necessarily be ready for the liability shift. Many merchants aren’t aware that the EMV requirements continue to be in flux, and have likely shifted since they bought their new POS. Your MSP can help to ensure that not only you have the equipment you need, but that it’s updated and configured properly.

Step 4: Train Employees

With new chip-and-pin cards being mailed out by credit card companies every day, more and more confused customers will begin to come through your business, not understanding exactly how to use their new cards. Now is the time to begin to train your employees on how to guide customers through the slightly modified transaction process. Happy, non-confused customers are repeat customers!

Once you’ve completed these steps, you’re not totally out of the woods yet! Moving forward, it will be your responsibility to monitor the shifting compliance requirements and ensure that your business’s equipment stays-up-to date. Of course, your MSP can help, and that’s where Abtek comes in. Give us a call today at (800) 544-9145 to find out how we can help you prepare during this final stretch of the EMV “chip card” transition.

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EMV® Cards, Merchant Service Providers, Mobile Wallets, PCI Compliance, Tokenization

Cheat Sheet: A Quick Reference Guide to Payment Processing Buzzwords

May 22, 2015 Abtek Leave a comment

Payment security is at an all time low and as a result, the payment industry is in process of getting a much-needed overhaul. With this rapid implementation of new rules, processes and technology, there are a lot of payment processing buzzwords that have recently entered into the industry vernacular.

As a business owner, you’re busy with your day-to-day operations, so keeping up on the latest payment processing news and trends is probably not at the top of your priority list. However, as these changes could eventually impact your business, it’s never been more important for you to be in the know.

To help you stay updated, we’ve compiled the following glossary of industry buzzwords for your quick reference.

EMV / Chip-and-Pin

EMV is the future of credit card processing, although it’s not exactly so futuristic anymore. If you’re not already aware of the EMV payment revolution happening in the United States, you can read up on the basics here. In a nutshell, over the course of the next few months, banks will begin to roll out new credit cards in an effort to phase out insecure magnetic stripe technology. These cards will be embedded with microprocessor chips that will allow for more secure transactions. But the benefits of these “EMV” or “chip-and-pin” cards won’t come to fruition unless business owners take action now and update their payment terminals.

PCI Compliance

PCI compliance is a term often shrouded in myths and misconceptions, but it isn’t all that confusing once you break it down. PCI is a set of 12 requirements that all merchants, no matter the size or industry, must meet to ensure a secure environment for credit card transactions. If you’re not sure what’s required of your business in order to establish compliance, you’ll want to check in with your merchant services provider or visit the Security Standards Council website.

NFC

Near field communication (NFC) is the technology that enables wireless data transfers between two devices in close proximity, without the need for an internet connection. Think of it like modern-day Bluetooth. Today’s smartphones are embedded with NFC technology to allow for consumers to make payments directly from their phones by simply tapping or waving their devices over an NFC terminal.

Apple Pay

Apple Pay is a mobile application that is sweeping the nation. Essentially, the application allows consumers to transform their phones into mobile wallets by syncing credit card information from their iTunes accounts. Consumers can simply wave or tap their phones over an NFC terminal (currently available at numerous retailers across the globe) to make a purchase.

Tokenization

When a credit card is swiped through a terminal set up for tokenization, the card’s Primary Account Number (PAN) is automatically substituted with a randomly generated sequence, called a token. Merchants can use this token to handle refunds, returns and manage other transaction details. The benefit? Tokenization takes sensitive payment card data out of the picture for merchants, eliminating the need to store the data on their networks and the risk of a data breach.

Stay updated on payment processing trends by following Abtek on Twitter and Facebook. Sign up to receive our newsletter, too.

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Data Breach, EMV® Cards, Merchant Service Providers, Tips

5 Signs It’s Time to Upgrade Your POS System

May 15, 2015 Abtek Leave a comment

An outdated point-of-sale (POS) system may not only be holding your business back, but endangering your customers as well. Many retailers, however, are reluctant to upgrade their payment processing systems and terminals because of the resources (i.e. money, time) required to do so.

“Every two to three years a big change emerges in retailing. Every four years in-store processes change. But retailers only change their POS every seven to 10 years. POS has become a big problem retailers need to solve,” said Leo Suarez of Toshiba Global Commerce.

While it’s easy to simply stick with the familiar, failing to switch to new POS technology can have serious consequences such as slower transactions, lack of usability and lost profits. In addition, if your POS system is behind the times, it’s very likely that you are putting your customer’s data at risk.

No business owner wants to spend unnecessary time or money, so how do you know when you really need to upgrade your business’s POS system? Here are the top five signs that indicate it’s time for an update:

1. It’s Not EMV-Compliant

By now you’ve probably heard about the rapidly approaching EMV liability shift. If your business isn’t equipped EMV-compliant POS systems by October 1, you will be liable for out-of-pocket coverage of losses due to fraudulent transactions. It’s critical for your business to update its POS system before the liability shift to ensure that you’re safe from these new costly consequences.

2. It’s Not Customer-Friendly

Today’s shoppers are very tech-savvy and many don’t need any guidance on how to use POS systems. But, when your terminals aren’t functioning properly or aren’t integrated with a user-friendly software program, your customers will get easily frustrated–and unhappy customers are bad for business.

3. It’s a Standalone System

If your business has a standalone POS system, it’s probably perpetually outdated. Since this type of POS requires time-consuming manual software and hardware upgrades, it is extremely easy for business owners to let the technology slide. And once the technology gets so far behind, the cost to upgrade increases exponentially. An integrated solution, on the other hand, allows for software updates to be pushed through automatically, without requiring new hardware or much effort on the business’s end.

4. Its Quirks are Just Getting Out of Hand

Sick and tired of that coupon button not working? Fed up with your POS system’s tendency to shut of in the middle of a transaction? Save yourself the headache of dealing with these little “quirks” and invest in a new system–you’ll be amazed by how less stressed you feel, and how much time you’ll save!

5. It Doesn’t Align with Your Needs

Businesses are continually evolving, so your POS system should be flexible in order to meet your changing needs. Since your business will likely need to update your POS system due to the EMV liability shift, take this opportunity to pick out a system that will accommodate your needs several years down the road.

If your business is experiencing any of the above signs, it’s time for you to upgrade your POS system. Embrace the change! If you aren’t sure where to start, give us a call–we’re more than happy to help walk you through your POS system options and help you understand the updating process.

Stay updated on payment processing trends by following Abtek on Twitter and Facebook. Sign up to receive our newsletter, too.

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Breaking News, EMV® Cards

Entrepreneur: Everything Your Business Needs to Know About the EMV Mandate

April 28, 2015 Abtek Leave a comment

Tami Cohorst, Abtek’s Vice President, was recently featured on Entrepreneur.com, a prominent online resource for business development news.

New and major credit card processing procedures are set to change the way we do business, thanks to the 2015 EMV Compliance Mandate.

The U.S. is the world’s final market to become EMV-compliant. Our adoption and accessibility to the technology will likely transform all industries that depend upon processing payments via credit cards.

Is your company ready?

Continue reading the full article at Entrepreneur.com →

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Breaking News, EMV® Cards

Payments Source: EMV Education Starts with Merchants

April 13, 2015 Abtek Leave a comment

Our own Tami Cohorst, Vice President of Abtek, was recently featured on PaymentsSource.com, a leading resource for payments industry news and analysis.

With the card issuer mandate for EMV-ready merchants around the corner, are you prepared?

Globally, the U.S. is one of the last markets to implement this technology so one would think adoption of EMV is inevitable for consumers and merchants alike. Yet, with the mandate upon us, and EMV-ready equipment in place, consumers are still using “old” cards. Which begs the question: Do we need more education to merchants and awareness to consumers in the months leading up to the mandate?

Part of the education process begins with merchants. In order to successfully get buy-in from consumers, we need to look at how we can help merchants completely understand EMV technology.

So, my advice to them is always this…

Continue reading the full article at PaymentsSource →

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EMV® Cards

How Will the EMV Mandate Affect Your Bottom Line? What Businesses Need to Know

March 9, 2015 Abtek Leave a comment

Credit card processing will go through major changes this year–but how will the 2015 EMV Compliance Mandate affect your business? The United States is the world’s final market to become EMV compliant. Our adoption and accessibility to the technology will likely transform all industries reliant upon processing payments via credit cards.

What is EMV Compliance, Anyway?

EMV is an acronym meaning “Europay, MasterCard and Visa.” The “big three” of globally standardized circuit payment cards utilize a chip for payments. These chips are used for ATMs, credit card terminals and digital registers. The EMV Compliance Mandate updates these cards’ internal mechanics and any provider using EMV-reading software will need to comply, too.

The New Liability Shift

The EMV Compliance Mandate isn’t just a software update. Its attached Liability Shift may affect your business’s transaction policies. USAVisa.com contains the shift’s entire workings, and, as per their description:

“When a transaction occurs using chip technology, any liability for counterfeit fraud, though unlikely, would follow current Visa Operating Regulations.”

In other words, this shift will greatly reduce your business’s fraud liability, assuming your software and hardware is up-to-date. If and when fraud occurs, new standards will neutralize losses while protecting you from liability. Within the financing world, such a shift is incredibly significant: Reduced liability and expenses can be re-balanced and shifted to other business areas.

Fewer Fraud-Related Chargebacks

Historically, credit transaction authentication and completion has been tied to fraudulent chargebacks. However, EMV’s updated technology will reduce fraud-related chargebacks due to the following mechanics:

Increased protection against card skimming
Increased protection from magnetic strips
Dynamic authentication possibilities

Reduced fraud chargebacks similarly boost a company’s ability to reallocate resources. While merchant services should always be treated with high security, EMV compliance will greatly enhance a business’s processing and transaction flexibility and security.

Fewer Data Breaches

As stated above, credit card processing will become increasingly stable and secure via EMV compliance. Participating U.S. merchants will be required to maintain full software and hardware upgrades, too, increasing their edge against data breaches.

The mandate promotes immediate liability focus on the party containing “lesser” technology. In short: A consumer using old EMV technology will be recognized as “at fault” in the event of fraud. This same aspect is directly correlated to the mandate’s facilitation of up-to-date vender technology.

So, on average, companies will maintain higher technology than surrounding entities and consumers. This will add further protection, as the superior technology will likely outrun malicious data breaches. The new EMV technology renders extracted information “useless,” as it’s encrypted to fit a digital format—rather than to a readable, magnetic strip.

Staying Aware: Adapting to the Change

Point-of-sale security is still important, and maintaining a healthy workplace promotes sustainability and protection. To ensure your employees and relevant decision makers are up-to-par with new security standards, it’s important to:

Create a relevant business plan before changing to new technology
Immediately migrate to new EMV standards
Train product awareness

New hardware and software changes may take time for adoption, but supporting network connectivity and internal effectiveness will ensure heightened protection. It’ll put your business ahead of the curve, security wise.

Stay updated on payment processing trends by following Abtek on Twitter and Facebook. Sign up to receive our newsletter, too.

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What Exactly is an EMV-Compatible POS System?

What are Your Options?

Where Can You Buy an EMV Credit Card Terminal?

Don’t Delay – Get Started Now!

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What does the Liability Shift Really Mean?

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Step 1: Contact Your MSP

Step 2: Connect with a POS Provider

Step 3: Check Your EMV-Compatible Equipment

Step 4: Train Employees

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EMV / Chip-and-Pin

PCI Compliance

NFC

Apple Pay

Tokenization

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1. It’s Not EMV-Compliant

2. It’s Not Customer-Friendly

3. It’s a Standalone System

4. Its Quirks are Just Getting Out of Hand

5. It Doesn’t Align with Your Needs

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What is EMV Compliance, Anyway?

The New Liability Shift

Fewer Fraud-Related Chargebacks

Fewer Data Breaches

Staying Aware: Adapting to the Change

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Credit Card Processing and Merchant Account Solutions