Payments industry seeks to prepare US for chip-and-PIN adoption

The US is switching to chip-and-PIN services in October 2015 and the payments industry is rolling out an educational programme that aims to simplify the transition.

The Payments Security Task Force (PSF) joins PCI Security Standards Council and EMV Migration Forum to announce a programme that aims to streamline Chip-and-PIN’s integration into US’s payment solutions.

The industry cooperated to create an education and ‘pre-qualification’ programme that will ensure Value Added Resellers (VARs) and Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) have a better understanding of how to integrate chip-and-PIN cards into small and medium-sized merchants’ transactions.

The programme is optional and consists of three core parts. The first is an educational curriculum that elucidates how to integrate chip into US electronic marketplace. This will include information about the basics of chip-and-PIN technology; how to perform a chip card transaction. The second is a list of independently accredited service providers that provide expertise on chip implementation.

The final part is the pre-qualification process, run by the service providers, which will help VARs and ISVs test and implement the technology. The VAR will then work with its purchaser to receive the final certification of the solution the merchant would require to process a chip payment.

“One of the greatest challenges in the move to chip is helping the millions of small and mid-sized merchants understand and adopt the technology. A streamlined process will help their payment technology suppliers better prepare and implement chip card acceptance, as the push to chip gains greater traction.” said Stephanie Ericksen, vice president of global risk products at Visa.

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