Ongoing EMV Chip Card Processing Transition
EMV Chip Card Processing: Is Your Business Letting Misinformation Cloud Your Decision-Making?
In a recent blog, we asked an AVPS colleague to report on how a variety of businesses in her area were adapting to the required transition toward EMV chip card processing. As we’ve reported extensively, EMV chip cards are now considered the accepted standard for secure payment processing. While her experiences highlighted the rocky transition that even national retailers face during this migration, it also highlighted how even the smallest local businesses have easily converted to EMV.
This month, we asked her to take a second look around her community, specifically at businesses that have yet to adopt EMV processing. Specifically, we wanted to know whether they understood the reality of EMV, how their credit card transaction security shifts liability, and what is preventing them from finally adapting to this new standard. While most seemed to be well on the way with planning their EMV transitions, she did find one business that seemed like the ultimate contradiction in security-mindedness versus EMV initiative.
The Case of the Local Liquor Store Chain
The local liquor store chain, consisting of approximately 12 locations, caught her attention. During her visit to three of their stores, she noticed their use of outdated credit card swipers without EMV slots. They relied on older registers connected to customers via long cords, allowing them to input pin numbers for debit transactions. This outdated setup posed a risk for potential cloning devices. Surprisingly, the store displayed clear signs requiring ID for credit card transactions, and employees diligently recorded license numbers on receipts. However, when she inquired about the absence of EMV technology, upper management showed no urgency to invest in or adopt new equipment. Their attitude reflected a reluctance to fix something that wasn’t perceived as broken.
Understanding the Impact of EMV
Her experiences demonstrate that many businesses still don’t “get” how the move to EMV affects them. That’s why we continue to be passionate advocates and educators so that our clients get the best credit card transaction risk management solutions. If you’re struggling with understanding how and why you need to adapt EMV chip card processing, let us help. Call us today for a consultation and we can get your business seamlessly compliant.
