A Snapshot of EMV Compliance in Action—Cautionary Tales of Disparity and Misinformation
We all know about EMV Compliance that EMV chip cards are now the gold standard for secure payment processing, and Advanced Payment Solutions has long been educating our clients on why this transition is so important for their businesses. Likewise, your employees may be even more misinformed about how these new rules for credit card transaction security affect your business. We believe many owners are struggling to get on board and comply with EMV. To get a picture of how businesses across multiple industries are handling the EMV transition, we asked a team member to report about her day-to-day payment transactions in her own community and see how frontline employees handled payments.
Major national retailer
She reported this company seemed on point with EMV. The terminals were up and running, accepting both debit and credit chip cards. Transaction times proceeded quickly, though she did report that the terminal gave an unpleasant sound, almost like a danger warning, when indicating card removal.
Regional grocery store
Despite the presence of EMV terminals, this retailer still had not implemented the process, so she had to swipe her credit card. The employees were unaware of when or if the terminals would have EMV capabilities enabled.
National home improvement retailer
In a strange turn of events, this retailer was able to process EMV cards as credit, but not debit cards. When she questioned the employee, they informed her that EMV was always intended for credit cards only and that chip-enabled debit cards cannot be processed. When she pointed out that other retailers process both types of transactions, the employee was adamant that EMV is a credit-only concept.
Small, local business
This business had the very basic credit card reader typical of this type and size of operation.
National bookstore chain
This establishment had EMV-compatible terminals, but they were not enabled, and she had to swipe her card. The employees were also unaware of when or if the policy would change.
Our team member experience showed how even the largest businesses surprisingly still struggle with EMV, yet some smaller businesses adapt easily. As your leader in credit card processing risk management solutions, AVPS wants to help your business, and prevent you from becoming one of these cautionary tales of poor EMV transitions. To learn more, contact us for assistance.
