US Payments Forum Releases New EMV Chip Migration Resources for Card Issuers and Merchants


New guidance covers dual-interface chip card issuance, Canadian chip card acceptance

PRINCETON JUNCTION, N.J., Oct. 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of its ongoing effort to ensure an efficient migration to EMV contact and contactless chip payments, the U.S. Payments Forum today released two new implementation resources for U.S. issuers and merchants. The first resource for card issuers offers recommendations for issuing dual-interface contact and contactless chip cards to accommodate acceptance at all merchant locations, including transit. The second resource for merchants provides guidance for processing Canadian contact chip cards at U.S. point-of-sale (POS) terminals.

“While the U.S. migration to chip payments is moving along smoothly, the Forum is continually working to address areas that require cooperation or further implementation guidance as stakeholders introduce new features of the technology,” said Randy Vanderhoof, director of the U.S. Payments Forum. “These resources directly address questions we have been hearing regarding Canadian chip card acceptance and provide guidance for issuers implementing dual-interface contactless and contact cards.” 

Guidance on Personalizing Dual-Interface Cards
The payments industry has a growing interest in dual-interface cards because of their ability to provide faster, more convenient “tap and go” experiences. The transit sector in particular has a need for chip cards to be contactless and support offline data authentication (ODA) in order to get travelers through gates at optimal speeds.

The Forum’s white paper, “Dual-Interface Card Personalization” provides the issuance community with an educational resource on ODA and offers recommendations for issuing and personalizing dual-interface cards for the U.S. market. The paper provides an overview of the differences between EMV contact and dual-interface card personalization, the process for personalizing cards to support ODA, and the ODA transaction process. 

This resource can be downloaded at http://www.uspaymentsforum.org/dual-interface-card-personalization/. Issuers should consult their payment networks for additional details on personalizing dual-interface cards and supporting ODA use cases.

Those interested in learning more about the current state of transit payments and implementations should attend a Transit Payments Workshop hosted by the U.S. Payments Forum and the Secure Technology Alliance on November 5, 2018 at the Hyatt Lodge in Oak Brook, Illinois. This full-day workshop is open to Forum and Alliance members, non-members, and transit agencies; agenda and registration can be found at http://www.cvent.com/events/u-s-payments-forum-meeting-oak-brook-nov-18/custom-21-7e2aeace98114a0c8acba99beb3e327e.aspx.

Guidance on Canadian Card Acceptance
Due to differences in the processing requirements of chip cards in the U.S. and Canada, transaction processing issues can arise from incorrect Application Identifier (AID) selection for Canadian cards at U.S. POS terminals.

The Forum’s new white paper, “Canadian Card Technical Acceptance,” provides guidance and clarification to merchants, acquirers, POS terminal vendors and POS solution integrators on application selection logic used by U.S. POS terminals when processing Canadian cards. The resource describes Canadian card types, outlines stakeholder needs and proposes an optional solution to help ensure that U.S. POS terminals can properly originate transactions from Canadian-issued cards. 

This resource can be downloaded at http://www.uspaymentsforum.org/canadian-card-technical-acceptance/.

Merchants, issuers and other payments stakeholders that want to collaborate with peers on the effective implementations of EMV chip technology and other emerging payments technologies in the U.S. should consider becoming a U.S. Payments Forum member and attending the next All-Member Meeting. The two-day Member Meeting will be held November 6-7, 2018 at the Hyatt Lodge in Oak Brook, Illinois. The full agenda is available at http://www.cvent.com/events/u-s-payments-forum-meeting-oak-brook-nov-18/event-summary-7e2aeace98114a0c8acba99beb3e327e.aspx

About the U.S. Payments Forum
The U.S. Payments Forum is a cross-industry body focused on supporting the introduction and implementation of new and emerging technologies that protect the security of, and enhance opportunities for payment transactions within the U.S. The Forum is the only non-profit organization whose membership includes the whole payments ecosystem, ensuring that all stakeholders have the opportunity to coordinate, cooperate on, and have a voice in the future of the U.S. payments industry.

Contact:
Megan Shamas
Montner Tech PR
203-226-9290
mshamas@montner.com