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EMV is coming full force to the United
States, and as a business owner, you may be
making preparations to accept chip or smart
cards. Maybe you purchased your EMV-ready
terminal, but it's still in the box. Or perhaps
you've plugged it in, but the software isn't
installed or working properly. Possibly you've
got it all assembled, but your employees have
no idea how to operate it. Or—gasp!—you
haven't thought about EMV at all.
If you are swimming through the choppy
waters of EMV readiness, get ready for a life
preserver. Before we get into the nuts and
bolts, a little history…
THE 1-2-3 OF EMV
For more than 40 years, businesses and
consumers have used magnetic stripe cards
and compatible terminals to complete payment
transactions. That, however, is about to
change as EMV chip cards make their way to
the U.S.
What is EMV?
It's a global payment standard that provides a
consistent cardholder experience worldwide—
designed to greatly reduce the chances you'll
receive a counterfeit payment card at your
place of business. EMV-enabled cards contain
a computer chip that is activated and read
