News
Payments Industry Moves to Speed Chip Card Acceptance
May 2015 by Marc Jacob
UL played an integral role in creating the U.S. EMV VAR Qualification Program. The program combines a chip education component and an accreditation program to streamline and simplify the testing and certification process for Value Added Resellers (VARs) and Independent Software Vendors (ISVs).
Through a coordinated, industry-wide effort with Payments Security Task Force, PCI Security Standards Council and the EMV Migration Forum, VARs and ISVs will be better equipped to integrate chip cards into small and mid-sized merchants’ point-of-sales solutions in advance of the October 2015 liability shifts scheduled to go into effect by major U.S. payment networks.
Sherif Samy, Commercial Director North America at UL’s Transaction Security division, stated: “As an industry leader for chip card testing and certification, we are very happy to have contributed to the development of the educational and pre-qualification processes for resellers and software vendors. We believe that streamlining such programs will assist greatly with the adaptation of acceptance of chip cards in the U.S. With the EMV liability shift date being just six months away, we see the need for a simplified testing and certification process rising.”
The optional U.S. EMV VAR Qualification Program consists of these key components:
• An educational curriculum that provides a clear explanation of how to implement chip in the U.S. electronic payments marketplace
• A list of service providers independently accredited by the major payment networks to provide chip consulting and expertise
• A pre-qualification process run by the accredited service providers to help VARs and ISVs begin the implementation and testing process before they work with acquirers to achieve final certification
UL participated in the development of the program and recognizes the pre-qualification status, providing fast track certification for VARs and ISVs that have demonstrated the execution of solid chip solutions.
