EMV

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Have questions about EMV? The experts at Seneca can help.

Europay International, MasterCard International and Visa International originally formed EMV™ as a joint effort in 1994 — later renamed EMVCo, LLC in 1998 — to manage EMV card specifications for payment systems around the world. EMV's cardholder authentication technology provides a fundamentally more secure payment ecosystem — reducing both the incidence and liability associated with fraudulent payment transactions.

What Is EMV?

EMV payments leverage a computer chip located on the front of the payment card to transmit data from the card reader. This chip calculates a unique data packet for each transaction reducing the value of any data that is stolen out of a payment system.

What are the benefits of EMV?

  1. Improved security plus fraud reduction
  2. Reduced cost of chargebacks by avoiding the liability shift
  3. Customer card security
  4. Brand protection

What does EMV approval mean to the retailer?

EMV approval is granted on three levels:

  1. Hardware compliance (devices) – Hardware manufacturers must have certifications on their payment hardware confirming their capability to accept and process EMV transactions.
  2. Software compliance (inside the device) – Device manufacturers must also have software on their devices that is certified to accept and process EMV transactions.
  3. Certification with the fuel brand or network – Devices in a payment ecosystem must be certified together either via a major oil or payment processing network prior to being able to accept EMV transactions in the field.

“What Is EMV?” Content Sources:

  • Gilbarco, Inc. "Forecourt US EMV Migration Guide", March 2016
  • EMV™ is a trademark owned by EMVCo LLC

EMV Building Blocks

To support EMV transactions at the forecourt, four primary building blocks are required:

  1. CRIND® Upgrade – Dispenser Payment Terminal (CRIND) certified to support EMV payments
  2. EMV Chip Card Reader – Card reader capable of accepting a chip card
  3. CRIND EMV Software Upgrade – Forecourt connectivity for high-speed EMV transactions (CAT-5e/6 cable or FlexPay™ Connect)
  4. Site Connectivity – Software upgrade and EMV end-to-end certification

building blocks

Navigating EMV Compliance

Seneca Companies can help you navigate through the transition to EMV compliance if you have not yet started. The liability shift for transactions on non-EMV capable forecourt terminals was April 2021. Education and planning are key to making this transition successful and to reduce your overall liability. Manufacturing, components and technicians are just some of the capacity constraints that will continue to impact how quickly your compliance towards EMV can happen.

EMV Resources & Additional Information