Consider the payment equipment currently in use at your government bureau. Sure, it works, but is it secure? What about the web payments portals you use? Consumer fraud can happen anywhere, anytime.

Your best defense in protecting cardholder data, and sparing your bureau the public embarrassment and high cost of a data breach, is to ensure  the in-person payment technology you use is EMV-enabled.

EMV (an acronym of founders Europay, Mastercard^®, and Visa^®) is a payment technology developed to prevent debit and credit card fraud. Cards and equipment that are EMV-enabled include a chip with a microprocessor that stores, protects, and authenticates cardholder data. Originally introduced four years ago, EMV Chip card technology is now standard worldwide – if your bureau hasn’t audited current equipment inventory to ensure EMV compliance, now is the time.

Why is EMV important?

• EMV regulations ensure your security is cutting edge, resulting in the highest level of protection against fraud.
• EMV compliance reduces PCI scope and can also help reduce the number of chargebacks your entity will experience.
• Liability for fraudulent charges falls on whoever is least compliant under the EMV rules. For example: if a local government’s point-of-sale (POS) devices are outdated, and a transaction is compromised, the municipality is responsible for the financial losses the consumer experiences.

EMV is designed to safeguard both consumers and municipalities alike. Maintaining compliance will limit your liability as well as protect your customers from unnecessary stress and financial losses.

Certified Payments is here to help you achieve compliance. We are full EMV-enabled, allowing for up to eight transactions on a single card dip, and ensuring your transactions are fully secured. Our solution is rapidly deployable and will protect you from the EMV fraud liability shift. Click here for more information.