Action Line: Businesses should act now on EMV credit card systems

A reader: I have a towing company. I take credit card payments from my customers. I have been hearing about changes on credit cards because of all the ID theft. How is that going to affect my business?

Action Line: I believe what you are referring to is EMV, which stands for Europay, Mastercard and Visa. It’s actually a chip that is embedded in new credit cards. It is designed to store data on integrated circuits as opposed to magnetic strips that are used on credit and debit cards today.

On Oct. 1, businesses will begin to assume liability for fraudulent point-of-sale credit and debit card transactions. With the shift to EMV payment well underway, businesses should be transitioning to new authorization terminals for payment processing. Although this new standard is not a law of any kind or a federal regulation, it’s a rule that major credit card providers created to combat credit card fraud. It is crucial that businesses upgrade their payment processing terminals to prevent point-of-sale fraud and avoid liability.

EMV cards are more secure than traditional credit cards. If someone steals your credit card, it can be used over and over because the information is stored on the magnetic strip and it never changes. If your credit card with EMV (embedded chip) is stolen and the card is used during a transaction, the chip creates a unique transaction code every time. So, the card will be rejected. This makes it impossible to use the data again and again.

As a business owner, you should contact your current provider of payment processing terminals. Ask for the new terminal connection authorization information. Generally, you will find the cost will run between $300 and $500. Because the upgraded terminals are dual purpose and will support both types of payment processing, purchasing transactions will not be disrupted for the consumer and the merchant will not lose out on a sale if the consumer’s card has not been upgraded. However, if the card is not upgraded, the liability will fall on the party “least” compliant with EMV standards. If you choose not to move, you and your customers could become liable for fraudulent charges. To get more information on EMV standards, please contact your local financial institution, your credit card processing company, Visa or Mastercard.

This story was originally published September 7, 2015 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Action Line: Businesses should act now on EMV credit card systems."