Category Archives: industry news

credit card processing and merchant payment industry news including VISA & MasterCard association news, interchange rates, risk management and retailer security requirements

ICVerify Software End of Life & Replacement Options

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ic verify replacement alternativeFirst Data announced today the end of life for ICVerify® Software, also known as First Data Payment Software for Windows®. Following a similar announcement by Verifone for PCCharge in May 2015, It was inevitable that ICVERIFY Software, another PC based payment software solution would also be deemed obsolete. What will software companies and merchant users replace it with?

What does ICVERIFY Software end of life mean?

Product development has ended. First Data has a timeline to stop selling and stop supporting ICVERIFY. The product owner does not have to immediately change, but should review the timeline and consequences for future business decisions.

ICVERIFY KEY DATES:

  • June 17, 2015 End of Development Date: Effective immediately, there will be no new development for the ICVerify product. This includes development work requested as a result of a support issue.
  • July 31, 2015 Final Order/Shipment Date: No new orders or licenses. No new MID/TIDs or adding users to existing licenses.
  • June 30, 2016, End of Support Date: First Data support discontinued. Up until that date, both level 1 and level 2 telephone support for existing users.

First Data will honor valid ICVerify support contracts for customers that have purchased annual support, prior to June 17, 2015, through the end of their annual term. Effective immediately support contracts will not be renewed. This includes contracts for Level 2 integration support for First Data clients as well as Level 1 support agreements for non-First Data clients. Level 1 support for First Data clients will remain free until June 30, 2016.

“This is an ideal time to examine long term omnichannel payment needs to avoid transitioning to other outdated technology,” according to Christine Speedy, a cloud payments expert. “At their core, all payment gateways enable merchants to process web based transactions securely with cloud solutions. Beyond that, there are many differences, and even bleeding edge solutions could lead to further disruption, if the new technology disappears when ideas don’t catch on or venture capital dries up.”

What solutions can replace IC Verify? The days of Windows based payment solutions have been replaced with cloud or internet based payment gateways. What’s the difference between ICVerify and a Payment Gateway?

  1. The most obvious is there’s no software to install. Users process payments via a virtual terminal (login in to a secure web page), or via payment gateway integration. This alleviates many problems related to maintaining current desktop based software, but not all of them, as merchants are still expected to maintain firewalls, update Windows, web browsers etc. for PCI Compliance.
  2. Transaction fees are standard. However, these fees can be offset by efficiency gains, reduced PCI Compliance burden, and even reduced merchant fees through better interchange rate qualification.
  3. More features,  user accessibility, and reporting capabilities.

TIPS FOR NEW PAYMENT GATEWAY VENDOR SELECTION:

Is 3-D Secure (Verified by Visa and MasterCard Secure) for card not present transactions supported?
Are there any EMV certifications? If not, what is the roap map time frame? (note- EMV certified is not the same as EMV ready or capable)
Is the gateway processor neutral to provide maximum financial flexibility? (Critical for integrations.)
If business to business, for which sales channels does the gateway support level III processing? (mobile, retail, EBPP, kiosk, online payments, ecommerce, other) Can the user bypass submitting level III data on eligible transactions?
Is ACH supported? (If no, this is a red flag as lagging in innovation.)
What type of audit trail is available for PCI 3.0? How long is the data accessible?

ICVERIFY REPLACEMENT PAYMENT GATEWAY OPTIONS

I believe flexibility to choose your own credit card processor (acquirer) and change processors without disrupting business operations is critical for payment gateway vendor selection. For example, Payeezy is First Data’s gateway and it only works with First Data. The list below is payment gateways compatible with most existing merchant accounts, and capable of level 3 processing, critical to qualify for lower interchange fees for business to business; merchants can change acquirers and simply point gateway to the new merchant account.

  • CenPOS

    CenPOS is a robust, global payment gateway. EMV, 3-D Secure, ACH, credit card, level 3 processing, Electronic Bill Presentment & Payment (EBPP), audit trail for every touch to system by user, indefinite record retention, dynamic search online or download; robust custom reports, alerts and distribution. CenPOS does not publish rates online; contact us for a quick quote. For business to business, CenPOS far exceeds any competitors for ROI. Call 954-942-0483 for a quick CenPOS quote. 

  • Authorize.net – no EMV chip card options as of 4/11/2016

    Authorize.net is one of the oldest payment gateways. ACH, credit card, 24 month record retention and search; download reports only.  3-D Secure and level 3 processing typically not available,might be available for card not present depending on integration, “We currently expect the mPOS app and VPOS to support chip payments in the second quarter of 2016.” Link to authorize.net EMV schedule. Update July 2016- looks like they missed the first support date. Call 954-942-0483 for an authorize.net quote.

  • PayTrace- no EMV chip card options as of 4/11/2016

    ACH, credit card, 24 month record retention and search; download reports only. Level 3 processing might be available for card not present depending on integration. “PayTrace anticipated launching its virtual terminal EMV solution toward the end of 2015. Although significant advancements in the product development have been executed, we need more time to complete the certification process. As a result, our timeline has moved into 2016.” Link to Paytrace EMV schedule. Update July 2016- first support date has moved to second half of 2016.

  • eProcessing Network- no EMV chip card options as of 4/11/2016

    ACH, credit card, 24 month record retention and search; download reports only.Level 3 processing might be available for card not present depending on integration.

Do you need a new payment gateway to replace your ICVERIFY account? Payment gateway selection can significantly impact EBITDA, PCI Compliance, and efficiencies. Contact Christine Speedy at 954-942-0483 for standalone, integrated solutions and any new payment gateway accounts.

First Data EMV Certified Terminals For Chip Cards

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Which terminals are EMV certified to accept chip cards with First Data today?  There are terminals that are First Data only compatible and there are terminals that can be used with any processor, but need to be certified for each payment solution integrated to First Data.

EMV Capable vs EMV Certified

  • EMV Capable or Ready: A terminal that has the hardware, but has not been certified. EMV capable terminals have been distributed for years in hopes to convert to EMV later. Not all capable machines will ever be certified for EMV.
  • EMV Certified: A terminal that has been certified to a specific processor, including specific application, if applicable.
  • EMV Activated: A merchant with an EMV certified terminal, and merchant account updated to accept chip card transactions.

EMV Certified For First Data:  Requires the merchant to use the certifying partner and have a First Data merchant account either direct or through an independent service organization. The terminals can generally be used with multiple processors, but each will have to choose to certify.

For example, the terminal is compatible with Paywhere and other applications, but each application will need to certify to First Data and or other processors.

  • VeriFone MX915, requires CenPOS, a merchant centric enterprise payment engine; contact Christine Speedy, 954-942-0483 for CenPOS sales and integrations.

    verifone MX915 EMV terminal

    Verifone MX915 multilane signature capture terminal

  • VeriFone E315/E335 PINPAD, requires High-Line payment gateway and merchant account
verifone e315 EMV

Verifone e315 EMV requires Apple® iPhone® 5 or Apple iPod touch® 5 and Highline merchant account

First Data EMV Certified Terminals: These terminals usually require a First Data merchant account and are locked to prevent use with other payment processors.

  • FD35 peripheral accepts EMV today. The FD35 must be paired with an FD50, FD50Ti, FD100, FD100Ti, FD200 or FD200Ti terminal.

    First Data FD35 EMV pin pad terminal

    First Data FD35 EMV PinPad

Additional Information:

 

MasterCard Supports U.S. Small Businesses Making Big Shifts to Chip Cards

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Launches Chip 360o Campaign to Communicate, Educate, Advocate

PURCHASE, N.Y. – May 5, 2015 – MasterCard today announced a new campaign to help the approximately nine million U.S. small businesses already engaged in electronic payments prepare for EMV or chip card technology. Called Chip 360o, the program aims to communicate actionable information, educate on steps to take and advocate why the change is needed to protect cardholders.

EMV is a global standard for authenticating credit and debit card transactions to help minimize counterfeit fraud. Microchips or chips embedded in the card face ‘talk’ with chips in payment terminals or ATMs creating unique codes for each transaction. The unique codes make the cards almost impossible to copy or counterfeit. The United States is the only country in which counterfeit-card fraud is consistently growing — accounting for 47 percent of the world’s counterfeit fraud — costing banks $3.4 billion and merchants an additional $1.9 billion per year, according to The Nilson Report (2012).

“Chip cards all but eliminate counterfeit fraud. We know this because we’ve seen significant fraud reductions in all 80+ countries where EMV has been implemented,” said Carolyn Balfany, senior vice president of Product Delivery – EMV, MasterCard. “The power of chip is realized as more cards and terminals are enabled and used. The goal isn’t to move card fraud around the system. The goal is to drive card fraud out of the U.S. – benefitting banks, merchants and, most importantly, consumers.”

The Payment Security Taskforce estimates that 63 percent of credit and debit cards will contain EMV chips by the end of this year, expanding to 98 percent by the end of 2017.The estimate indicates that banks and retail outlets are delivering on their promise to secure consumer payments with chips. The industry wants to ensure that small- and mid-sized businesses – employing less than 500 people – have the tools to keep pace.

Enter Chip 360o

MasterCard is reaching out to small businesses, directly and through its business partners, to ensure small and mid-sized businesses have the necessary information to develop their own EMV plans, deciding how and when to upgrade their technology. The campaign will run from Small Business Week (the week of May 4) through the end of 2015 and include:

EMV Central – MasterCard launched a webpage for small businesses dedicated to all things EMV. Business owners can review articles by industry experts and view fun and informative videos and infographics. The site can be reached via www.mastercardbiz.com.
Small Business EMV Webinar and Makeovers – MasterCard and National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) will host a webinar, “EMV for SMBs,” on Thursday, May 7 at 12 p.m. ET: Click here to register for the webinar on NFIB.com. Small businesses are invited to listen to the webinar live or the audio cast afterward to learn more about payment safety and security.
Small businesses can also enter our EMV Makeover contest*. MasterCard experts will collaborate with local service providers to trade out terminals, update software and train employees on accepting the next generation of payments.

Expanded Master Your Card Curriculum – Master Your Card, a community empowerment financial education program sponsored by MasterCard, enables financial inclusion and literacy by bringing education on the benefits of electronic payment technology to consumers, small businesses and governments. Course curriculum, including webinars, workshops, brochures and a website, has been expanded to include beginner and advanced EMV modules. Visit the site at https://www.masteryourcardusa.org or by clicking here.
Acquiring Education and Support – MasterCard has developed an informative video on the next generation of payments that has been made available to acquiring banks to share with their small business customers. The video runs about 2 minutes. Click here to watch:
https://vimeo.com/user39278885/review/124956646/4fe5b7fc53
MasterCard has been leading the adoption of chip payments around the globe for over two decades. We remain committed to actively supporting our customers and cardholders as the U.S. adopts chip and other next generation payment technologies.

About MasterCard

MasterCard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com,is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories.  MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MasterCardNews, join the discussion on the Beyond the Transaction Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau.

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MasterCard Media Contact: Beth Kitchener | 914-249-2058 |beth_kitchener@mastercard.com

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to small business owners and partners who are US residents, 18+. Void where prohibited. Starts 5/7/15. Ends 5/14/15. Restrictions apply. For Official Rules and complete details, visit mcnfibsmallbiz.com.

PCCharge Replacement Alternative – End of Life

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pccharge end of lifeMerchants should plan now to switch from PC Charge since Verifone has announced the end of life schedule for 2015. Read the full article on Linkedin PCCharge End of Life.

Choosing a gateway is complex. While most seem similar, the differences can be extremely costly including resulting in expensive non-qualified transactions. Developers may choose the path of least resistance, such as an older gateway they’ve integrated many times. Merchants though, are the ones who suffer from the results by replacing one outdated solution with another one that is struggling to keep up with newer innovators.

Verifone End of Life Announcement

For alternative integrated and non-integrated solutions, call Christine Speedy 954-942-0483.

American Express EMV Terminal Rebate expires April 30 2015

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emv smart card

EMV chip smart card.

American Express EMV terminal rebate for small business expires today. Merchants must submit their proof of purchase today for their $100 reward card.

Do you need an EMV terminal? Which one is best for your business? Where can you buy? See our resources below and call your merchant services salesperson for help, or contact us for assistance.

EMV Buyers Guide

American Express Reward Overview

CenPOS is the only company listed on the First Data Integrated Partner Solutions certified for EMV (4/27/15)* and that also offers 3D Secure, added security standards for card not present. Call 954-942-0483 for more information.