Need An EMV Terminal? 8 Questions Distributors Must Ask

emv smart card

EMV chip smart card.

Thinking about updating to an EMV compliant terminal to accept chip cards? Do you accept payments online today or plan to in the future? Choose a cloud based solution that will address all omnichannel sales needs current and future. Once you’ve narrowed your list of prospective vendors, use these questions to quickly identify differences.

Questions to ask before the demo:

  1. Is the terminal EMV certified today for my processor? This is critical because many companies are behind schedule.
  2. Can I use with any merchant processor? The average company will change processors. Flexibility is key to business continuity.
  3. Does the gateway support level III processing for retail?
  4. Does the gateway support 3D-Secure?

An no answer to any of the above is a deal breaker. Accepting a yes will inevitably lead to pain sooner or later.

Questions to ask to identify virtual terminal differentiators during the demo:

  1. Can you demo a swiped transaction with a commercial card requiring level III data?
  2. Can you demo how a token is created and use in a transaction? Do you perform a zero dollar or a one dollar authorization when a token is created?
  3. Can you show how to manage users and their permissions (roles)?
  4. Can you show how to research transactions?

Knowledgebase:
EMV stands for Europay, Visa, Mastercard, the three companies that developed the standard for the security chip.
3D-Secure, including Verified by Visa or Vbyv, are optional security standards for online payments.
EMV certified – terminal approved for use and can be activated immediately.
EMV capable or ready – hardware is certified; equipment and or application is not yet certified
Virtual Terminal – web browser based solution to securely accept payments

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