Major card brands have extended the outdoor EMV Liability Shift deadline for fuel retailers, pushing the deadline back from October 1, 2020 to April 17, 2021. Need a refresher or tips on becoming EMV compliant? We’re here to help!
What is the EMV Liability Shift?
Fuel retailers who have not modified their fuel dispensers to accept chipped cards by the deadline will be liable to fraudulent purchase made at their sites. EMV is recognized as the global standard for debit and credit card transactions utilizing chip technology to improve security. Similar to the EMV liability shift that went into effect on October 1, 2015 and affected most retail operations accepting credit and debit payments, the 2020 EMV update is intended to protect gas station customers' personal information by requiring the use of EMV chip technology in credit card readers. Businesses that do not adhere to these new standards will assume responsibility for most fraudulent transactions taking place at their locations.
The driving force for EMV compliance is to help counteract fraudulent card charges. Fuel pumps that still only rely on magnetic stripe data are particularly vulnerable to card skimming since often they aren’t heavily monitored by cameras, nearby employees, or crowds of other customers. Plus, approximately 90% of adults in the United States drive cars and more than 70% of U.S. customers pay at the pump vs. inside, and that behavior is only likely to increase. As many as 30 skimmers a week are seized by the U.S. Secret Service, each holding stolen data from an average of 80 cards. Visa estimated that a transition to EMV payment resulted in a 76% reduction in fraud between September 2015 and December 2018.
When should I worry about becoming compliant?
Now! Don’t wait – the closer you get to the deadline(s), the harder it will be to get on the schedule of equipment providers and service technicians who can modify or replace your pay-at-the-pump equipment. While software updates to the POS are generally painless, ordering equipment and scheduling installs can take months.
Tip: Coordinate with your technology partners.
Updating pump technology to meet the new EMV standards requires more than simply buying and installing new card readers in the gas pump. It also requires coordination with your POS vendor, networking team, credit card processor, and fuel brand to ensure your new equipment is properly set up to accept credit cards and facilitate EMV payments.
I’m worried about being able to afford an equipment upgrade.
Bearing the legal cost of fraudulent charges, which costs card issuers an estimated $400 million per year and on average $201,000 per store per year, can quickly eclipse the cost of upgrading your equipment, but – understandably – cash flow is still a concern. Also, depending on the age and compatibility of existing pumps, additional work may be needed such as replacing fueling systems completely, breaking concrete, running new data cables and wireless routers, etc…The exact amount a merchant pays has to do with the equipment they select, the number of fueling stations that require upgrades, and more, but there are ways merchants can save elsewhere in their businesses processes to help reduce the impact of EMV expenses. One way is to switch credit card processing providers, or at least perform an RFP process to consider new processors to see if a more favorable price is available. Another solution may be to consider EMV-as-a-service companies, who will upgrade and maintain your EMV compliance for a monthly fee so the bulk of upgrades doesn’t fall on you alone.
The Verifone Solution
From hardware, software, and compliance, to installation and maintenance, Verifone’s market-tested solutions are here to help you meet all of your petroleum payment and EMV compliance needs.
Verifone’s Authorized Service Company (VASC) network spans the entire U.S., and all technicians are trained on EMV installation by us. We ally ourselves with technology partners and brands to create specialized documentation for most networks to make the EMV configuration a paint-by-numbers process. Additionally, sites who stay current on software can use our Verifone Remote Software Delivery (VRSD) service to upgrade to the needed version of software for their POS to support outdoor EMV, which results in technicians being able to configure outdoor EMV faster and with less complication.
Verifone’s Managed Network Service Provider (MNSP) certification program is a standards-based program that creates flexibility for retailers to choose from a range of certified network management solutions for Verifone’s Commander platform. These programs reduce complexity in the Verifone payment zone while providing many value added services and advanced diagnostics. The result of this program is a the flexibility choice for Verifone POS customers to select the MNSP partner that best supports their unique requirements.
To learn more about Verifone’s Petro solutions, visit https://www.verifone.com/en/us/convenience-retail-petroleum-solutions, or learn more about our MNSP Certification Program at https://www.vfne.co/MNSP.
