EMV Adoption Rate is Slow in the US

So October 1st, 2015 has come and gone. For something that has been several years in the making, I am surprised how slowly EMV credit and debit cards are being sent to cardholders, the backlog of EMV ready hardware, and the number of businesses who have actually implemented EMV terminals and hardware.

I've seen numerous communications from multiple point of sale companies referencing backorders for the hardware as well as short term options for business owners.

The folks over at creditcard.com recently published a poll related to EMV which not only covers how many cardholders actually have EMV cards but also provides some detail on how to use EMV cards as well as general insights related to the October 1st, 2015 EMV Liability Shift date for card present transactions here in the US.

A good read for both consumers and for business and organizations that accept payment for goods and services via credit and debit cards. Here is a link to the poll: http://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/emv-chip-card-survey.php

Are you  in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice?  I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (I am on Mountain Time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com. There is also a contact form to the right that can be used to reach me.

PCI Compliance Survey Results

I've been harping a lot over the last year about planning for the upcoming EMV requirement which will affect everyone who takes credit and debit cards.  Based on a recent survey of retailers by ControlScan, it appears that many folks are still ignoring PCI compliance.  The survey results are surprising to me as PCI has been around for several years now and who wants to risk fines and fees that could put you out of business overnight.

I'm going to focus on some of the result specific to retailers with 1-50 employees and processing under $500,000 annually (which would approximate to annual gross sales of less than $800,000 annually).  Of the survey respondents...

• 71% feel that they are not at risk for a data breach
• 64% have no action plan should a breach occur
• 45% have no employee designated to check network and related security
• 36% don't feel that PCI compliance is a priority

Obviously, point of sale and merchant services companies have not done a good job of stressing the need to maintain on-going PCI compliance. One data breach (which can also come internally from a dishonest employee) can result in fines exceeding $20,000 as well as the loss of revenue and the ability to accept credit and debit cards.

If you are not sure about your PCI Compliance status, please contact the company that provides your merchant services (credit and debit card processing) to ensure that your hardware, software, and network equipment are PCI complaint.

Are you in the US and in need of no cost retail point of sale advice? I'm happy to help and can be reached on my cell at 208-340-5632 (mountain time) or via email at kevinantosh@gmail.com.