MasterCard 2 BIN or Not 2 BIN - What You Need to Know

I've posted a couple of times since late 2016 about the MasterCard Mandate for 2 BIN (new number series on MasterCard credit and debit cards). Non-compliance fines has been mentioned in the past and now it appears that MasterCard is getting very series per this communication from MasterCard:

"As of June 30, 2017, compliance will be enforced for all merchant and ATM locations identified as not properly accepting a 2 series BIN card.  In the event of an acceptance failure, customers will be notified and granted an opportunity to remediate the identified issue.  Noncompliance assessments may be applied if the acceptance issue is not successfully resolved.".

Please ensure that you have done the following:

1. Confirm that your payment terminals have been updated to accept the 2 BIN cards (Card Defender users need not worry as Card Defender is updated to accommodate new payment industry security requirements and mandates).
2. If you have a point of sale system, confirm with your point of sale provider that the software can handle the 2 BIN cards.
3. Review any letters or emails from your merchant services company that may contain additional requirements or possible fines for non-compliance.
4. If you are orphaned or need help, contact myself or your merchant services company for assistance. I'm not familiar with every POS system or stand alone payment terminal but can usually direct you to the correct resources if myself or our tech team is not able to help you.
5. For some of you, this may be enough of an issue that you may want to consider the replacement of an outdated point of sale system and/or outdated payment processing hardware.

Some additional information can be found via this 2 BIN webpage: https://www.mastercard.us/en-us/issuers/get-support/2-series-bin-expansion.html

Final Thought: the payment industry is introducing new mandates and security requirements on a regular basis (8 digit BIN's are being discussed as a next standard).  Please ensure that you are investing in something (hardware and software) that can be updated to meet or exceed future mandates and security requirements.

Upcoming City Visits

Looks like I should break the 100K barrier in frequent flyer miles for 2017! Details are still being arranged but it looks like I am headed to the following places for the 2nd half of 2017 (mostly August - early November):

• Salt Lake City, UT
• Seattle, WA
• Portland, OR
• Denver, CO
• Phoenix, AZ
• Tuscon, AZ
• Jackson, WY
• Minneapolis, MN

And, of course, helping out folks here in Idaho - over 160 retailers in the PacNW and Utah that have signed on for sales and service - including single location stores as well as 50 location chains (good thing that we have 10 support techs!).

I'll update this post with dates as the travel plans are finalized. Contact me if we need to schedule some time together at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632. 

ADA and Point of Sale Systems

I don't think that I've ever posted related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and how it effects point of sale systems. Mostly it seems that POS systems are designed to accommodate employees with various capabilities. Recently, I've run in to a couple of retailers who had been advised that that the payment terminals for the POS system needed to be lowered (or the whole counter needed to be lowered).

Obviously you never want to make it difficult for anyone to make a purchase in your business so it is wise to be familiar with any guidelines related to counter height and general accessibility.  It is possible that fines could be levied should your store not be in compliance.

As I am in no way an expert in this subject matter - it would be great if anyone who has some expertise could chime in. All I've seen in my travels is either one check out stand with a lowered counter or some payment terminals mounted on arms that can be rotated out and down to a suitable height.

If you are willing to contribute, please contact me at kevinantosh@gmail.com or 208-340-5632. Thanks!