Is Your Small Business Ready for October 1st? Make the Switch or Pay the Price

Migration to EMV Chip Card Technology and Your Small Business

DID YOU KNOW?

Beginning on October 1, 2015, if your small business is not EMV-compliant in certain fraudulent transactions - you as a merchant could be liable.

U.S. credit card companies are making the transition from magnetic stripe technology to cards with chips. Chip cards are payment cards that have an embedded chip, offering increased security when your customers use the chip to pay in store.  Chip cards are based on a global card payment standard called EMV, which stands for Europay, MasterCard and Visa, currently used in more than 80 countries around the world.  The United States is now in the process of making the migration to EMV technology.

In an effort to reduce fraud, EMV Chips are becoming the standard for integrated circuit cards (IC cards), IC card capable point-of-sale terminals, and automated teller machines.   Chip card transactions offer advanced security for in-store payments by making every transaction unique.  Chip cards are also much harder to counterfeit or copy.  If the card data and one-time card are stolen, the information cannot be used to create counterfeit cards and commit fraud.

For merchants and financial institutions, the switch to EMV means adding new in-store technology and internal processing systems.  To get chip-enabled for your business, contact your acquirer or payment services provider.

The switch to EMV also means a change in liability for credit card fraud.  Today, if an in-store transaction is conducted using a counterfeit, stolen or otherwise compromised card, consumer losses from that transaction generally fall back on the payment processor or issuing bank, depending on the card’s terms and conditions.

Beginning on October 1, 2015, a deadline set major U.S. credit card issuers including MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express, the liability for card-present fraud will shift to whichever party is the least EMV-compliant in certain fraudulent transactions.

The SBA is committed to making sure small business owners understand what this transition means for you, your business, and your customers through webinars, online resources, and in-person events.  See below for more information.

Webinar Presentations on EMV

• 10/14/15 @ 2 pm ET - EMV 101 What Small Businesses Need to Know About the Switch to Chip Card Technology
  SBA and Square have teamed up to offer a free webinar to help small businesses across the country navigate the upcoming transition to EMV chip card technology.  Topics covered include what the transition to EMV chip card technology means for small businesses; what EMV chip card technology is and why it’s more secure; and how to prepare for new fraud liability rules impacting merchants beginning October 1, 2015. Registration is free but required. Click here to register.
   
• Payments Fraud Trends and the U.S. EMV Card Migration - What You Need to Know
  Financial institutions and their customers are targets of ever-evolving fraud schemes. This is a concern for small businesses seeking to protect their organization's payment transactions. Join SBA and representatives from the Federal Reserve for this special presentation to help small businesses learn more about payment instruments that are most vulnerable to fraud schemes, fraud-fighting tips, and an update on the October 1st U.S. migration from magnetic strip to EMV cards and what it means for your small business.

View an September 22 archived version of this webinar now.  You can also download a copy of the presentation here.

Cosponsorship Authorization # 15-2050-102. SBA’s participation in this cosponsored activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis.

Additional Resources

·         To learn more about the EMV transition and new liability rules, view this video presentation.

·         The Smart Card Alliance, a not-for-profit multi-industry smart card advocacy association, has developed online resources for all industry stakeholders on the status of EMV migration.

Visit www.emv-connection.com to learn more.