The implications of EMV chip cards are going to be huge. ShopKeep is here to help you through the transition in every way.

We are fully committed to making sure that you are prepared for everything that will change with EMV chip cards and have devoted a great deal of our content efforts towards that purpose. EMV adoption by small retailers has been limited so far, but the pace is sure to accelerate throughout 2015 in advance of the fraud liability shift that’s coming this October. Preparation will be key, both so you can get the most out of enhanced security features for you and your customers, and so that you can avoid unwelcome challenges.

New research shows that many small business owners still aren’t very clear on why they should upgrade their equipment right now, if at all. Ultimately, the moment that you choose to upgrade is up to you, but our goal is to to guide you through the decision-making process and make it clear as to you why you should start accepting EMV chip cards and how important it is to be prepared. Here’s what we’re doing to help you out.

Ongoing education

One thing that’s very clear, both from our own internal surveys and lots of published external research, is that many business owners are still not very informed about EMV chip cards. Perhaps that’s not all that surprising given the busy nature of small business, but given the importance of these changes, that’s no excuse. We are doing everything we can on the education front, producing loads of content just like this covering everything that you need to know about EMV chip cards, including what they are, why they are important, and how they will affect your business and your customers. So, our first objective is to continue getting you the information you need and keep it interesting and engaging. To this end, we’ve created a white paper, a comprehensive FAQ page, and most recently, an infographic about EMV chip cards.

Helping you to be proactive vs. reactive

Unlike holding off on purchasing the latest iPhone or wearable device, delaying the EMV switch comes at a price. The reason to be proactive about EMV is the liability shift that is being imposed by the card issuers in October of this year. Any business that fails to upgrade to EMV-ready equipment may be responsible for any financial losses that result from fraud. In other words, you’ll be on the hook almost any time that credit card fraud happens at your store. We know how exorbitant those costs can be, and the cost of upgrading your card terminal to be EMV-ready costs a lot less.

Providing the tools to make the switch easy

Every point of sale system and/or credit card processing company is taking their own approach to this, but at ShopKeep, we’re fully invested in doing everything we can to make the switch as easy as possible for you. In addition to providing all of this free content, we’re also offering a free EMV chip card reader to new users, along with an affordable upgrade for existing users. This reader will be ready to safely accept EMV chip card transactions well ahead of the October 2015 deadline.

Want to learn more? Be sure to check out the The Future of Payments Technology White Paper below by ShopKeep CEO, Norm Merritt and let us know what else you’d like to see and if you have any questions about EMV chip cards in the comments section.

Paul Nugent

Paul Nugent

Paul Nugent is a small business advocate who uses his background in the startup space, along with his POS system expertise, to allow small business owners to make informed decisions within their specific budgets.