With the October 2015 Liability Shift deadline passed, several changes have been made regarding how transactions are processed at checkout. Chief among these changes is the fact that with the arrival of EMV, payments are now more secure than ever.
Even though increased security is the most significant change connected with EMV, the transaction process itself has experienced some adjustments. Rather than swiping their card, cardholders with chip cards must dip their card. This may seem to be a small change, but years of swiping means there will be an adjustment period. With that in mind, you need to help your merchants to make the transition, so they can help their customers.
Below are three steps you can take to make EMV integration into your merchant’s payment process as seamless as possible:
Chip Card Identification and Corresponding Instruction of Customers
There’s been plenty of information about EMV throughout the retail and payment industries, but that doesn’t mean your merchants have heard all or any of it. Because of this, they will need to train their employees on proper procedure when faced with chip card transactions. Sales associates should know to instruct customers to insert their chip card into the terminal slot and leave it there for the entire duration of the transaction.
Customers will likely have questions, too. Having employees prepared with an easy explanation about what chip cards are, how they work, and why the new system helps customers will prove beneficial for everyone involved.
Inform Customers From the Start
At this point in time, many consumers will have received chip cards and have made at least one EMV transaction. This means that merchant employees won’t necessarily need to give their explanation and/or instructions during every transaction. However, many merchants are still not EMV complaint, which can confuse customers and complicate matters.
Since dip versus swipe transactions will likely vary from store to store, it’s possible customers won’t assume your merchant’s terminal is EMV complaint, so your merchant should make sure to inform them from the start rather than letting them figure it out. This will result in less time wasted on customer swipes when they should have dipped.
Visual Aids
Attaching a small sign to your merchant’s payment terminal can be a quick and easy way to remind customers they’ll need to dip instead of swipe. This is especially helpful for self-checkout counters, where sales associates can’t provide immediate assistance. Keep your sign short and sweet, including only essential information, so customers can get the instructions they need as quickly as possible.
Using a small sign attached to your merchant’s terminal can be a handy reference guide to help customers know when to dip instead of swipe. This is especially the case with self-checkout counters, where customers aren’t as likely to interact with sales associates. Signs should be simple and easy to understand so customers can be informed at a glance.