• Contact Us: [email protected]
U.S. Payments Forum U.S. Payments Forum
  • About
    • Overview
    • Activities
    • Forum Management
    • FAQ
    • Media Resources
  • Membership
    • Current Members
    • Membership Benefits
    • Membership Levels
    • Membership Application
  • Working Committees/SIGs
    • Overview
    • ATM Working Committee
    • Communication and Education Working Committee
    • Debit Routing Working Committee
    • Electric Vehicle (EV) Open Payments Working Committee
    • Mobile and Touchless Payments Working Committee
    • Payments Fraud Working Committee
    • Petroleum Working Committee
    • Testing and Certification Working Committee
    • Transit Contactless Open Payments Working Committee
    • Special Interest Groups / Birds of a Feather Sessions
  • Resources
    • Forum Published Resources
  • News
    • Forum Press Releases
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Guest Pass Policy
    • Sponsorships
    • Past Events
Login

EMV Migration Forum Explains Updated US EMV Chip Terminal Testing and Certification Processes in Revised White Paper

  • Home
  • Press Releases
  • Implementing EMV
  • Testing & Certification
  • EMV Migration Forum Explains Updated US EMV Chip Terminal Testing and Certification Processes in Revised White Paper
EMV Migration Forum Explains Updated US EMV Chip Terminal Testing and Certification Processes in Revised White Paper

Princeton Junction, N.J., May 3, 2016 – As the U.S. migration to EMV chip technology continues, many merchants and acquirers have questions about requirements for testing and certifying contact and contactless chip-enabled terminals. To provide the most up-to-date requirements and processes from the global payment networks, the EMV Migration Forum released today a revised version of the white paper, “EMV Testing and Certification White Paper: Current Global Payment Network Requirements for the U.S. Acquiring Community.”

The white paper, developed by the Forum’s Testing and Certification Working Committee, can be downloaded at http://www.emv-connection.com/emv-testing-and-certification-white-paper-current-global-payment-network-requirements-for-the-u-s-acquiring-community/.

“As merchants and acquirers continue to work to enable their terminals to accept EMV chip cards, it’s essential that they understand the requirements for testing to ensure they are obtaining certifications efficiently and effectively,” said Randy Vanderhoof, director of the EMV Migration Forum. “This update to the white paper reflects the current payment network requirements, and will be a useful resource as merchants and acquirers move forward with their move to chip payments.”

The updated white paper provides use cases that identify when testing or retesting is required for EMV chip and contactless terminals, when retesting is recommended as a best practice, and when only standard internal testing is advised. Use cases are included for:

  • ATMs
  • Terminals, including semi-integrated and standalone
  • Acquirer processor platforms
  • Value-added resellers (VARs)
  • Gateways
  • Unattended and automated fuel dispensers

The white paper also includes details about industry initiatives that have focused on streamlining testing and certification process. The U.S. EMV VAR Qualification Program, launched by the EMV Migration Forum, the Payments Security Task Force and the PCI Security Standards Council in April 2015, is designed to help streamline and simplify the EMV testing and certification process for VARs and ISVs. The Forum’s Testing and Certification Working Committee’s Acquirer Subcommittee also worked with the EMVCo Terminal Integration Task Force on a payment network framework for testing and certification tool automation and process improvement that is currently being implemented globally.

The updates to this white paper are part of the EMV Migration Forum’s ongoing efforts to provide the education necessary for the U.S. to successfully move to chip cards. For more information on the Forum and additional resources, visit http://www.emv-connection.com and follow @EMVForum on Twitter.

About U.S. EMV Chip Migration

Commonly used globally in place of magnetic stripe, EMV chip technology helps to reduce card fraud in a face-to-face card-present environment; provides global interoperability; and enables safer transactions across contact and contactless channels. Chip implementation was initiated in the U.S. market in 2011 and 2012 when American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa announced their roadmaps for supporting a chip-based payments infrastructure. Acquirer processor readiness mandates to support EMV were established for 2013, with liability shifts for managing fraud risk in a face-to-face environment established in October 2015.

About the EMV Migration Forum

The EMV Migration Forum is a cross-industry body focused on supporting the EMV chip implementation steps required for payment networks, issuers, processors, merchants, and consumers to help ensure a successful introduction of more secure chip technology in the United States. The focus of the Forum is to address topics that require some level of industry cooperation and/or coordination to migrate successfully to chip technology in the United States. For more information on the EMV Migration Forum, please visit http://www.emv-connection.com/us-payments-forum/

Contact

Megan Shamas
Montner Tech PR
203-226-9290
[email protected]

Share this

Search the site

Latest Press Releases

  • US Payments Forum Spring Market Snapshot: AI and Biometrics at Odds, Overcoming Online Fraud and the End of Magstripe April 2, 2025
  • 2025 Identity & Payments Summit Agenda Explores New Frontier of Fraud Prevention, Digital Credentials, AI and Quantum Computing February 13, 2025
  • US Payments Forum Announces 2025 Steering Committee January 22, 2025

About the U.S. Payments Forum

The U.S. Payments Forum is a cross-industry body focused on addressing issues that require broad cooperation and coordination across many constituents in the payments industry. The Forum is an affiliated organization of the Secure Technology Alliance, founded in August 2012 as the EMV Migration Forum, and renamed in the U.S. Payments Forum in 2016 to include other new and emerging payments technologies in the United States.

Media Resources

Members of the media interested in learning about and accurately reporting on current and emerging payments technologies in the U.S., such as EMV, tokenization, encryption, and mobile and contactless payments, should visit our Media Resources page.

Quick Links

  • Help
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

 

All Rights Reserved © 2025 U.S. Payments Forum. Terms of Use.
EMV is a trademark, and in some countries a registered trademark, of EMVCo LLC. U.S. Payments Forum is using the EMV mark under a license from EMVCo, but otherwise it is not affiliated or associated with EMVCo, and the content of the site is not endorsed by EMVCo.

Login Area

Create New Account / Forgot Password?
Login with Facebook Account
Login with Google Account
Login with Twitter Account
Login with Yahoo Account
Session 4: Tuesday, August 12th at 9am PT

Crypto & Stablecoins: Unpacking the Future of Digital Value in Payments

Wrap up the U.S. Payments Forum Summer Education Series with a timely deep dive into one of the most talked-about trends in the financial world: cryptocurrency and stablecoins.

In this final, member-exclusive session, industry experts will demystify the fundamentals of these digital assets and explore their potential impact on the payments ecosystem. From definitions and use cases to regulatory considerations and real-world adoption, this conversation will provide clarity on where crypto fits—and where it’s headed—in mainstream commerce.

If you’re curious about how digital currencies may reshape transactions, settlement, and consumer expectations, this session is your chance to get informed and stay ahead.

Register Now
Session 1: Tuesday, June 24th at 9am PT Agentic Payments

Agentic Payments: The Next Evolution in Seamless Transactions

Kick off the U.S. Payments Forum Summer Education Series with a forward-looking conversation on agentic payments—a transformative approach where devices, apps, or digital assistants initiate and complete transactions on behalf of users.

In this member-exclusive session, Visa and Mastercard will share insights into their agentic payment strategies and real-world applications, exploring how AI-driven automation is reshaping customer experiences and the broader payments ecosystem. Joining the conversation is Firmly, a company building the agentic commerce infrastructure powering frictionless AI-native checkout across digital channels.

Moderated by Andrew Gordon from Discover, this discussion will unpack the opportunities, considerations, and future outlook for autonomous commerce.

Moderator: Andrew Gordon, Discover

Panelists: Sukh Dev, Mastercard; Reed Bouchelle, Visa; Kumar Senthil, Firmly

Register Now
Session 2: Tuesday, July 8th at 9am PT

Demystifying Tokenization: Protecting Payments in a Digital-First World

Join us for the second installment of the U.S. Payments Forum Summer Education Series, where industry experts from SHAZAM and Mastercard, will break down the complexities of tokenization—a foundational technology for securing modern payment ecosystems.

This members-only session will cover the critical role tokenization plays in reducing fraud, protecting data, and enabling secure digital commerce. Attendees will gain clarity on the different types of tokens—network, acquirer, and card-on-file—and learn when issuer involvement is required, when it isn’t, and why that distinction matters.

Whether you’re building, managing, or modernizing payment systems, this session will equip you with the knowledge needed to navigate tokenization with confidence.

Panelists: Manish Nathwani, SHAZAM; Sukh Dev, Mastercard

Register Now
Session 3: Tuesday, July 29th at 9am PT – 90 minutes

Merchant and Issuer Special Interest Group (SIG)

Join industry leaders Joe Vasterling (Best Buy) and Sara Walsh (Bank of America) for the third session of the U.S. Payments Forum Summer Education Series—a collaborative conversation between merchants and issuers focused on solving shared challenges and accelerating innovation. This member-exclusive session offers a neutral space to explore evolving regulations, customer experience expectations, and the adoption of new payment technologies. Whether you’re working to optimize transaction flows, enhance security, or better align ecosystem priorities, this session is your chance to engage directly with peers, exchange insights, and help shape the future of payments.

Led by: Joe Vasterling, Best Buy; Sara Walsh, Bank of America

Register Now