Intake Form Terminology for EMV Level 3 POS Certification
Intake Form Terminology for EMV Level 3 POS Certification

Publication Date: January 2021

Most participants in the payments industry ecosystem would agree that change is the only constant.  Early ‘knuckle-busters’ impression plate payment card processing has evolved into electronic cash register (ECR)/point-of-sale (POS) systems with EMV capability.  This fast-paced environment has generated many terms and acronyms that may not always be properly identified or defined, leaving them open to individual interpretation.  Payment network Level 3 (L3) EMV certification (which is defined by each payment network using their proprietary test plans) begins with an intake form that is used to define a POS configuration.  A clear understanding of terms and acronyms is needed to successfully navigate a project intake form.  A variety of intake forms are used by acquirers, payment networks, test tool vendors and independent software vendors (ISVs) that have similar but different terminology.

The U.S. Payments Forum Testing and Certification Working Committee evaluated intake forms from the payment networks, identified terms that may be unclear, and provided common definitions in this document.  Editors of the various intake forms can leverage this resource to provide consistent documentation.

Achieving a common understanding of intake form acronyms and terms will improve the quality of input data and avoid assigning unnecessary test cases or missing important test cases.  This paper does not replace or propose any approach inconsistent with applicable rules or requirements published by payment networks, processors, EMVCo or other stakeholders.  The information provided in
this paper is primarily intended to assist merchants, acquiring processors, and their POS solution partners with certification.

The goals of this white paper are to:

  • Provide a resource that may aid in accurately and efficiently completing the intake forms for a valid certification with minimal rework
  • Offer an educational resource for other relevant stakeholders including issuers, tool vendors, consultants and payment networks.

This document is intended to be a reference for U.S. payments industry stakeholders when they are interacting with EMV-related intake forms to help provide a smoother certification experience.  In addition, it may include generally used terms not found on current intake forms.

Please note: The information and materials available on this web page (“Information”) is provided solely for convenience and does not constitute legal or technical advice. All representations or warranties, express or implied, are expressly disclaimed, including without limitation, implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose and all warranties regarding accuracy, completeness, adequacy, results, title and non-infringement. All Information is limited to the scenarios, stakeholders and other matters specified, and should be considered in light of applicable laws, regulations, industry rules and requirements, facts, circumstances and other relevant factors. None of the Information should be interpreted or construed to require or promote the establishment of any solution, practice, configuration, rule, requirement or specification inconsistent with applicable legal requirements, any of which requirements may change over time. The U.S. Payments Forum assumes no responsibility to support, maintain or update the Information, regardless of any such change. Use of or reliance on the Information is at the user’s sole risk, and users are strongly encouraged to consult with their respective payment networks, acquirers, processors, vendors and appropriately qualified technical and legal experts prior to all implementation decisions.

Share this