EMV Chip Card and Terminal Certification Program

Leading EMV chip card payments consultancy FIME is the first to have its chip card personalization validation services and POS/ATM certification test platform approved by the Debit Network Alliance (DNA) under its recently established DNA Shared Debit AID certification program.

The DNA Shared Debit AID may be licensed from DNA member networks to create U.S.-issued EMV chip debit cards that do not have a global brand. The new DNA certification program, which was created with FIME’s support and EMV expertise, confirms whether EMV chip cards using the DNA Shared Debit AID and the corresponding acceptance terminals comply with DNA requirements.

FIME’s DNA-approved issuer services include technical consulting for DNA card personalization profile definition and a separate DNA Card Personalization Validation (CPV) service to audit the card against DNA requirements and produce a test report for the issuer. For DNA card certification, card issuers submit final personalized cards into FIME’s DNA CPV process, when a compliant test report is achieved it is submitted to the DNA for final approval.

Similarly, acquirers, acquirer processors and merchants accepting DNA chip cards must certify ATM and POS terminals by submitting a compliant terminal test report to the DNA for approval. FIME has integrated its DNA-approved test tool into its SAVVI Test Platform, which enables terminal testing against DNA requirements and production of the test report for submission to the DNA.

FIME’s SAVVI Test Platform is a multi-brand test tool for acquirers and processors, for POS and ATM, that supports test cards (physical cards and Softcards), automated test-result analysis, test report generation and online test card maintenance (Softcards only). The DNA test and Softcard library are available as an add-on pack for existing SAVVI users. 

FIME also played a major role in the development of the DNA certification program by helping to:

•          Define the testing scope for both card issuing and terminal acceptance
•          Implement the certification process together with DNA
•          Develop the test tool for terminal testing on FIME’s leading platform, SAVVI
•          Set up the card personalization services to support issuers on their DNA profile implementation

“FIME is a world leader in technical consulting for specialized and local payment authority programs and we are proud to be working with the DNA, providing guidance to help prepare the test plan, define scenarios and identify what needs to be tested,” said Xavier Giandominici, director of FIME America. “We also wanted to streamline the process. So in combination with the DNA AID certification program, we developed test tools and consulting services that will simplify and speed up the process for issuers and acquirers. Using these tools helps ensure organizations will meet certification requirements with minimum efforts and right level of support.”

“Having an effective certification process is essential to making sure everything will work correctly when transactions are processed using the DNA AID,” said Paul Tomasofsky, executive director of the Debit Network Alliance. “FIME’s global EMV expertise and experience was instrumental in helping us develop a certification process that is both effective and efficient.”

FIME provides the full gamut of end-to-end consulting services for EMV chip cards, payment terminals, ATMs and applications. FIME works with financial institutions, merchants and other payments stakeholders of all sizes. Small- to medium-sized banks and credit unions are particularly interested in FIME’s go-to-market EMV consulting kit, the EMV Starter Kit for Issuers. This out-of-the-box consulting services package includes all of the key components needed to effectively issue EMV chip cards.