By now, pretty much every single business owner has heard about EMV. EMV stands for Europay, Mastercard, and Visa, and is the global standard for cards that are equipped with chips. This technology is used to authenticate card transactions, combat credit card fraud, and improve payment card security.
With how important EMV compliance is, why is it then, that gas station and c-store owners have been universally slow to adopt this technology? One factor is the expense, yes, but another is a lack of information on what you risk when you aren’t EMV compliant. Here are a few:
Liability
Liability shifts have already been in effect for some time now. However, beginning on October 1st, 2020, this will extend to outdoor fueling pumps. This liability shift means that business owners will be responsible for fraudulent charges at their gas pumps and convenience stores. A payment processing system with EMV greatly decreases the risk you are held liable for.
Security
If you are not EMV-compliant at your gas station, you are risking the security of your business. Not only will your business be held responsible and liable for fraudulent card activity, but you may be turning yourself into an easy target for criminal activity. Your fuel pumps are in plain sight, and criminals can easily scout your facility to see whether or not your payment processing is susceptible.
With magstripe cards, information can easily be stolen once, and then replicated over and over again. EMV chips assign a unique transaction code each time they are used, making it impossible for these codes to be stolen and used again. If you aren’t EMV compliant, you are liable for any of these charges.
Customer Trust
Not only are you risking liability and security, but you may also risk losing the trust of your customers. Although it is a costly initial investment to upgrade pumps, it is less costly than losing business because your customers lack trust in you.
Customers are aware of EMV compliance at gas stations, since they are the ones carrying out these transactions. They expect to use their chip cards and feel more secure when they do. If you aren’t compliant, they will notice and may wonder why you are comfortable risking their security.
On top of that, should you become the target of fraudulent activity, your business ratings may go down with the BBB, and many potential new customers may not want to visit your station.
Avoiding EMV Compliance Will Not End Well
Putting your business at risk is a costly maneuver, not only for your customers, but also yourself. Upgrading to EMV compliance at gas stations is a significant investment, but a worthwhile one—investing in EMV technology brings your gas station into the future and offers less risk to your operations.
