The Eurocard, MasterCard and Visa (EMV) pilot project, which was to be implemented at the Canal Walk shopping centre in Cape Town, has been delayed as not all the parties are ready to implement the project.
Graeme Holmes, vice-chairman of the EMV Forum, says the pilot project, which will test the new EMV smart cards, was due to launch on 15 June. The project entailed placing EMV point-of-sale devices in the shops and banks in Canal Walk. However, he says all the parties involved are of the view that is too early to launch the project.
"It is not a case of the technology not working. Some banks have not completed Visa and MasterCard certifications, and some of the retailers are not ready to implement the solution either.
"The pilot project will be run to test issues around customer education and communication. How to communicate issues around a user`s PIN and point of sale devices are the real issues here," he says.
The chip on an EMV card stores a PIN that the user punches in to conclude a transaction at the retailer, making it more difficult for thieves to use stolen credit cards. The EMV standard also includes improved safety measures for e-commerce.
Holmes says a new launch date has not been set, but all parties are anxious to implement the technology as soon as possible.
Once the pilot project has been implemented, the lessons learnt will be used in implementing EMV smart cards and point-of-sale devices across the country, he says.
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