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New service 'to halve Chip & PIN testing costs'- making life easier for mid-tier retailers
Fleet, Hampshire, September 15th, 2003. Retail Logic is now offering a sophisticated package of professional services to ease retailers through the complex bank accreditation process. Many problems can be identified at an early stage and then fixed, by using prerequisite testing - a series of tests, developed in conjunction with the acquirers, that a retailer must complete on their card payment solution before presenting the system for approval.
As highlighted by the recent PMO report on the Northampton town trial, there are finite resources available to implement and accredit payment solutions as the January 2005 deadline approaches. Prerequisite testing can play a key role in avoiding a logjam of retailers awaiting accreditation.
Customer's systems are reviewed in the laboratory and Retail Logic works in conjunction with the relevant systems integrators and acquiring banks to complete the tests. A pre-determined range of test cards from Visa, MasterCard, other card schemes and banks is used to complete the tests, using specialised tools to monitor the results.
Says Retail Logic Managing Director Tim Stratton: "Taking into account hardware, software and man-time costs, using Retail Logic's pre-accreditation service could save 50% compared with retailers going it alone. Not only that, but a merchant doing their own prerequisite testing can expect the whole process to take anything up to three months –the use of our service should reduce this substantially."
In providing the new service, Retail Logic is working in partnership with TUV Product Service Limited (TUV), which is the only MasterCard-approved laboratory in the UK. Together, the companies offer a unique set of skills and experience in Chip & PIN testing.
Retail Logic and TUV are responsible for providing overall project management of the prerequisite test process, auditing the configuration of Retail Logic software, completing the agreed prerequisite test programme and liaising with acquiring banks throughout the process.
Testing laboratories are available at both Retail Logic’s offices in Fleet and TUV’s offices in Fareham. The prerequisite testing should be scheduled at least three weeks ahead of a bank accreditation test slot. This allows time for the prerequisite testing itself with sufficient contingency should further testing prove necessary.
About Retail Logic
For 15 years, Retail Logic has been a leading provider of payment processing software for any form of payment card and across multiple platforms, including the Internet. In 2002, the EMV-accredited Smart-Solution was named ‘Most Innovative Product of the Year’ at the Advanced Card Awards in London and ‘Best Software’ at the Cartes Awards in Paris.
Retail Logic is playing a key role as Britain prepares to adopt EMV Chip & PIN. In the UK, users include over 50% of leading retail stores and four of the top five supermarkets. The company also has major initiatives underway across Europe, the United States, ASPAC and Africa.Notes to Editors.
Notes to editors:
The testing process
The test programme is agreed between the customer, its acquiring bank and Retail Logic, who supply a time estimate for testing once the programme is finalised. A typical programme schedule is as follows:
Stage 1
The systems integrator sets up the customer's system – matching the proposed live system including PIN Pads, tills, any store level severs and connections to any centralised servers as appropriate - in the laboratory. The customer must ensure they have their acquirer's written confirmation that the system in the laboratory matches the live system.
Stage 2
A Retail Logic implementation consultant works with the systems integrator to review the configuration and ensure the system is ready for testing. The implementation consultant then performs a data communications connectivity test to the banks' test hosts.
Stage 3
TUV's specialist test engineers complete the test programme and each result is logged and interpreted. Any problems are fed back.
Stage 4
Once all the tests have been completed and results interpreted, they are presented to the acquiring bank for review. Once all parties are in agreement that the solution meets the interoperability requirements then the customer is given the approval to proceed to the formal bank accreditation stage.
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