Are You Ready

News

01/06/2011

Upgrade in full swing but some merchants must act now

With one week to go before out-dated 5.1 versions and below EFTPOS terminals are deactivated, the latest figures from Paymark show that of the 116,000 terminals connected to its network, 4,500 are at-risk and will be deactivated if they are not scheduled for upgrade before June 1.

Paymark CEO, Simon Tong, says that though the picture has improved significantly in the past few months, the remaining merchants are a concern as they have ignored a multitude of communications and warnings.

"The response from most merchants has been fantastic and we are pleased to report that come June, over 97 per cent of all transactions through our network will be processed by compliant terminals.

"The last thing we want to do is deactivate merchants from our network – we have been communicating with businesses for the past 18 months and our aim is to ensure that beyond June, everyone is able to operate as normal.

"As a last measure, we are telephoning each of the affected merchants. These calls will be the final communication and our intention is to assist as many as possible with their upgrade scheduling plans," adds Simon Tong.

Christchurch merchants whose businesses were affected by the 22 February earthquake are being offered an extension on their upgrade cut-off date.

Come June 1, those merchants who have not upgraded will be deactivated from the network in a staged, automated process. The process will run over all of June and early July if necessary.

Simon Tong adds that all merchants connected to the Paymark network have received at least six communications from Paymark and the banks involved, outlining the need to upgrade and the timeframe to do so. Most recently, they have received a letter outlining the week in which their terminal will no longer function on the network, should they not upgrade.

"We acknowledge that the upgrade is a cost to their business during tough times. However the June 1st date has been public since 2008, and we have been communicating the need to move for over a year.

"Merchants who still need to upgrade should act now as ordering and installing terminals takes a few days. Call your EFTPOS provider or Paymark on 0800 800 996 and the Paymark team will point you in the right direction," concludes Tong.

For further information please call:
Rebecca Gannaway, ELEVEN\PR, ph: 021 208 8254
Louisa Jones, ELEVEN\PR, ph: 021 299 2628

31/03/2011

Eftpos shutdown for 400 businesses

Click here to read this article on nzherald.co.nz

12/08/2010

Thousands use dated Eftpos technology

Retailers breaching global security standards face being disconnected from network.

His machine might have "No Credit" scrawled across it but that doesn’t mean Balbir Singh is behind the times with his Eftpos technology.

Rather, the Tauranga City Lotto owner’s Eftpos machine is capable of reading any type of plastic customers throw at him – he just doesn’t accept credit cards.

Mr Singh is happy to be among the majority of Bay retailers who are up to date with their technology – and not one of the thousands breaching global security standards by not having upgraded.

Figures released by Paymark, the country’s leading payments provider, revealed 3476 terminals in the Bay of Plenty had not been upgraded to process payments in accordance with the new standards.

Without the upgrade, retailers would be unable to process certain types of local and international card types and face disconnection from the Paymark Network.

Mr Singh believed operating a store without being able to process increasingly-used chipped cards was "just like turning money away".

"You need to keep up to date and I upgrade when required."

Lynda Powell, of central city store Fancy That, was also proud to say her machines accepted the "latest and greatest" chipped cards,, which she said had been growing in popularity around Tauranga over the past 18 months.

Paymark head of sales and marketing Paul Whiston said retailers needed to recognise not upgrading would affect their bottom-line.

"There are a number of upgrade options available that provide different capabilities and technologies," My Whiston said.

"Many of these technologies aren’t suited for the majority of Kiwi businesses; most need a simple upgrade, not an entire makeover."

Contactless machines were one such technology, and allowed consumers to pay for low-value transactions by simply passing their card over a pad without entering pins or other information.

While the Paymark network was already enabled for contactless technology, the model was far from being established in New Zealand.

"Contactless is part of the payments future for industries such as transport. For Kiwi retailers, the technology is not a necessity. Once it becomes established in New Zealand it is easy to add contactless technology on," Mr Whiston said.

"Rather than spending unnecessary money, we urge retailers to talk with their bank or Eftpos provider when deciding on the best upgrade option for their business."

To see whether your EFTPOS technology is ready, visit www.areyouready.co.nz and follow the simple online instructions. If your terminal is not up-to-date, contact your EFTPOS terminal provider as soon as possible and schedule a date for your upgrade.

11/08/2010

Retailers Slow to Make Critical EFTPOS Upgrades

Statistics released today by Paymark, New Zealand's leading payments provider, reveal that crucial EFTPOS upgrades across the country are happening, but not nearly fast enough.

In a statement released just over two months ago, Paymark outlined that 60,000 EFTPOS terminals across the country needed technology upgrades that would enable them to process payments in accordance with new global security standards. Since then, that figure has reduced by just under a thousand.

Without the upgrade, retailers will not only be in breach of these standards, but will also be unable to process certain types of local and international card types as well as face disconnection from the Paymark network.

The Auckland region has the greatest number of terminals requiring upgrades (27,243), followed by Canterbury (5,911), Wellington (5,199) and Waikato (4,004).

Paymark Head of Sales and Marketing, Paul Whiston, says that the figures are a concern.

"Retailers need to recognise that this is a very real issue and one that, if not addressed, will affect their bottom line," he says.

"There are a number of upgrade options available, that provide different capabilities and technologies. Many of these technologies aren't suited for the majority of Kiwi businesses; most need a simple upgrade, not an entire makeover", he adds.

'Contactless' is one such technology – it allows consumers to pay for low-value transactions by simply passing their card over a pad without the need for entering pins or other information.

Whilst the Paymark network is already enabled for contactless technology, the model is far from being established in New Zealand.

"Contactless is part of the payments future for certain industries, like transport for example. For Kiwi retailers, the technology is not a necessity. Once it becomes established in New Zealand it is easy to add contactless technology on," says Paul Whiston.

"Rather than spending unnecessary money, we urge retailers to talk with their bank or EFTPOS provider when deciding on the best upgrade option for their business," he concludes.

10/06/2010

Securing your EFTPOS terminal

With terminal security playing an increasingly important role in maintaining the integrity of the payments system, Paymark is committed to providing current information on how to best protect your business and customers.

There are in-built security features within your EFTPOS terminal. In addition, by implementing the best practices below, you can help to secure your customer payments, protect their personal information and reduce the likelihood of credit and debit card fraud.

Remember your EFTPOS terminal should be treated as securely as a cash register.

Recommendations:

Always ensure that terminals are secure and under supervision during operating hours (including any spare or replacement EFTPOS terminals you have).
Ensure that only authorised employees have access to your EFTPOS terminals and are fully trained on their use.
When closing your store or kiosk, always ensure that your EFTPOS terminals are securely locked and not exposed to unauthorised access.
Never allow your EFTPOS terminal to be maintained, swapped or removed without advance notice from your EFTPOS provider. Be aware of unannounced service visits and only allow your authorised EFTPOS provider to maintain, swap or remove your terminal, and always ensure that security identification is provided.
Inspect your EFTPOS terminals on a regular basis – check that there are no additional cables running from your EFTPOS terminal and that the casing has not been tampered with.
Check your EFTPOS terminal is located where it should be each morning and is printing the correct details on receipts.
Record your terminal’s serial number and store in a secure location. Check the serial number matches this record each morning.
Make sure that any CCTV or other security cameras located near your EFTPOS terminal(s) can not observe cardholders entering details.

Important:

Contact our Paymark EFTPOS Helpdesk on 0800 800 996 or your EFTPOS provider immediately if:

Your EFTPOS terminal is missing;
You, or any member of your staff, is approached to perform maintenance, swap or remove your EFTPOS terminal without prior notification from your EFTPOS provider/or security identification is not provided:
Your EFTPOS terminal prints incorrect receipts or has incorrect details or;
Your EFTPOS terminal is damaged or has been tampered with.

For more information on how you can prevent fraud and secure your EFTPOS terminal visit www.paymark.co.nz/eftpossecure or visit https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/pdfs/skimming_prevention_form.pdf

24/05/2010

EFTPOS Upgrades Crucial for Retailers

60,000 EFTPOS terminals across New Zealand must be upgraded by June 1st 2011 in order to meet new global security and technology standards. With the Rugby World Cup commencing shortly after June, retailers need to get on with the task of upgrading their equipment.

Without the upgrade, many terminals will not be able to process the diverse array of international and local cards that customers will have in their wallets.

Paymark CEO Simon Tong says: "Unlike previous upgrade programs where we have cut some retailers slack in meeting the upgrade dates, this time it’s different. With increasing concerns over card fraud and potential issues with international visitors’ cards, the upgrades simply must happen. Retailers run the very real risk of being disconnected from the network post June 2011".

"We are communicating 12 months in advance of this date to give retailers time to make the required changes," he adds.

John Albertson from the New Zealand Retailers Association says merchants are at the front-line of New Zealand business, and need to ensure that they are EFTPOS- ready, for their own commercial benefit and the reputation of the country.

"For the benefit of their business and their customers, retailers need to get behind this EFTPOS upgrade. Unlike in the past where merchants could leave upgrades to the last minute, this time all EFTPOS terminals need to be up-to-date by the 1st of June, 2011, or they will be turned off," says Mr Albertson.

Retailers have a good incentive to get moving: the estimated 1.25 billion tourist dollars projected to accompany Rugby World Cup fans.

"EFTPOS terminals are just like other machines – as technology evolves, they need to as well. This is a once-in-a-lifetime commercial opportunity and retailers need to understand that if they don’t upgrade soon, they will miss out," he says.

Improving transactional security has become even more important amongst payments providers as they prepare for the huge influx of tourists for the Rugby World Cup in 2011.

ARE YOU READY?

CHECK YOUR TERMINAL BELOW...

How does this Terminal ID check work?

Step 1:
Enter your terminal ID into the field above and click ‘Check’. Your terminal ID can be found on your EFTPOS receipt.

Step 2:
You will be redirected to your eftpos network provider.

Step 3:
Where you will find out whether your eftpos terminal/s is ready or not.

No Upgrade = No EFTPOS. Act Today!

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ARE YOU READY?

CHECK YOUR TERMINAL BELOW...