PIN pad security certificates
Currence has published details of certified POS terminals since October 2006.
Currence is owner of various payment products, including PIN. With the object of ensuring that the PIN product functions efficiently, reliably and securely, Currence lays down standards governing the security and functionality of PIN POS terminals. POS terminals complying with the security standards are certified by Currence for a period of three years. At the end of this three-year period, terminals must be recertified according to the latest standards.
The banks and the retail trade associations reached agreement in 2001 that POS terminals should have a useful life of at least five years. Provided there are no serious breaches of security, this means that a POS terminal can remain in use for a further five years after expiry of the three-year certification period.
An important element of the certification of a POS terminal concerns the security of the PIN pad – the keypad used to enter a PIN code. Specific security standards apply to PIN pads. Whereas previously, PIN pads had to comply with BeaNet EFT/POS standards, with effect from 1 January 2006, only PIN pads complying with PCI+ standards, based on the international PCI standard, are allowed.
The existing stock of POS terminals falls into three categories:
- Terminals with an old BeaNet PIN pad certificate.
The certificates of these POS terminals will expire in the next few years.
- Terminals with a BeaNet PIN pad certificate which can be upgraded to PCI+ PIN pad certificate standard.
The certificates of these POS terminals will expire in the next few years but they can be recertified with a PCI+ certificate.
- Terminals with a PCI+ PIN pad certificate.
These are EMV terminals based on recent EMV specifications and suitable for chip and PIN.
The following list, organised into categories, provides details of the PIN pads certified by Currence for use with PIN.
The information is aimed at:
- Terminal suppliers
- Acquiring banks and acquiring processors
- Sector organisations and/or retailers
Apart from Currence, there are other organisations which have to certify POS terminals. If you want to know whether a POS terminal is entirely suitable for PIN transactions, visit www.betaalterminal.nl. This site contains further information about the EMV suitability of POS terminals, the possibility of migrating to a broadband connection and the date beyond which the terminal may no longer be used.
Click here for the list of PIN pad security certificates.