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Merchant & POS
It's important to first distinguish between magnetic-stripe and fallback transactions. A magnetic-stripe transaction skips the chip entirely, which lowers its security level compared to a fallback transaction.
Credit Card
Card security is critical in card payment systems. Chip&Pin curbed much fraud, but gaps remain. Cornercard, Gemalto and Visa launched Switzerland's first credit card with a built-in fingerprint reader. Here is how it works.
HSM & Security
TPK stands for Terminal PIN Key. It is a data encryption key used to encrypt PINs for transmission between a terminal and the terminal's bank (acquirer) within a local network. Learn how TPK is used in POS and ATM devices.
EMV
The AID tells the terminal which applications are present on a chip during a POS or ATM transaction. What does the AID do? It lets the terminal determine whether it supports an application on the chip. In Tag 9F06, it is 5-16 digits long.
Merchant & POS
A Card Recovery Bulletin is a list of problem cards (lost, stolen, expired, over-limit, counterfeit or otherwise flagged) published by card schemes such as Visa or MasterCard. It shows whether a card number is listed on the date of purchase.
Credit Card
CVV (CVC) and CVV2 (CVC2) are two terms that cardholders often confuse. Both are used for verification in card transactions, but there are notable differences between them, such as where each is printed and which transactions use it.
Merchant & POS
Partial authorization lets an issuer approve part of the requested amount when the card lacks the full balance, with the rest paid another way. This post covers the technical, receipt, clearing, reconciliation, merchant and certification requirements for acquirers.
ATM
RKL is the process of distributing a TMK (Terminal Master Key) to each terminal from a central point. It is used to remotely load keys onto POS and ATM devices, loading TMKs onto an ATM's keypad or activating them on a POS.
Payment Systems
The domestic authorization flow for below-CVM-limit online contactless transactions has changed. Issuers can now ask the cardholder for a PIN or request card insertion instead of simply approving or declining. This post explains the CVM list and the new DE48 PDS22 and DE39 = 65 message flows.
Credit Card
The service code is information printed on a card's Track 1 and Track 2 data, covering card type, PIN usage, and domestic/international usage status. It is kept at the product level in bank systems.
HSM & Security
ZWK stands for Zone Working Key. It encrypts the PIN so that it can travel securely between different financial institutions, such as the acquiring bank and the issuing bank.
Payment Systems
Every payment transaction completes in seconds, yet dozens of controls run behind the scenes. This post covers the precautions for authorization and clearing, the critical role of reversals, and the financial loss scenarios most often seen in the field.