The United Nations Federal Credit Union
(UNFCU) has teamed up with digital security provider Gemalto to
issue the US’s first EMV card.
Under the partnership UNFCU members will be
able to use the card, which has contactless capability, anywhere
around the world. The introduction of the card is expected in the
second half of this year.
US travellers are increasingly having trouble
using magnetic stripe bankcards abroad, especially in offline
applications like taxis, unattended ticketing and payment
kiosks.
“Cardholders naturally expect to be able to
use their payment card anywhere in the world,” said Jack Jania,
vice president and general manager, Secure Transactions North
America. “By partnering with Gemalto, UNFCU leveraged
Gemalto’s ability to work with payment institutions around the
planet to quickly achieve worldwide compatibility. This ensures the
microprocessor payment card issued to their members is globally
accepted, keeping their payment card top of wallet, and making it
the most convenient to use both when travelling and when at
home.”
Gemalto will provide UNFCU with complete
issuance services including full card design and production,
personalization data preparation and personalization of the dual
interface card, ensuring global acceptance and forward
compatibility for both online and offline payment transactions
under its World Traveller program.
“We congratulate both UNFCU
and Gemalto for this significant milestone in being the first to
enable US consumers to have a secure EMV payment card that will be
accepted in contactless merchant terminals in the US and
in EMV contact and contactless merchant terminals outside the
US,” said Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card
Alliance, a non-profit organisation which promotes smart card
technology.
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