As many credit card issuers adopt plans to move forward with Europay, Mastercard, and Visa (EMV) payment processes in the United States, hoteliers will need to upgrade their point-of-sales (POS) systems to accommodate the shift. “The credit card we have out there today is a flawed product,” says David Hogan, executive director of major accounts at Heartland Payment Systems. “EMV technology is a more secure form of credit card payment, where a value is actually changed every time that card is used. It’s the next generation of what the credit card is going to look like.”
Hotels that are due for a POS upgrade should switch to EMV-compatible machines that can read the unique microprocessor chip in each EMV card, Hogan recommends. Some of these machines feature near field communication technology for contactless payment options, where guests simply tap their card to make a transaction.
EMV payments are the wave of the future, Hogan says, and hotels that make the transition will drastically reduce the opportunities for credit card fraud and security breaches. “It is about protecting your brand,” he says. “Nobody wants to see their company’s name in the newspaper as the latest organization that’s been breached. Plus, the cost associated with a breach can actually put small and mid-sized hoteliers out of business.” —Deidre Wengen
