We’ve been talking a lot recently about EMV — a more secure payment technology that’s coming soon to the U.S. EMV or chip cards (already the standard around the world) are embedded with a tiny microchip, which is way harder for fraudsters to clone than the magnetic-stripe cards we currently carry. (Here’s an in-depth look at why they’re safer.)
This morning at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, President Obama signed an executive order that requires all government-issued credit cards and readers to come equipped with EMV technology starting next year. And in response to recent high-profile security breaches, large retailers like Home Depot, Walgreens, Target, and Walmart are moving fast as well, pledging to adopt EMV by early next year.
We’ve got independent, local businesses covered with the same protections. In the coming months, we’ll offer affordable Square Stands and Readers that can process EMV cards. You can sign up here to be notified when they’re ready.
And for a primer on how exactly EMV technology works, watch our video.
