Even two months after the EMV liability shift, many consumers still struggle to use the new card technology at the point of sale. In fact, people seem to have fewer problems using mobile payment solutions like Apple Pay, despite their relatively low adoption rates. This suggests that merchants and, more specifically, cashiers, still have a long way to go in educating consumers about how best to use their new chip cards. 

This responsibility was destined to fall on cashiers and floor-level personnel at retailers sooner or later, with 2016 promising to be the year that sees the end of magnetic stripe cards at nearly all U.S. merchants in favor EMV or Near Field Communication (NFC)-based payment methods. However, retailers don't necessarily have the luxury to wait much longer to get their customers on board with EMV, as each less-secure fallback transaction puts them at risk of being held liable for fraud. 

When they fail to complete an EMV transaction at the point of sale, most shoppers struggle with the same aspect of using their chip cards: timing. Many customers are accustomed to swiping their cards before cashiers finish scanning goods. However, if an EMV card is entered too soon it can cause the terminal to time out and the transaction will have to start over. Other times, shoppers "tear" their cards from payment terminals before the payment has been authorized, which occurs because consumers often think the payment has been accepted as soon as they approve the amount on the terminal. 

The smoothest way for cashiers to help shoppers complete their transactions successfully appears to be to show them the transaction amounts first and have them confirm the total, then ask cardholders to insert their cards. While businesses should feel comfortable to use whichever strategy they find most helpful, it is crucial they designate a standard practice. This way not only will shoppers be able to get used to repeating the same routine with every visit, but businesses will have an easier time training cashiers and floor-level retailers on how best to help customers. 

Vantage has several EMV terminal solutions to choose from. Visit our website to learn more about our payment technology services and solutions!