EMV: The future of payments with MasterCard®

Payments technology is transforming the consumer experience around the world. The next generation of payment produts builds on current ways to pay while bringing greater security and new capabilities to every transaction. 

What is the EMV standard?

EMV is a standard for globally interoperable, secure payments. The key element of EMV involves including dynamic digital data in every transaction. This makes chip transactions extremely secure and reduces the risk of counterfeit fraud.

When a consumer uses an EMV-enabled device to pay at a chip terminal, the transaction is dynamically authenticated, verified and then authorized. The cardholder can use a PIN (Personal Identification Number) or sign as they do today to verify that the consumer is indeed holding his or her own device.

How does EMV reduce fraud?

In the digital world, payment transactions are getting smarter. And at the heart of these smarter transactions is dynamic authentication, which incorporates unique information in each transaction making it virtually impossible to replicate.

The EMV standard has already been adopted by more than 80 countries where it has significantly reduced counterfeit card fraud, saving hundreds of millions of dollars.

EMV for merchants video
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Watch a video to learn more about the history of EMV and why it's so important

Explore how a consumer transaction works

See the three steps a consumer takes at the point of sale