Japanese card issuer JCB has joined an initiative from Visa and MasterCard to align security requirements, testing methodologies and approval procedures for PIN Entry Devices (PED).
MasterCard and Visa said last year they would standardise security requirements, and testing methodologies for approving PEDs.
JCB says the move will provide PED manufacturers submitting devices for security testing with a single set of standards, and bring greater efficiencies to PED testing and development.
Kazuhiro Matsumoto, EVP and general manager, advanced technologies, JCB, says: "This global standard will greatly simplify testing processes, reduce costs for vendors, and provide a wider selection of PED products to financial institutions."
Brian Buckley, SVP, international risk management, Visa International, adds: "Each step we take towards common requirements means more consistent security measures and cost effective market deployment."
Simon Pugh, group head, infrastructure and standards, MasterCard International, says the arrangement benefits all stakeholders in the payments value chain and is intended to improve the overall security for customer-entered data by removing conflicting requirements.
"Having one approval method helps simplify the task of deploying PIN Entry Devices for acquirers and avoids duplicate testing, thereby reducing costs. It also simplifies procedures for vendors, as they will have only one set of security requirements," says Pugh.