Visa is beefing up its security credentials by buying the token services and ticketing business of chip maker Rambus. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Tokenisation - replacing sensitive payments information with a unique identifier (token) - has had a significant effect on securing card payments and reducing fraud at the point of sale and online since being introduced by Visa and others.
Visa says that by buying the Rambus assets - formerly called Bell ID and Ecebs - it can expand the benefits of tokenisation beyond its own cards to any type of transaction, including domestic card networks, account based, and real-time payment systems.
TS Anil, SVP, global head of payment products and platforms, Visa, says: "As the way people and businesses pay and get paid continues to evolve, the addition of Rambus’ technology will allow us to deliver greater security beyond the card to support more transactions, payments systems and participants."
Beyond tokenisation, Rambus’ digital ticketing portfolio will help Visa in its work with public transport operators. The payments giant has nearly 250 transit projects underway around the world as cities look to upgrade their systems for the digital age.