Discover will provide a common debit application identifier for the US migration to EMV Chip and PIN, after beating out competition from MasterCard and Visa.

The ten debit networks – AFFN, ATH, CO-OP Financial Services, Jeanie, Nets, Nyce, Presto!, Pulse, Shazam and Star – will license the D-Payment Application Specification (D-PAS) from Discover, as a common platform.

Discover won the right to develop the specs for the new chip following an evaluation from a working group convened under the Secure Remote Payment Council (SRPC).

The SRPC – a cross-industry trade association formed in 2010 – says the decision is the culmination of months of evaluation of different proposals on developing the US EMV chip.

According to a SRPC spokesman, the “deployment of a single interoperable chip and PIN solution for PIN debit should put in place one of the biggest remaining puzzle pieces to spur the US payment industry toward adoption of chip technology.”
The move towards chip and PIN security is said to reduce card fraud considerably. In this respect, the group will also evaluate the use of one-time card number technology developed by First Data/Sta, as a further protection layer against skimming and data breach frauds.

Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance, welcomed the move as a significant breakthrough in the debit routing issue: “The limits that put the Visa and MasterCard option at a disadvantage for the regional debit networks, namely support for contactless, limits over cardholder verification choices, and switching concerns have been addressed by using DPAS. Discover is offering up its significant investment and intellectual property to the regional debit networks in exchange for having a chance at having its Pulse debit card being one of two application choices on a chip card.”

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Related Articles

MasterCard makes technology available for US EMV migration

US: Q-Card, ICC Solutions seal EMV deal