Tag Archives: contactless

VCTKS 1.1 is available

The latest version of VCTKS (Visa Contactless Transit Kernel Specification) v 1.1 is now available.

We constantly work on the improvement of our embedded software payment suite against the latest requirements released by international payment standards.

VCTKS is the Visa contactless library designed to be implemented into terminals dedicated to smart fare collection in transit networks.

Terminal providers looking to integrate Visa to their transit terminals must submit the appropriate VCTKS kernel to functional testing session to ensure that the kernel supports particular features required to process contactless transactions in transit. Read more in our previous post dedicated to VCTKS

Contact your Alcineo representative to have further information at : info@alcineo.com

More information on Visa Technology Partner website

PR : softPOS – payment acceptance on smartphone

The principle of softPOS is to offer a lightweight, convenient and secure solution accessible to all merchants, using only their smartphone to start accepting payment cards without the need for additional card reader.

SoftPOS is ideal to convert small and micro businesses to digital payment technology.

It also completes existing POS systems with increased checkout mobility and convenience.

Alcinéo offers a softPOS SDK to payment solution providers. Our flexible and secure approach allows them to customize their solution and reduce time to market.

The SoftPOS solution offers a simple alternative to traditional payment terminal. It embeds EMV payment software and meets the tap-to-phone requirements issued by major payment schemes.

It provides a high-end level of security and data protection, using tokenisation and other encryption methods to ensure the safety of sensitive transaction data all the way throught the digital payment process.

View the press release in PDF version HERE

Our solution will be presented during Money 2020 Europe in Amsterdam. Join us on the Frenchtech pavilion, booth Q50.

Contactless : JCB 1.4 now available

Save time, request JCB 1.4 library for a shortened certification leadtime

Since the 1^st of April, contactless payment terminals submitted to type approval for JCB payment scheme must support the JCB v1.4 specification.

Alcinéo has updated the JCB library in compliance with the latest specification, allowing our customers to certify their payment solutions in a timely manner.

Sunset of Expresspay 3.1

Since the release of the updated American Express contactless kernel v4.0.2, terminal providers had the possibility to certify their product against either version.

Count down has now started for payment solution providers to comply with Expresspay 4.0.2. No new certification will be allowed with the 3.1 version as of February 10th 2020.

Stay in touch for relevant information on certification updates and feel free to contact your Alcinéo representative for support with your smart payment project : info@alcineo.com

Update to Discover’s contactless specification

Discover Financial Services have released new bulletins last summer – TAS 003 & TAS 004, to update their contactless specification.

New functional test cases related to these bulletins are integrated into the test plan v1.2, and will be applicable as of April 15^th 2020.

The updates are related to Online PIN, transit transaction types and tokenization.

Payment terminal providers must implement the two bulletins mentioned above and should operate a pre-testing campaign accordingly, before submitting their product to DPAS contactless Terminal Type Approval. For more information, visit Discover website,

To stay informed of current specifications or test plan versions requested during Terminal Type Approvals feel free to contact us at : info@alcineo.com.

Activation of JCB 1.4 contactless

The activation of JCB 1.4 contactless Type Approval is effective since end of September 2019.
Terminal providers shall now submit their products to JCB contactless v1.4 certification process, using the related documentation : TA test program requirements 1.5 and JCB 1.4 Implementation Conformance Statement.
The sunset for accepting Type Approval requests for JCB v1.3 based terminal is end of March 2020, and end of March 2022 for renewal TA requests.
Contact your Alcinéo representative to obtain further information on JCB implementation and type approval process : info@alcineo.com

Keep in touch with us and stay tuned with global payment industry updates.

Mastercard LoA validity

Mastercard has decided to extend the LoA validity for MCL approved products, to align with the validity period granted to contactless terminals certified with EMV® contactless Level 1 3.0 specification.

Products submitted to Mastercard contactless approval, with a Contactless Level 1 compliant with the 3.0 specification will now obtain a LoA with 4 years validity period.

Interac Flash v1.6

Interac Flash v1.6 for all contactless terminals

A few months ago, Interac had released a specification update for the certification of payment terminals applicable in the transit sector only.

Interac has published earlier this month the relevant documentation such as ICS or product registration form in v1.6.

From now on, all type of contactless capable terminals submitted to type approval with Interac Flash shall integrate the IF Level 2 kernel version 1.6.

Feel free to contact us for further information at : info@alcineo.com.

EMV® contactless specifications update v2.8

EMVCo has released an update of the contactless specifications. Book A (Architecture and general requirements), Book B (Entry point), and all Books C (contactless kernels) have been updated to version 2.8, and are available on EMVCo website.

The changes are related to Request Online PIN and pre-processing to enable zero value transaction (check Book A and Entry Point).

Feel free to contact your Alcinéo representive for more information.

EMV® is a registered trademark in the U.S. and other countries and an unregistered trademark elsewhere. The EMV trademark is owned by EMVCo, LLC.

New ICS for EMV® Contactless Level 1 available

The applicability of EMV® 3.0 is now effective, and the corresponding ICS for EMV® Contactless Level 1 v3.0 is available for download on EMVCo website.

Vendors can submit their contactless capable terminals to type approval against the v3.0 test plan. The scope of the EMV Contactless Level 1 testing includes Analogue test, Digital test, and Interoperability test. The aim is to adapt POS systems to new methods of payment used worldwide.

As the version 3.0 includes major changes on the Analogue side, EMVCo has stretched the migration period until December 2019. Hence, if products don’t pass all Analogue v3.0 tests, they can be granted a v2.6 LoA, provided :

they pass all v3.0 Digital test cases
they pass certain v3.0 Analogue test cases (detailed description in TTA bulletin 221).

Contact your Alcinéo representative to have further information on the Terminal certification processes at : info@alcineo.com.

EMV® is a registered trademark in the U.S. and other countries and an unregistered trademark elsewhere. The EMV trademark is owned by EMVCo, LLC.