October 1 is four weeks away. After that date, if a fraudulent chip card transaction happens at your facility and your reader doesn’t support EMV, you pay for it. Not the card issuer. You.
If you’ve already upgraded your pay stations and kiosks to EMV-capable readers, you’re in good shape. If you haven’t, here’s where things stand and what you can still do.
If Your Equipment Is Already EMV-Capable
Confirm that EMV processing is actually enabled — not just that the hardware supports it. Some operators installed chip-capable readers months ago but haven’t completed payment certification with their processor. Until certification is done, transactions may still fall back to mag-stripe, and you won’t have liability protection.
Call your processor and confirm your EMV certification status for each terminal. This is the single most important step.
If You Haven’t Started
You’re likely past the window for a full hardware swap before October 1. Lead times for equipment, installation, and certification typically run 8–16 weeks. That doesn’t mean you should wait.
Start the process now. Every week you delay past October 1 is a week of unprotected liability exposure. The fraud risk in parking is lower than retail, but the chargeback fees add up — and you’re absorbing 100% of them without EMV.
What About Fuel Dispensers and AFDs?
The card brands have granted automated fuel dispensers (AFDs) an extended deadline, currently set for October 2017. Parking pay stations and kiosks do not have this extension. The October 2015 deadline applies.
The Short Version
- EMV hardware installed? Verify certification is complete.
- Not started? Begin now — exposure starts October 1 regardless.
- Budget concern? The cost of one month’s chargebacks on a busy facility can exceed the cost of a reader upgrade.
The deadline isn’t moving. Your liability position after October 1 depends on what you do in the next 30 days.