As more customers adapt to EMV chip cards, the need for a simplified EMV card personalization and validation process has become a long-term need for the payments industry. As a card issuer or personalization bureau, you know that the card personalization and validation process is currently complex, and it is important to ensure every card issued to a customer is secure, functional, and customized to meet their individual needs. In this blog, we will discuss the complete card personalization validation process as an issuer, card personalization bureau, and payment scheme and how it can be simplified further.

What is your role as an Issuer in the Card Personalization Validation Process?

As an issuing bank, you are responsible for providing cards to your customers and looking after the entire card lifecycle management, from production to distribution. When it comes to the personalization process, you are the one who sets the requirements and specifications that the card must meet, such as the

1. Issuance of cards by partnering with different payment schemes,
2. Providing options for the customer to customize the card design elements,
3. Incorporating the security and encoding standards.

You are accountable for validating the accuracy of the cardholder's data, such as the name, card number, and account number, against the system data. Any mismatch will lead to card declines and vulnerabilities which can damage your reputation.

As an issuer you must also ensure that the cards comply with the regulatory standards set by the payment schemes. Personalization validation is a crucial factor in maintaining your reputation and trust with your customers.

Overall, your core responsibility is to ensure that the card works flawlessly when it reaches your customer. 

What is your role as a Card Personalization Bureau in the Card Personalization Validation Process?

As a card personalization bureau you completely assist the card personalization process, ensuring that every card that leaves your facility meets the predefined requirements set by your issuing partners and the payment schemes. You also work closely with issuers and are equipped with cutting-edge technology capable of transferring data onto EMV chips. You have delicate process of

1. transferring data to the card using a specialized EMV card reader.
2. printing cardholder details using thermographic printing
3. embedding security features like holograms and micro text.

Working on a testing and validation process you test and validate the EMV chip to make sure that it contains the correct information and can be read by payment terminals.

As a personalization bureau you

1. validate the physical appearance of the card, ensuring that logos, card numbers, and design elements align with the issuer's branding and regulatory standards.
2. make sure that even the minor errors, such as a misaligned logo or incorrect font are avoided so that the card is not rejected by the issuers.
3. comply with industry standards like PCI DSS to protect cardholder information during the personalization process.

All these factors instill confidence in the end customers.

What is your role as Payment Scheme in the Card Personalization Validation Process?

As a payment scheme you set the standards for card issuance and personalization. You have a role to

1. Ensure that all cards issued under your network strictly adhere to security and functionality standards.
2. Provide the guidelines to issuers and personalization bureaus to follow to ensure that the cards are interoperable across different systems and countries.

You have a predefined validation process that requires all card issuers and card personalization validation tool vendors meet specific compliance requirements. It includes:

1. Validating the card's ability to perform secure transactions, which involves testing the correct functioning of the EMV chip. 
2. Actively involved in the certification of the card personalization process and personalization validation tools.
3. Provide certification programs that issuers, personalization bureaus, and the card personalization validation tool (PVT) vendors meet to ensure that their processes comply with the required standards. It is an ongoing process, with regular updates to standards as new technologies and threats emerge.

The Interconnect between Issuers, Bureaus, and Schemes

The card personalization validation process is a collaborative and complex partnership effort between issuers, personalization bureaus, and payment schemes. As an issuer you set the standards and requirements; as a personalization bureaus you execute the process with precision, and as a payment scheme you enforce compliance through regulations and certifications.

‍Simplifying your Card Personalization Validation Process

Ensure flawless and simplified EMV personalization with our personalized card validation tool (PVT), Tropo. It addresses all the testing and validation challenges faced by issuing banks and card personalization bureaus. It helps avoid the reputation risk of issuing invalid EMV to customers and the higher business costs of producing and issuing invalid cards. 

It is a self-service card personalization validation tool (PVT) that validates and pre-certifies the cards against the payment scheme specifications and issuer's business requirements to reduce wait times. 

Learn more about our simplified card personalization validation tool - Tropo, and accelerate your card personalization validation process with the major international payment schemes.