News

Key to EMV adoption may be PR campaign

February 28, 2012

The promises of EMV seem like mysterious threats to U.S. consumers, and to overcome that barrier to adoption, the payments industry may want to look to the UK, specifically its "I heart PIN campaign," for some public relations guidance.

As recounted in this story from mobilewaytopay.com, officials in the UK mounted the PR push, which included not only a special logo, but a designated day for national awareness of the country's change to the new security measures. The adoption went well, and the UK remains a model of how to effect the change well.

Regarding the U.S. market, the author says:

It is unlikely we will see the same kind of nationwide campaign in the U.S., but what the UK changeover illustrates is the importance of education. We can’t simply issue new Chip and PIN cards, replace existing payment devices with new ones and expect the average shopper to know what to do. Nor can we expect a similar level of expertise, right off the bat, from store clerks responsible for keeping the lines moving during hectic shopping hours. There will be challenges early on and one way to help ameliorate any adverse reactions is with preventative, proactive education.