Convenience and fuel retailers won a six-month reprieve from the October 1, 2020, deadline to upgrade their automated fuel dispensers (AFDs) to enable EMV chip-card payments. The four major credit card networks agreed to delay the deadline for the EMV fraud liability shift at the pump to April 2021 in response to letters NACS sent on behalf of its retail members, given the extreme disruption to the workforce and supply chain due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Visa was the first of the big four global networks to announce it would delay the liability shift to April 17, 2021. American Express and Discover followed, pushing back their deadlines to April 16, 2021. Mastercard was the last holdout, announcing in mid-May that it would postpone the EMV liability shift for AFDs to April 16, 2021. In addition to the major networks, U.S. Bank Voyager Fleet Services, an issuer of fleet cards, announced a delay to April 17, 2021.

The EMV delay comes at a time when convenience stores’ main objective is keeping stores open to meet the essential needs of their customers and communities. NACS is glad to see American Express, Discover, Mastercard and Visa recognize the unequivocal economic impact coronavirus is having on businesses and also the amount of work involved in EMV compliance.

“Our retailers’ top priority at this time is providing fuel and other products to the Americans who need it most and keeping its employees and customers safe and healthy,” NACS wrote to the card networks in late March as part of a coalition of retail and fuel marketer groups. “Given the significant impediments to many retailers getting AFDs and appropriate software that accept EMV payments developed, tested, certified, and installed, we respectfully request that you delay the AFD liability shift and set a new, achievable date for that transition once the current crisis has abated,” the letters stated. The coalition sent follow-up letters in early April after Visa initially denied the associations’ request.

For EMV research and compliance resources, visit www.convenience.org/EMV.