FAQ: Terminal Type Approval

Terminal Type Approval FAQ 1. What does the EMVCo Terminal Type Approval activity cover? EMVCo has written and published Test Requirements, Processes and Test Cases for: - Terminal Contact chip card interface: IFM (Level 1) - EMVCo Level 2 Application Contact Kernel (Level 2) - Contactless interface: PCD (Level 1) - Contactless Product - Electro Static Discharge (ESD) Type Approval Administrative EMVCo also qualifies Tools that implement the Test Cases and recognised Testing Laboratories to deliver testing services to terminal, IFM and PCD Product Providers and application providers. Finally, EMVCo issues a Letter of Approval for approved products. 2. Where can the EMV® Specifications be found? The EMV Specifications can be found within the Document Search section of the website. Please also check the EMVCo website for specific details on Contactless device testing and the related processes and requirements for obtaining test tools or information on recognised laboratories. 3. I am an Recognised Laboratory and would like to open a new location, what should I do? The laboratory has to provide an updated Laboratory request for registration form which is provided on demand by the CATA secretariat. Please contact the CATA secretariat terminal_approval@emvco.com for further information. 4. Where can I find a list of Products that have been approved by EMVCo for Contact Level 1, Contactless Level 1, Contact Level 2 and Contactless Product? Regularly updated lists of Level 1-approved interface modules, Level 2-approved application kernels, Level 1-approved PCD and approved Contactless Products can be obtained from the EMVCo website (see the Approved Product section under the Approved & Registered heading). 144040558.1 © 2019-2025 EMVCo, LLC. All rights reserved. Page 1 5. What is an 'Application Contact Kernel'? An Application Contact Kernel is a software module, core, or library, forming part of a complete terminal application architecture that is developed for exclusive support of the EMV contact debit/credit functions and application requirements. Since Application Contact Kernels are functionally tested and approved by EMVCo as standalone components, they may be ported to other hardware platforms under certain conditions such as those sharing identical Operating Systems. The Type Approval Bulletin #11 provides additional information on major/minor change process. 6. What is an ‘EMVCo Contactless Kernel C-n'? It is a self-contained software Module compliant to one of the EMVCo Book C-n Contactless Specifications. 7. What does ‘Application Contact Kernel testing’ mean? Application Contact Kernel testing is testing of the Application Contact Kernel Level 2 (according to EMV 4.3 books) in an EMVCo recognised laboratory. This kernel manages the EMV functions and dialog with terminal payment application that performs contact transactions. Testing of payment scheme specific brand settings is the responsibility of the payment systems themselves. 8. What does ‘Contactless Product testing’ mean? Contactless Product testing is the testing of EMVCo Terminal software built to Book A & B Specifications (Entry Point) containing an approved PCD and at least one of C-n Kernels in an EMVCo recognised laboratory. Contactless Product testing also involves Kernel Independency testing and Modular testing (if supported). Note that for Contactless Product Type Approval, the approval and testing covers a complete Contactless Product and not components within this Product. 9. When do I use the option “new” in the ICS Form? The option new in the ICS is to be used for the first ICS request. 10. When do I use the option “replacement” ICS Form? The option ”replacement” in the ICS is to be used when an ICS reference has already been generated and the ICS is to replace a previous issued ICS due to a change of information before the issuance of the Test report. 144040558.1 © 2019-2025 EMVCo, LLC. All rights reserved. Page 2 11. Can I change some of the ICS responses during a session? As per the ICS replacement rules defined in the Approval Administrative Processes in section 2.12.2, after the start of the test session of the Product, ICS replacements are only allowed for administrative information update (such as name of product) but are not allowed for technical information update. If a Technical change is required the session shall start from the beginning. 12. If I am interested in purchasing a previously approved contact IFM, Contactless PCD or Application Contact Kernel from a Product Provider, how do I know that it will be compatible with my device? Those interested in purchasing approved components should contact the appropriate equipment provider directly to discuss price and compatibility. Previously approved components can be integrated into new hardware platforms, provided there are no changes made that could potentially have a negative effect upon the functionality of the component. Type Approval Bulletin #11 provides guidelines about the conditions under which a previously approved component can be integrated without requiring retesting by an EMVCo laboratory. This applies for Contact Level 1 and Contact Level 2 only as for Contactless EMVCo approval the complete Contactless Product is approved and not separate components. 13. What are the definitions of ‘terminal’ and ‘interface module’ in the context of a fully integrated Contact POS system? The interface module (IFM) is defined in Book 1 of EMV 4.3, while the terminal definition is given in Book 3 and 4. These specifications are applicable to integrated POS, stand-alone POS or ATMs. Integrated POS systems may differ from other POS systems regarding software modularity. 14. How can I become registered for EMV Contact Level 1, Contactless Level 1, Contact Level 2 or Contactless Product Type Approval? The Type Approval procedure is explained in the EMVCo Type Approval Terminal Contact Level 1, Contactless Level 1, Contact Level 2 or Contactless Product Administrative Process documents available from the EMVCo website and the registration forms are available. All forms should be completed and submitted electronically to: terminal_approval@emvco.com 144040558.1 © 2019-2025 EMVCo, LLC. All rights reserved. Page 3 15. Do I need the support of an acquirer to submit a product for Type Approval? No, Terminal Application, Contact Kernel testing or Contactless Product testing can be performed independently from the acquirer infrastructure. Payment Scheme testing is separate from EMVCo testing. 16. Is it possible to ‘self-certify’ an EMVCo compliant terminal? EMVCo does not recognize in-house approval testing. A Product Provider can nevertheless purchase test tools to perform in-house debug testing before being submitted to an EMVCo laboratory for formal testing. Some testing laboratories offer preliminary testing to debug the IFM, PCD, the Application Contact Kernel or the Contactless Product. 17. Where can I find a list of EMVCo recognised laboratories? A list of recognised laboratories can be obtained from the EMVCo website (Approved & Registered/Service Providers section). Please note that some testing laboratories perform Contact Level 1, Contactless Level 2, Contact Level 2 and Contactless Product testing while others provide only one of the services. 18. How can I obtain test tools to assist in the development of either an IFM, PCD, Application Contact Kernel or Contactless Product? A list of qualified tools can be obtained from the EMVCo website (see the Approved Product section under the Service Providers heading). 19. Which laboratory should I use for Type Approval testing? Product Providers are free to select any recognised laboratory of their choosing. Since the services and associated costs of each laboratory will vary depending on availabilities, the Product Provider is encouraged to contact multiple laboratories to discuss fees and availability of testing. 20. How can I obtain an editable electronic copy of the Request For Approval (RFA) Form? An editable version of the Request For Approval form can be downloaded from the EMVCo website under the under the Processes & Forms heading. 144040558.1 © 2019-2025 EMVCo, LLC. All rights reserved. Page 4 21. Could you please advise the usual turnaround time for obtaining approval after the submission of an official Type Approval test result? EMVCo strives for a 2-week turnaround for approval requests after all pre-requisites (contract, approval requests, and payment) have been satisfied. Evaluation of test results and notification of approval will take longer if evaluation of the test results identifies questions, incomplete tests, or test failures. 22. Please identify the steps required for Terminal Type Approval? Please refer to the Administrative Process documentation for the steps necessary for Type Approval. The general process is as follows: Registration, Contract, Testing, Approval Request, Invoice & Payment, Test Result Evaluation, and Approval or Decline notification. 23. I am a developer of POS terminals and would like to get approval from EMV. Besides getting terminal approval, can I get Card approval too? EMVCo manages also the Card Type Approval, as per the Product Approval Processes section under the Processes & Forms heading on the EMVCo website. 24. What is the cost of Type Approval testing? While EMVCo assesses certain administrative costs associated with the Type Approval process, the actual cost of testing varies, depending upon the laboratory used. Since the laboratories assess different fees for the services they provide, the Product Provider is encouraged to contact multiple laboratories. The geographic location of the laboratory may also be a consideration. 25. How do I know if my device can become Contact Level 1, Contactless Level 1, Contact 2 or Contactless Product compliant? EMVCo cannot review or make recommendations concerning the compliance of your products. It is the responsibility of the Product Provider to review the appropriate technical specifications to ensure they meet all the requirements set by EMVCo. Any Product Provider should then be able to submit a product for testing and approval consideration with relative ease, provided they meet all the requirements set by EMVCo. 26. Is it possible to combine different IFMs and Application Contact Kernels? IFMs and Application Contact Kernels are approved as independent functional components. It may be a minor change to combine previously approved components that may never have been used in combination before -- including components that may have been developed according to different versions of the EMV specification. If an IFM and 144040558.1 © 2019-2025 EMVCo, LLC. All rights reserved. Page 5 application kernel can be combined without requiring any of the modifications categorized as major for either component, the process of combining the components can be considered a minor change. The Type Approval Bulletin #11 provides additional information on major/minor change process 27. Is it possible to combine contact components developed to different versions of the EMV 4 .3 specification? Yes. You may use or submit components, that have been developed to different versions of the EMV specification, for Type Approval testing. For example, it is possible to submit an Application Contact Kernel for EMV4.3 Level 2 approval using an IFM that was previously approved to EMV4.2. There is no requirement that you upgrade your EMV4.2 IFM to be EMV4.3 compliant as long as the LoA is still valid. 28. Can I reconfigure previously approved Application Contact Kernels? EMVCo laboratories test only pre-defined configurations as per the Multiple Configuration Kernel (MCK) process. An Application Contact Kernel can be tested for one or more configurations. However, Application Contact Kernels can be used only with configurations that have been previously tested and approved by an EMVCo. The number of potential configurations that can be supported depends upon whether the contact kernel was tested for single or multiple configurations. Note that it is possible to add new configurations through a subsequent submission. 29. Is it possible to modify the EMVCo contract? EMVCo policy requires all Product Providers interested in EMVCo Type Approval to sign the same standard contract. Contract modifications for individual Product Providers are not possible. However, general comments will be forwarded to EMVCo legal representatives for review and possible inclusion in future contract updates. 30. What fees does EMVCo assess for the approval process and how are these payments made? Registration is free of charge with EMVCo. However, each request for approval is subject to a Type Approval fee. EMVCo administrative fee for test result evaluation services depends on the Product submitted (Contact Level 1, Contactless Level 1, Application Contact Kernel or Contactless Product) and if it is an initial approval or a MCK (case of Application Contact Kernel) or a subsequent Submission (case of Contactless Product) or a renewal. Please check the fees structure in each corresponding bulletin available on www.emvco.com. 144040558.1 © 2019-2025 EMVCo, LLC. All rights reserved. Page 6 EMVCo will provide you with an invoice when receiving your completed Request For Approval form. Your invoice will contain payment details, such as account number and payment description to be used. EMVCo only accepts payments containing the correct payment description, as shown on your invoice. 31. What does EMVCo require when requesting that the Product Provider identifies the IFM, the PCD or Application Contact Kernel “as tested in”? This designation is not part of the IFM or the PCD or Kernel identification. “As tested in” provides linkage to the name of the device within which the IFM, the PCD or Application Contact Kernel was actually tested. Note that when completing a Request For Approval, or Implementation Conformance Statement (ICS), the “as tested in” device name must not specify a series or range of terminals. If the components can be used in a series of devices, it is the responsibility of the Product Provider to maintain the necessary documentation linking additional devices to a previously approved component. It is mandatory that the specific model used during testing be identified on these forms. Not doing so may result in a delay of approval. All laboratories are required to report the specific terminal the IFM or Application Contact Kernel sample was tested in. This information should be presented within the test report, usually noted in Section III - Product Description, before the test case summary. Note that for Contactless Products the “as tested in” does not exist as the Contactless Product Type Approval is for a complete Product and not for components within a Product. 32. How should I assign my IFM, PCD or Application Contact Kernel to an Identifier? Product Providers should note that when assigning an ID to an IFM, a PCD or an Application Contact Kernel, characters that imply a range, series, or family of IFMs, PCDs or Application Contact Kernels are not allowed. This also extends to the “Version” description, as well. For example: Level 1 - IFM and Terminal Identification (EXAMPLE ONLY) Commercial Model # and IFM Name: Rocket 2xxx Version 1.x (Not Acceptable) Terminal Identification: Cool 1xxx Family (Not Acceptable) -------------------------------------------------------------------Commercial Model # and IFM Name: Rocket 2100 Version 1.0 (Acceptable) Terminal Identification: Cool 1100 (Acceptable) Note: Here the Terminal Identification is what will be noted in the “As Tested In” field. ========================================== Level 2 - EMV Application Contact Kernel Identification (EXAMPLE ONLY) 144040558.1 © 2019-2025 EMVCo, LLC. All rights reserved. Page 7 Terminal Name and Model Number: Slider 3xxx Series (Not Acceptable) Application Name and Version: KillerApp WR** Version 2.x (Not Acceptable) -------------------------------------------------------------------Terminal Name and Model Number: Slider 3000 (Acceptable) Application Name and Version: KillerApp WR1B Version 2.2 (Acceptable) Note: Here the Terminal Name and Model Number is what will be noted in the “As Tested In” field. Product Providers should ensure that the approval request matches the description in the Implementation Conformance Statement (ICS). When in doubt, the data provided in the ICS is used as the primary source of information for the EMVCo website, and in the Letter of Approval. 33. Can you clarify the Test Report Validity Policy? Test results can be submitted to EMVCo for evaluation up to 90 days from the date they are generated by the laboratory. Please note the first day for this validity period is the completion date of the testing, not when the report is printed by the laboratory, or when the Product Provider receives the report. Test results that exceed the 90-day validity period are considered expired and may not be submitted. Re-testing is required to create a current test report if the validity period is exceeded and EMVCo evaluation is desired. 34. How do I indicate the Terminal Type Description when submitting an Application Contact Kernel? The terminal type description is to be indicated in “Part III-Terminal Resident Data Objects”, in the Level 2 Contact ICS. Description: This field should contain only one value, or multiple values, if the application kernel is being tested for multiple configurations. All supported values shall be declared. Note that this value should correspond to those details selected in the ICS under Part V Terminal Details, which describe the type of terminal configuration being tested. Valid Terminal Types (Operational Control Provided by) (Environment) Financial Institution Attended Online only 11 21 -Offline with online capabilities 12 Offline only 13 23 -Unattended Online only 14 24 34 Merchant 22 -- Cardholder 144040558.1 © 2019-2025 EMVCo, LLC. All rights reserved. Page 8 Offline with online capabilities 15 25 35 Offline only 16 26 36 35. How can I change an approved Product (IFM/PCD/Contact Level 2) without retesting? Type Approval Bulletin #11 provides guidelines about the minor/major change process. Major change require a new testing and a new approval, where minor not. This applies for Contact Level 1, Contactless Level 1, Contact Level 2 only as for Contactless EMVCo approval the complete Contactless Product is approved and not separate components. 36. How can I ask EMVCo to reissue a Letter if Approval (“LoA”) using a different product name? LoA re-issuance is possible where the following information can be changed: - company name - address - contact - for Contact Level 2 kernel Product: "EMV Application Kernel" - for Contact Level 1 IFM Product: "IFM Identification", Hardware and Software - for Contactless Level 1 PCD Product: "PCD Identification", Hardware and Software - for Contactless Product: "Product Name" AND/OR Vendor ID Module Name. Other information cannot be changed as it reflects the product under test. EMVCo will charge an administrative fee per LoA re-issuance. Please contact the CATA secretariat terminal_approval@emvco.com for further information 37. Can I get an LoA if some tests failed during the session? EMVCo does not grant waivers to a product that does not pass all Type Approval tests. 38. Can I get an LoA renewed if some tests failed during the renewal session? If a product fails renewal tests (e.g., due to updated specifications), EMVCo may analyse the failed tests to decide if the renewed LoA can be granted. For example, for Level 2 Contact, specific failures due to the non-support of the tokenization data are accepted as per Type Approval Bulletin #199. The phase of a product’s renewal where EMVCo studies the failed tests is referred to as the restricted renewal process, and it is optional. It is up to the Product Provider to decide to pursue the restricted renewal process. 144040558.1 © 2019-2025 EMVCo, LLC. All rights reserved. Page 9 39. EMVCo has recently introduce PCD interoperability testing for PCD approval. Can I get the detail of the reference cardholder devices used for this test? EMVCo does not provide the list of reference cardholder devices used for testing, this list remains confidential. 40. EMVCo has recently introduce PCD interoperability testing for PCD approval. Is this new test mandatory for a renewal? Yes for PCD approval renewal, the PCD interoperability testing is mandated by EMVCo. 41. Can I change the test application during a Level 2 Contact session? Product under Test (the Kernel) used during a Test Session shall remain unchanged during the whole session. In case that there is an issue and a Test Application needed to be changed, the Laboratory shall request the authorization from EMVCo and provide technical details. EMVCo will analyse and decide if it will be allowed to change and continue the ongoing session. In any case no change is allowed in the Product under Test (The Kernel). 42. Can I change the DTE application for a PCD renewal? The DTE can be updated for PCD renewal provided that no change is performed on the Level 1 part of the PCD, neither hardware nor software. 43. I have a question; how can I contact EMVCo? For any question in relation with an on going Terminal Type Approval session you can send an email to terminal_approval@emvco.com. For any other question, please use the contact sheet on www.emvco.com. 44. What is the Contactless Symbol compliancy I should follow? The Contactless Symbol shall comply with the requirements defined in Contactless Symbol Reproduction Requirements. In case it is not possible send a query to request EMVCo's opinion before to start Approval process. This request should include a full description of the Contactless Symbol position and size. 45. Is the LoA of my Contact Level 2 Kernel still valid if I change the Terminal Floor Limit? For EMV contact, the terminal floor limit check, if performed, sets the 'Transaction exceeds floor limit' bit in the TVR to 1 if the transaction amount is greater than or equal to the Terminal Floor Limit. 144040558.1 © 2019-2025 EMVCo, LLC. All rights reserved. Page 10 Changing the data setting (including setting this limit to 0) of any risk management functions does not impact the approval of the Kernel. 46. Is the LoA of my Contact Level 2 Kernel still valid if I change the Random Selection threshold? For EMV contact, the random transaction selection check, if performed, sets the 'Transaction selected randomly for online processing' bit in the TVR to 1 if the terminal randomly selects the transaction for online processing. Changing the data setting of any risk management functions does not impact the approval of the Kernel. 47. Is the LoA of my Contact Level 2 Kernel still valid if I change the setting of the TAC of my Terminal Type ‘22’? A contact terminal with terminal type '22' is by definition a terminal that can approve transactions offline and online. Such a terminal uses the TRM checks in combination with the TACs (and the IACs) to: • Allow a transaction to be approved offline, • Force a transaction to be approved online. The TRM floor limit check in particular is used to define the offline or online modes of operation of these terminals, dependent on the transaction amount. If the terminal floor limit is set to zero, the terminal floor limit check will always result in the 'Transaction exceeds floor limit' bit in the TVR to be set to 1, whatever the actual transaction amount. As a consequence, it is possible to configure such a terminal so that it would not approve transactions offline using the following values: The terminal floor limit is set to zero, The 'Transaction exceeds floor limit' bit in the TAC-Denial is set to 0 (byte 4 bit 8), The 'Transaction exceeds floor limit' bit in the TAC-Online is set to 1 (byte 4 bit 8), The 'Transaction exceeds floor limit' bit in the TAC-Default is set to 1 (byte 4 bit 8). Changing the TAC setting of does not impact the approval of the Kernel. 144040558.1 © 2019-2025 EMVCo, LLC. All rights reserved. Page 11