SB nº SB-76 : Language Selection (Spec Change)

Specification Bulletin No. 76 First Edition November 2009 Language Selection Clarifies the EMV Language Selection requirements and how any proprietary language selection process should be performed. Also allows terminals that have no means of offering manual language selection to the cardholder the option to perform automatic language selection without problem if no matching languages are found.

Effective Date

This bulletin is effective from November 2010, at which time any affected or new type approval testing will also come into effect.

Applicability

This Specification Bulletin applies to:

• EMV Integrated Circuit Card Specifications for Payment Systems, Book 4, Cardholder, Attendant and Acquirer Interface Requirements

Related Documents

None

Description

Currently, if a terminal performs automated language selection according to EMV requirements, it shall, if no matching languages are found, offer the option to the cardholder of manually choosing one of the languages that it supports. This requirement precludes terminals that are unable to offer manual language selection from offering automated language selection in case no matching languages are found. This change corrects that situation. Also, some terminals perform proprietary language selection, and this change clarifies requirements with respect to such a process. Other clarifications have also been made with respect to when language selection must be complete and when the local language shall be used if language selection finds no matching languages. Specification Change Notice Please make the following changes to Book 4 section 11.1: Delete the second sentence of the first paragraph which begins ‘The messages displayed to the attendant…’. Replace the fourth through eighth paragraphs with the following: ‘If the terminal supports multiple languages, selection of the language to be used for displaying cardholder messages is performed prior to the issuance of the GET PROCESSING OPTIONS command; otherwise the local language is used to display cardholder messages. Language selection may be performed either by using the EMV language selection process (based on language preference indicated by the card), or by using a proprietary process. If the EMV language selection process is used, the following rules apply:

• If the card does not provide a Language Preference data object, the terminal shall allow the cardholder to select their preferred language if it has a means for allowing such selection. Messages shall be displayed to the cardholder in the selected language or, if the terminal has no means of offering language selection to the cardholder, in the local language.
• If the card does provide a Language Preference data object, the terminal shall compare the card’s language preferences with the languages it supports:
• If a match is found, the language with the highest preference shall be used for the messages displayed to the cardholder. (The Language Preference data object is coded so that the language with the highest preference appears first and the lowest preference appears last.)
• If no match is found, the terminal shall allow the cardholder to select their preferred language if it has a means for allowing such selection. Messages shall be displayed to the cardholder in the selected language or, if the terminal has no means of offering language selection to the cardholder, in the local language. Alternatively terminals may support a proprietary language selection process which is outside the scope of EMV. If such a proprietary language selection process is used, the EMV language selection process shall not be performed. The language selected using the proprietary process shall be used throughout the transaction. Messages should be displayed to the attendant in the language of the attendant’s choice or, if the terminal has no means of offering language selection to the attendant, in the local language. Messages displayed to the attendant and cardholder may be displayed in different languages if supported by the terminal.’