SOURCE: The Smart Card Alliance

November 06, 2008 10:07 ET

Fundamentals of Smart Cards for Payments the Focus of Second Webinar in Smart Card Alliance and ETA Payments Series

PRINCETON JUNCTION, NJ--(Marketwire - November 6, 2008) - New ways to pay with smart card-based chip cards, contactless cards and mobile phones are a hit with consumers and continuing to gain interest in the United States and globally. The technology behind these payment innovations is the topic of a November 18th webinar produced in partnership by the Smart Card Alliance and Electronic Transactions Association (ETA).

The webinar, "Fundamentals of Smart Cards for Payment," will take place on Tuesday, November 18th from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET. Registration is available for the event at http://www.smartcardalliance.org/pages/activities-events-web-seminars. It is the second of four webinars in the organizations' Smart Card Payments Application Series addressing the use of smart card technology within the payments industry.

"Because they are at the center of the electronic payments industry, our merchant acquirer members are always looking to be educated on the latest advances," said Carla Balakgie, CEO of ETA. "This webinar will build a strong base of knowledge of smart card-based payment technologies that are becoming increasingly relevant to everyone involved in the industry."

The webinar provides a foundation on the basics of smart card technology, applications and standards. It will cover contact and contactless versions of smart cards, applications for payments such as credit, debit, EMV, mobile, and transit, and other applications and standards. Included are details of the many types of smart payment cards and their unique uses and applications, with an emphasis on the United States and Canada.

Webinar presentations will answer these questions:
  -- How are smart cards used in payment in the United States and Canada?
  -- What standards do smart cards follow for payment applications and
     what security do smart cards bring to payment transactions?
  -- How do smart card payment transactions work -- from the card to the
     point-of-sale terminal to the processing infrastructure -- and how
     do they differ from magnetic stripe transactions?
  -- What changes need to be made in the back-end and at the merchant to
     process smart card transactions?
  -- What other business applications are enabled by the use of smart card
     technology?

Speakers scheduled include: Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance; Rori Ferensic, director of education and professional development, ETA; Gilles Lisimaque, partner, Identification Technology Partners; and Roger Musfeldt, director, mobile commerce solutions, First Data Corporation.

"We worked with ETA to design this webinar series to address all of the questions industry stakeholders have regarding smart card-based payment technologies," said Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance. "Attendees of the series will come away with a complete picture of the role of smart cards in payments -- from the basics of the technology, to implementation information, to security considerations."

This webinar follows the well-attended first webinar in the series, "Smart Cards in Mobile Payment/Near Field Communications (NFC)." Future webinars in the series are: "Smart Card Implementation" on January 13, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. ET; and "Smart Cards and Payment Security" on February 3, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. ET.

About the Smart Card Alliance

The Smart Card Alliance is a not-for-profit, multi-industry association working to stimulate the understanding, adoption, use and widespread application of smart card technology.

Through specific projects such as education programs, market research, advocacy, industry relations and open forums, the Alliance keeps its members connected to industry leaders and innovative thought. The Alliance is the single industry voice for smart cards, leading industry discussion on the impact and value of smart cards in the U.S. and Latin America. For more information please visit http://www.smartcardalliance.org.

About the Electronic Transactions Association

ETA is an international trade association representing companies who offer electronic transaction processing products and services. The purpose of ETA is to influence, monitor and help shape the merchant acquiring industry by providing leadership through education, advocacy and the exchange of information. ETA's membership spans the breadth of the payments industry, from financial institutions to transaction processors to independent sales organizations (ISOs) to equipment suppliers. More than 500 companies worldwide are members of ETA.