Circle K streamlines, secures card payments

Tempe, Ariz. In an effort to speed up the checkout experience, Circle K is now accepting MasterCard PayPass at select stores across the nation.

Shoppers armed with a PayPass card or device can tap it on a dedicated payment terminal to tender an order during checkout. Transactions under $25 do not require a signature or PIN.

“Our shoppers, who are regularly ‘on the go,’ will notice the speed, convenience and shorter lines that result when they tap to pay, instead of fumbling for cash and coins at checkout,” said Bryan Ritenour, business manager, fuels, Circle K.

The project is contributing to the growth of contactless payments. According to U.S. consumer research by the Smart Card Alliance, 9% of the U.S. population has a contactless payment card or device.

Circle K is also taking steps to further secure card payments and customer information, especially at the fuel pump. By partnering with Gilbarco Veeder-Root, Greensboro, N.C., the chain is adding the vendor’s FlexPay Encrypting PIN Pads and Encore S fuel dispensers. The additions will help the chain become compliant with Triple Data Encryption Standard treatment of PIN numbers entered by consumers during debit-card transactions at the pumps.

The upgrades will be made across all 2,000 of the chain’s U.S. locations. Circle K expects to complete remediations before the upcoming PCI DSS July 2010 deadline, which will focus on data-security standards pertaining to PIN entry devices.