e3 Retail announces Point-to-Point encryption (P2PE) as part of its overall Point- of-Service strategy integrated into its TouchPointPOS solution. Having successfully integrated and deployed Point-to-Point encryption (P2PE) with a top 20 retailer in several strategic store locations across the country during Q4 2014, the solution will now deploy chain wide in early 2015. e3 Retail is readying another P2PE implementation using a different payment platform for another major U.S. retailer with the rollout planned for Q3 2015.

With P2PE, the consumer’s credit or debit card data is immediately encrypted when the consumer enters his or her card at a P2PE certified payment terminal via Magnetic Stripe Reader (MSR) swipe, Near Field Communication (NFC), Europay, MasterCard and Visa (EMV / Chip and Pin) card entry, or hand-key entry; thus easing the burden on the retailer in regard to managing or storing the customer’s sensitive data. Using advance capabilities integrated into TouchPointPOS, the system blocks the reading of non-encrypted credit data at the device layer prior to unsecure data entering the POS application to help prevent the fraudulent use of compromised or un-encrypted PIN PAD equipment. Once entered, the encrypted credit data flows end-to-end through the entire network beginning with the POS system and ending at the associated processor or bank - all secure. The encrypted credit data can only be decrypted and recognized at a specific P2PE endpoint such as the retailer’s backend merchant processor or authorizing bank.

P2PE delivers significant benefit:

  • While EMV helps to cut down on the fraudulent credit card usage, it does not eliminate the burden of managing sensitive customer information borne by the retailer. However, securing sensitive data through P2PE, the entire process from card read, authorization and storage of the data is protected.
  • P2PE also reduces PCI scope of the retailer’s store systems and POS applications and minimizes risk of external data breach and internal employee theft / fraud.
  • P2PE can be a part of the retailer’s strategic initiatives to instill consumer confidence when transacting business in the retailer’s store locations because consumer sensitive credit data is secured as soon as possible.

“2014 will be forever known in the retail industry as the year of massive credit card breaches. Despite large investments in PCI compliance, retailers experienced security intrusions where sensitive customer credit data was hacked and stolen. Fortunately, 2015 is shaping up to be the year where leading retailers take definitive action to fight back against hackers by integrating more secure solutions such as P2PE, EMV (Chip and Pin), and tokens. The cost of implementing a leading-edge POS solution with P2PE technology is small when compared to the financial exposure of a credit card data breach,” states Ken Jenkins, President, e3 Retail.

Visit e3 Retail at the National Retail Federation (NRF) The Big Show 2015 in the Hewlett-Packard (HP) booth (Booth #3143) during dates January 11-13, 2015, for a demo of TouchPointPOS part of the retail ADVANTAGe suite of solutions.

About e3 Retail

e3 Retail is a privately held company with offices in Raleigh, North Carolina; San Diego, California and New Delhi, India. With expertise in information technology, complex networks, systems architecture, industry consulting and innovative data solutions, e3 Retail has provided solutions to some of the leading companies in the world.