EMVCoStandards

EMVCo Standards refer to a family of specifications published and maintained by EMVCo to enable interoperable payment transactions among payment cards, readers, and networks. The standards cover the technical rules for card-present and emerging mobile or digital methods, defining data elements, command formats, cryptographic processes, and message flows used in transaction authorization, offline data authentication, and terminal integration.

EMVCo is a standards development organization owned by the major payment networks. Its membership includes leading brands such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Discover, and UnionPay. The EMV acronym originates from Europay, Mastercard, and Visa, the original partners that initiated the standards, with later participation from additional networks to broaden global adoption.

The standards address both card and terminal technologies, encompassing contact and contactless smart cards, secure element and tokenization approaches, and support for mobile wallets. They specify how cards interact with readers, how data is exchanged, and how security procedures are applied to mitigate fraud and ensure integrity across the payment ecosystem.

EMVCo publishes EMV Specifications and related documents, organized into documentation sets that outline requirements for cards, terminals, and issuer networks. The standards are accompanied by testing and certification programs intended to verify conformance of cards, readers, and integrated devices before deployment. EMVCo periodically revises the specifications to reflect evolving security requirements and market needs.

Adoption of EMV standards is global and widespread, helping merchants, issuers, and acquirers reduce counterfeit fraud and achieve interoperable acceptance across diverse payment environments. EMVCo continues to evolve the standards to accommodate new payment methods, including mobile and digital wallet use cases, while maintaining compatibility with existing deployments.