EMV Level 3 Certification

This section describes the Level 3 certification process used by

Visa Acceptance Solutions

and

Visa Platform Connect

. The certification processes and support for Global Card Present Connect projects and for direct merchant and acquirer projects differ from what is described here, but the timelines are basically the same.

Certification

is a formal process used to validate that the device and application are compliance with card scheme acceptance regulations. The certification team uses a brand test tool and simulator during the certification process, which includes these elements:

A payment card simulation tool such as UL, ICC, or Fime.
Failed case analysis and resolution.
For Mastercard certification, your PTP submits results to Mastercard and pays the costs for approved partners that Mastercard uses.
For Visa certification,
Visa Acceptance Solutions
submits results to Visa.
Waivers from the card schemes for exceptions.
Card schemes responses or Letter of Approval (LOA) to signify acceptance and Level 3 certification.

For information about how to design an EMV Level 3 certified payment application, see

EMV Book 3 Application Specification

.