Payments Council

The Secure Technology Alliance Payments Council focuses on securing payments and payment applications in the U.S. through industry dialogue, commentary on standards and specifications, technical guidance and educational programs, for consumers, merchants, issuers, acquirers, processors, payment networks, government regulators, mobile providers, industry suppliers and other industry stakeholders.

The Council’s primary goal is to inform and educate the market about the means of improving the security of the payments infrastructure and enhancing the payments experience. The group brings together payments industry stakeholders to work on projects related to implementing secured payments across all payment channels and payment technologies.

The Payments Council’s projects include research projects, white papers, industry commentary, case studies, web seminars, workshops and other educational resources.

Download description of Council mission, activities and membership.

Payments Council Resources

EMV

Visit the EMV Connection web site for additional resources on EMV from both the Secure Technology Alliance and the U.S. Payments Forum and GoChipCard.com for easy-to-use resources on chip cards for consumers, merchants and issuers.

• Biometric Payment Cards, Secure Technology Alliance Payments Council white paper, March 2019
• Card Payments Roadmap in the U.S.: How Will EMV Impact the Future Payments Infrastructure?, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council white paper, September 2012
• Contactless EMV Payments: Benefits for Consumers, Merchants and Issuers, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council white paper, June 2016
• Contactless EMV Payments: Issuer Opportunities, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council webinar, November 2016
• Contactless EMV Payments: Merchant Opportunities, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council webinar, October 2016
• Contactless Payments in the U.S.: Guides for Merchants and Issuers, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council infographics, January 2017
• Dynamic Security Code Cards: A Primer, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council white paper, July 2020
• Electric Vehicle Charging Open Payment Framework with ISO 15118, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council white paper, February 2021
• EMV 101 for the Healthcare Industry, Smart Card Alliance Health and Human Services Council white paper, September 2015
• EMV and NFC: Complementary Technologies Enabling Secure Contactless Payments, Smart Card Alliance Mobile Council and Payments Council white paper, December 2015
• EMV and Parking, Smart Card Alliance Transportation Council white paper, May 2016
• The EMV Ecosystem: An Interactive Experience for the Payments Community, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council resource, February 2013
• EMV Frequently Asked Questions, December 2013
• EMV for Merchants and Acquirers: U.S. Migration Considerations webinar, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council webinar, October 2011
• EMV Connection, EMV-focused website providing up-to-date information on the status of EMV migration, along with tutorials and educational material.
• Expert Series Videos: EMV
• Technologies for Payment Fraud Prevention: EMV, Encryption and Tokenization, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council white paper, October 2014

Mobile / NFC

• Chip-Enabled Mobile Marketing, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council white paper, October 2010
• Contactless EMV Payments: Benefits for Consumers, Merchants and Issuers, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council white paper, June 2016
• Contactless EMV Payments: Issuer Opportunities, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council webinar, November 2016
• Contactless EMV Payments: Merchant Opportunities, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council webinar, October 2016
• Contactless Payments in the U.S.: Guides for Merchants and Issuers, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council infographics, January 2017
• Contactless Payments:  Proposed Implementation Recommendations, Secure Technology Alliance Payments Council white paper, January 2018
• EMVCo Payment Account Reference (PAR): A Primer, Secure Technology Alliance Payments Council white paper, April 2018
• EMV and NFC: Complementary Technologies Enabling Secure Contactless Payments, Smart Card Alliance Mobile Council and Payments Council white paper, December 2015
• EMV Tokenization webinar, Smart Card Alliance Mobile Council webinar, November 3, 2016
• The Mobile Payments and NFC Landscape: A U.S. Perspective, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council white paper, September 2011
• NFC Frequently Asked Questions, June 2011
• NFC Resources, providing up-to-date information and news on NFC
• Security of Proximity Mobile Payments, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council white paper, May 2009
• Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) 101: A Primer, Smart Card Alliance Mobile Council white paper, April 2018

Contactless Payments

• Biometric Payment Cards, Secure Technology Alliance Payments Council white paper, March 2019
• Contactless EMV Payments: Benefits for Consumers, Merchants and Issuers, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council white paper, June 2016
• Contactless EMV Payments: Issuer Opportunities, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council webinar, November 2016
• Contactless EMV Payments: Merchant Opportunities, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council webinar, October 2016
• Contactless Payments in the U.S.: Guides for Merchants and Issuers, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council infographics, January 2017
• Contactless Payments: Issuer Benefits and Considerations, Secure Technology Alliance Payments Council webinar, May 2018
• Contactless Payments: Merchant Benefits and Considerations, Secure Technology Alliance Payments Council webinar, July 2018
• Contactless Payments: Proposed Implementation Recommendations,Secure Technology Alliance Payments Council white paper, January 2018
• Contactless Payments Resources, up-to-date information and news on contactless payments programs in the U.S.
• Contactless Payments Security Q&A, December 2016
• EMVCo Payment Account Reference (PAR): A Primer, Secure Technology Alliance Payments Council white paper, April 2018
• Implementation Considerations for Contactless Payment-Enabled Wearables with Secure Elements, Secure Technology Alliance Payments Council white paper, August 2020
• IoT and Payments: Current Market Landscape, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council and IoT Security Council white paper, November 2017

U.S. Payments Industry

• Card-Not-Present Fraud: A Primer on Trends and Transaction Authentication Processes, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council white paper, February 2014
• The Changing U.S. Payments Landscape: Impact on Payment Transactions at Physical Stores, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council white paper, November 2013
• The True Cost of Data Breaches in the Payments Industry, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council white paper, March 2015

Other

• Biometric Payment Cards, Secure Technology Alliance Payments Council white paper, March 2019
• Biometric Payment Cards webinar, July 2019
• Blockchain and Smart Card Technology, Secure Technology Alliance Payments Council white paper, March 2017
• Dynamic Security Code Cards webinar, March 2021
• Electric Vehicle Charging Open Payment Framework with ISO 15118, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council white paper, February 2021
• Electric Vehicle Charging Payments webinar, February 2019
• Smart.Payments, LinkedIn group open to the public to stimulate discussion of payments-related topics.
• What Makes a Smart Card Secure?, Smart Card Alliance Payments Council white paper, October 2008

Council Management

The Council is managed by a steering committee composed of a cross section of the financial payments industry.

Steering committee officers are:

• Co-Chair: Oliver Manahan, Infineon Technologies
• Co-Chair: Jack Jania, CPI Card Group
• Vice Chair: Nick Pisarev, Giesecke+Devrient
• Secretary: Jamie Topolski, Fiserv

Current steering committee members are:

• Ryan Ahern, Ingenico
• Deana Cook, Wells Fargo
• Jose Correa, NXP Semiconductors
• Terry Dooley, SHAZAM
• Simon Hurry, Visa
• Jack Jania, CPI Card Group
• Oliver Manahan, Infineon Technologies
• Nick Pisarev, Giesecke+Devrient
• Ellie Smith, Discover Financial Services
• Jamie Topoloski, Fiserv

Council Membership

The Payments Council is one of several Secure Technology Alliance Technology and Industry Councils, a new type of focused group within the overall structure of the Alliance. Council participation is open to any Secure Technology Alliance member who wishes to contribute to the Council projects.

The Secure Technology Alliance recognizes the top three individual contributors in each of the industry councils and the council “honor roll” – the individuals who were leading contributors and participants in the council projects and activities.

• 2020 Council Honor Roll

Secure Technology Alliance members who are active in the Payments Council include:

• ACI Worldwide
• American Express
• Brian Stein, LLCC
• Clear2Pay
• CPI Card Group
• Cubic Transportation Systems Inc.
• Discover Financial Services
• DualAuth
• Exponent, Inc.
• FIS
• Fiserv
• Giesecke+Devrient
• IDEMIA
• Infineon Technologies
• Ingenico North America
• Interac Corp.
• IQ Devices
• Jacobs
• JCB International Credit Card Co., Ltd.
• KONA I Co., Ltd.
• Mastercard
• MULTOS International
• NXP Semiconductors
• SHAZAM
• Thales DIS USA, Inc.
• Tri County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon
• Underwriter Laboratories (UL)
• Verifone
• Visa, Inc.
• Vix Technology
• Wells Fargo
• XTec, Incorporated

Payments Council participation is open to any Secure Technology Alliance member who wishes to contribute to the Council projects.

For more information about the Payments Council or for more information on becoming a member of the Alliance, please contact the Alliance office via email at [email protected] or via telephone at (800) 556-6828.