Terminal integration and scheme approval
Terminal configuration, transaction coverage and end-to-end testing. Approval against scheme-specific requirements covering the application and the host. Verifying that transactions reach the payment network.
What this layer verifies
Rather than the terminal alone, this layer looks at whether a transaction reaches its destination through the terminal configuration, the kernel and the acquirer host. What is tested is the combination of scheme branch, CVM, authorisation path and exception cases such as timeouts, reversals and partial approvals.
| Situation | Product |
|---|---|
| Passing formal scheme approval, with acceptance testing managed and run in qualified suites | ICCSim TMat |
| Merchant and ISV certification through Fiserv, uploading logs directly via the portal | TMat for Fiserv |
| Preparing for Worldpay certification in a closed loop, without connecting to an external test host | VIABLE |
| Checking terminal configuration in store, regression and staff training — not usable for certification | Merchant Test Cards |
| Having the testing and certification handled for you | Test and certification services |
Not everything is judged automatically
Items that can be judged from the logs are automated, but the terminal display, card removal prompts, signature requests, PIN entry and receipt contents remain items for a person to confirm. The test plan has to allow for this manual work.
Physical cards cannot be replaced entirely
A probe can generate card responses, but an actual magnetic stripe swipe, and fallback testing that simulates a chip failure, both need a physical card. Rather than moving entirely to probes, keep a configuration that retains cards for fallback.
Local acceptance considerations
Supporting an international scheme's Level 3 suite and having a domestic acquirer accept those results as certification are two different things. We confirm four points — scheme, acquirer, payment gateway and terminal configuration — before finalising the product configuration.
Automating regression testing
Authoring, managing and running test cases, analysing results and orchestrating the equipment are handled by PaytestHub; EMV Level 3 test execution by PaytestPlayer; tapping, inserting and other physical operations by PaytestRobot. These are components of the PaytestLab family. They do not replace certification test tools; they are a layer above that drives and integrates the existing tools.
Related: card issuance and personalisation verification
For pre-checking and quality control of issued cards and personalisation data, see the Barnes International products. These address conformance on the card side rather than terminal integration at Level 3. The Barnes certification test modules do include EMVCo Level 3 coverage, so they are shown here for reference.