EMVCo reports over half of cards issued globally are EMV®-enabled
Both EMV chip card issuance and EMV chip-based transactions now exceed 50% worldwide
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 19, 2018) — Aggregated data published by EMVCo shows that by the end of 2017, 54.6% of all cards issued globally were EMV®-enabled. The number of EMV payment cards in worldwide circulation increased by 1 billion over the previous 12 months to a total of 7.1 billion.
The data demonstrates that 63.7% of all card-present transactions conducted across the world between January and December 2017 used EMV chip technology, increasing from 52.4% in 2016.
Given the dynamic nature of some regions, more recent data is likely to reflect higher overall adoption rates and transaction volumes than the total for 2017.
“Both EMV chip card issuance and EMV chip transactions surpassing 50% globally is testament to the increasing maturity of the worldwide infrastructure, and a significant milestone for the payments community,” comments Jack Pan, EMVCo Executive Committee Chair. “EMVCo continues to work closely with payment stakeholders to evolve the EMV Specifications to provide a secure, interoperable foundation for emerging technologies across face-to-face and remote environments.”
To stay informed of the latest EMVCo developments and receive advanced access to EMV Specifications and related documents, join the EMVCo Associates Programme or become a Subscriber.
Regional EMV chip card adoption rate:
- Africa and the Middle East: 74.8%
- Asia Pacific: 45.7%
- Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean: 85.7%
- Europe Zone 1: 84.4%
- Europe Zone 2: 71.4%
- United States: 58.5%
Percentage of card-present transactions that are EMV:
- Africa and the Middle East: 90.9%
- Asia Pacific: 54.4%
- Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean: 88.5%
- Europe Zone 1: 98.6%
- Europe Zone 2: 90.4%
- United States: 41.2%
About EMVco
EMVCo is the global technical body that facilitates the worldwide interoperability and acceptance of secure payment transactions by managing and evolving the EMV Specifications and related testing processes. Adoption of EMV Specifications and associated approval and certification processes promotes a unified international payments framework, which supports an advancing range of payment methods, technologies and acceptance environments. The specifications are designed to be flexible and can be adapted regionally to meet national payment requirements and accommodate local regulations.
EMVCo is collectively owned by American Express, Discover, JCB, MasterCard, UnionPay and Visa, and focuses on the technical advancement of the EMV Specifications. To provide all payment stakeholders with a platform to engage in its strategic and technical direction, EMVCo operates an Associates Programme and encourages all interested parties to get involved.
Visit www.emvco.com for further information and join EMVCo on LinkedIn.
