Elavon • Article • U.S. Payment Smart (June 2024)
2 min. Read
Last Updated: 06/28/2024

As the weather warms, foot traffic picks up making storefronts more vulnerable to theft—including point-of-sale terminals. Debit and credit card refund fraud has become a popular target for criminals and is often conducted on stolen point-of-sale terminals. Criminals break into the stolen device and use it to complete fraudulent returns on stolen payment cards or on a prepaid card that can be cashed out at an ATM. There are steps you can take to minimize the risk of theft.

The PCI Security Standards Council recommends the following practices:

Terminal security:

• Design payment locations with the intent to control customer access to payment technology.
• Mount and secure your terminal and cables with locking stands, cable trays and other securing mechanisms.
• Physically secure and alarm all remote or self-service terminal payment environments to the greatest extent possible.
• Maintain a list of all devices and develop a routine to inspect them for tampering or substitution, and ensure all devices and passwords are updated.

Mobile device security:

• Securely store the device when not in use, such as in a locked cabinet, tethered to the counter or kept under surveillance.
• Record identifying attributes of the device, such as its serial number, model number, operating system and who is authorized to use it and where.

Since store setup can change seasonally or when new services or products are introduced, we recommend conducting a device risk assessment checkup on a regular basis. If any device is lost or stolen, immediately call our customer service line at 1-866-310-3345, so we can help disable and remotely delete data from the device.

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