U.S. Military Members In Germany Can Now Receive Instant-Issue Credit And Debit Cards With EMV® Smart Card Technology

Service Credit Union uses Datacard® CardWizard® software to enable this convenient new option for its members.

MINNETONKA, Minn.—Datacard Group, the world leader in secure ID and card personalization solutions, today announced that Service Credit Union is utilizing Datacard® CardWizard® issuance software to provide instant-issue EMV smart cards to its military members. Activation is immediate, so members can start using their cards within minutes of requesting a new or replacement card.

Based in New Hampshire, Service Credit Union currently has 40 branch locations – 23 branches in the U.S. and 17 branches on military bases in Germany – and began providing instant-issue EMV smart cards to its military members at the end of 2011.  The credit union has plans to roll out the technology to all of its branch locations in the states.   

“We have been a very satisfied CardWizard software customer for many years, and just recently upgraded our system to instantly issue EMV smart cards,” said Bill Arnold, chief information officer for Service Credit Union. “Our U.S. military members based in Germany were having increasingly more issues with their magnetic stripe cards being rejected, so it was important for us to add an EMV compliant processing capability to our existing magnetic stripe cards.  Datacard Group’s experience and expertise in both smart card personalization and instant issuance gave us the perfect vendor combination for our needs.”

The CardWizard software—which is PCI PA-DSS compliant—seamlessly interfaces with their core application, card management, data preparation systems and network processors.  The software also enables card issuers to build cost-effective smart card development and personalization into their card issuing environments, and is known for its compatibility with various card and payment schemes.

“With the recent announcements by Visa and MasterCard to accelerate adoption of the EMV Specifications in the U.S. by October 2015, smart card implementations in other large countries, and mobile payments on the horizon, it’s simply a matter of time before the country will fully migrate to a smart card payment infrastructure,” said Ron Zanotti, regional vice president, financial instant issuance for Datacard Group.  “By upgrading their instant issuance program now, Service Credit Union will be well-poised for the migration and offering advanced payment technologies – which gives them a great differentiator in the marketplace, adds more security to their existing cards, and most importantly, improves overall member satisfaction levels.”

Datacard Group, with more than 200 EMV smart card solutions implemented globally, is uniquely positioned in the market to help companies easily migrate to the technology in the U.S.  Datacard solutions currently issue over five million smart cards everyday worldwide and have thousands of instant issuance installations throughout the world.

About Datacard Group

Datacard Group empowers financial institutions, government agencies and other enterprises in more than 150 countries to securely issue and personalize financial cards, passports, national IDs, employee badges, mobile payment applications and other credentials. Our flexible solutions enable Secure Issuance Anywhere™, which helps both public and private enterprises succeed in a global, digital and increasingly connected marketplace. Datacard is the world's best-selling brand of secure issuance solutions. For information, visit www.datacard.com.  Follow us on Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.

About Service Credit Union  

Service Credit Union is a full service financial institution, offering a wide range of financial products to its members.  With 40 branch locations including two staffed 24/7 contact centers, and full internet banking services, Service Credit Union serves anyone who lives or works in New Hampshire (excluding Coos County), 4 towns in Cape Cod, MA., and all branches of the U.S. Military and Department of Defense employees and their families. With over $2.2 billion in assets, Service Credit Union has 22 branches in New Hampshire, one in Massachusetts, and 17 branches on U.S. military bases in Germany.