Oberthur To Guide Allstar’s EMV Conversion

Allstar — the United Kingdom’s leading fuel card provider — is moving from the mag stripe to EMV and has chosen Oberthur Technologies (OT) to support that migration.

Across the U.K., 1.1 million people are Allstar cardholders who will now be able to use their cards at more than 7,600 filling stations nationwide.

EMV migration has long been completed in Europe when it comes to bank-issued pay cards, but banks aren’t the only card issuers out there. In the U.K. and Europe in general, the various cards issued by other players (fuel/fleet, supermarkets, luncheon vouchers, etc.) are still tied to the mag stripe.

Looking to tap into the security advantages that EMV offers, Allstar is upgrading for its next generation of fuel cards, and Oberthur is helping them do it.

Specifically, OT will assist with EMV setup and artwork design. The firm will also provide the cards and personalization from its WISE (White label, Independent, Secure, EMV) offering.

“OT is delighted to bring its experience in the smartcard industry to help EMV projects become a reality, as we do in the U.S. market where we are leading EMV migration. We are proud to support the enhancement of fuel card features such as Allstar’s. We are convinced this is a step forward to fight against payment fraud and to enhance customer experience including contactless payment,” said Eric Duforest, managing director of OT’s financial services institutions activity.

Peter Bridgen, managing director of FleetCor UK Fuel Cards, was also pleased at the prospect of the coming upgrade.

“This is a major change for us, our network and our customers. By partnering with OT, we will be able to offer safe and simple payment means across our extensive portfolio of products and services. OT has a great track record in EMV migration and will be able to support us with its complete solution to allow for a smooth transition.”

The migration is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

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