If you have not upgraded your equipment to support chip and PIN technology, you are now liable under the terms of the liability shift for the fraudulent use of chip and PIN cards in your outlet. The ONLY way you can protect yourself from this is to upgrade your equipment to support chip and PIN. This may take longer than you think as it can take at least 6 months to complete.

1. Contact your software and hardware suppliers

• Contact your software and hardware suppliers today. Register your intention to upgrade to chip and PIN and start working with them as soon as possible to achieve a solution that meets your business needs
• Speak to Trade Associations for guidance for your sector
• Depending on the size of your business, you may need to set up an internal project team. Implementing chip and PIN could involve many people eg, IT and systems, those with skills and experience in point of sale equipment, customer services, finance, in-store operations etc
• Contact us on 0114 252 9696 to discuss any technical queries

2. Evaluate how chip and PIN will affect your business

• Review the impact on the point of sale, systems and equipment change, operational changes and staffing impact
• Review your card acceptance equipment's current position. Different kinds of trading environments require different solutions. Do you need to reposition it so that it is easier for customers to key in their PIN? Have you considered the needs of your disabled customers? Have you thought about the design and layout of your point of sale terminal so that it is not overlooked by your surveillance equipment? For more information visit www.chipandpin.co.uk 
• The Switch debit card is being phased out and replaced by Maestro, the debit card brand owned by MasterCard International. Alongside converting Switch to Maestro you are now able to accept non-UK issued Maestro cards (ie those issued by overseas banks) if your point of sale equipment has been upgraded. There could be benefits to be gained by your business in combining the development for chip and PIN with that needed to convert Switch to Maestro. 
• Please keep your HSBC relationship manager advised of your progress

3. Develop the solution that's right for your business (development and certification can take up to six months)

• Talk to your software and hardware suppliers and identify supplier partners that meet your needs
• Negotiate your contract with your software and hardware suppliers. Define your solution, then build and test it. You will need to get evidence that your software and hardware has been certified to industry standards. Standards for industry specifications are agreed by EMV (Europay MasterCard Visa)
• You will also need to arrange end to end testing and certification with HSBC Bank plc as your card processor. We will not charge you for this work.

4. Roll out and implement (can take from 2 to 48 weeks depending on the size of your business)

• If you have multiple outlets, consider your rollout approach
• Train your staff and update your store procedures. Install the new hardware and software.
• For more support information for your staff please visit the official chip and PIN website.