Report: ‘Tens of Thousands of Dollars’ in Monthly Losses Expected for Retailers without Outdoor EMV

Businesses that go without EMV on their forecourts should expect damaging monthly losses and no site is immune, according to a new fraud report. Even relatively small gas station operators can now expect ‘tens of thousands of dollars’ in fraud losses monthly for each station once the EMV liability shift goes into effect in April 2021.

We have previously detailed the painful process of getting hit with a chargeback and the criminal system in which fuel thieves operate. These new numbers mirror the harsh reality of waiting to upgrade or skipping it altogether.

Via Digital Transactions:

In an example offered by Mercator, an operator with 12 locations spread evenly among areas deemed be low-, medium-, and high-risk, would face fraud liability totaling $17,315 per store over 12 months, or $207,783 overall. “This could change dramatically depending on the risk position of each station, and it should be noted that Mercator’s calculation takes a decidedly conservative approach,” said Tim Sloane, vice president of payments innovation at Marlborough, Mass.-based Mercator, in a statement.

The new outdoor EMV deadline will be April 17, 2021. If you haven’t begun your outdoor EMV upgrade, we strongly suggest contacting your local Gilbarco distributor as soon as possible.

You can find more information with our Quick EMV Migration Guide and even more resources here.