An unembossed credit card is a card where the numbers on the card are not raised like a normal card. Instead, the card is perfectly flat, with all text just printed on the card. There are many of these cards out now. This eliminates the merchant’s ability to manually imprint the credit card.
Visa is advising that face-to-face merchants only accept unembossed cards if they can be electronically read. Since an imprint cannot be taken, the merchant is more susceptible to chargebacks.
Effective July 1, 2010, revisions to the Visa International Operating Regulations have been approved that require face-to-face transactions with unembossed cards to be a zero floor limit when the card cannot be electronically read, regardless of any higher floor limit for the merchant category (SIC code).
What does this mean for you? The consumer and the merchant may continue to use/accept unembossed credit cards as long as it can be electronically read through a card reader. If the magnetic strip is compromised, the merchant will be forced to reject the credit card.
If you have any questions about this or other processing issues, please call our office at 800-993-8942.
Posted by L Henry 
