What is P2PE?
P2PE (Point To Point Encryption) describes technology that encrypts data at the electronic payment card input hardware, and decrypts at a credit card switch/gateway or credit card processor.
What are the Benefits of P2PE?
- Because the input hardware is injected with encryption keys, the resulting encrypted data can only be decrypted at the credit switch or credit card processor.
- Credit Card data is encrypted throughout it’s life-cycle in a merchant’s cardholder data environment, increasing the security of merchant’s POS system significantly.
- There is a PCI benefit as well because it allowed POS to be deemed as having reduced scope for PCI assessment/attestation.
What are the limitations of P2PE?
- P2PE does not address counterfeit card creation or use.
- Does not address storage or encrypted card numbers.
What is P2PE’s status in the marketplace.
- Is starting to see availability now.
- Most prevalent in relationships between payment terminal manufacturers and processors, where a processor injects a payment terminal with keys whose data can only be decrypted at the processor.
- These solutions lock the merchant into a processor via the specific hardware.
Software Requirements for P2PE
- If Integrated with the merchant’s POS system, the POS system has to be able to accept and allow the proper flow of encrypted card numbers through the system.
- The POS system can’t decrypt the numbers, which is a security benefit.
P2PE for hardware requirements vary depending on the software version and operating system platform
For more information on this topic, please contact the CCS Retail Systems Support Department.
– John