SILVER SPRING, MD (February 9, 2016) – Merchant Link, a leading provider of payment gateway and data security solutions, announced today that its TransactionLink™ product together with Verifone VX devices is certified for EMV® Chip and PIN Card acceptance for retail, restaurant and lodging in the United States with Chase Paymentech and First Data.

Dan Lane, CEO at Merchant Link shared "We are pleased to announce that Merchant Link has achieved U.S. EMV certifications from Chase Paymentech and First Data using the Verifone VX family of devices, including the Verifone VX 805, VX 820, VX 690 and e355.” Lane continued, “Having both EMV certifications has paved the way for the multitude of subsequent processor and device certifications on our roadmap. Merchant Link has always maintained its commitment to providing our customers with options. The goal with EMV is to continue to fulfill that promise. Implementing EMV in the U.S. has proven challenging for many in the integrated point of sale market. Merchants and partners do not see the behind the scenes work that ensures a smooth certification; it requires efficient timing and synchronization between processors, card brands and device manufacturers.”

“Merchant Link has been a leader in the security payment industry serving restaurants, lodging and retail for over twenty years. Being able to provide merchants, partners and resellers additional security that directly addresses fraud has been a top priority for us,” continued Lane. “

By combining TransactionLink™ (EMV/Chip & PIN) with Merchant Link’s other security solutions TransactionVault® (Tokenization) and TransactionShield® (Point-to-Point Encryption) merchants are able to protect their consumer’s payment card data in flight, at rest and against card-present fraudulent activity.

Merchant Link serves over 400,000 customers that process over 6 billion transactions annually. Identifying new ways to securely manage transactions is core to its business. Operating in a 24x7x365 manner, Merchant Link provides semi-integrated data and payment card security solutions, allowing merchants to focus on their businesses.

EMV is a registered trademark or trademark of EMVCo LLC in the United States and other countries.