First Hardware-Free PIN-Based mPOS Created For Android
Rubean and CCV Partner with Intertrust and Riscure to Launch Solution for Micro-Merchants to use Android Handsets with PhonePOS to Accept Card Payments for Goods and Services
Rubean and CCV, in partnership with Intertrust and Riscure, today announced the launch of a jointly developed contactless payment application that transforms Android handsets running 8.0 Oreo or later into contactless payment terminals, supporting PIN entry with no additional hardware.
Developed to PCI CPoC standards and certified to Visa and Mastercard brand pilot-programs, PhonePOS will launch first in Germany and then roll-out more broadly throughout Europe. The solution will be deployed through European-based acquiring banks, and also offered as a service through CCV.
“This has been an enormous technical team effort,” said Bill Horne, general manager of the Secure Systems product group at Intertrust. “Combining whiteCryption, our world-class application shielding for zero-trust environments, with Riscure’s penetration testing and certification, has brought down barriers for Rubean and CCV to deliver streamlined payment capabilities to the market.”
By making commerce even more frictionless, millions of merchants can now safely and easily accept card payments from anywhere. The solution brings card acceptance and enhanced business opportunities to millions of micro-merchants. It enables them to accept credit cards for goods and services using only PhonePOS and their Android handset. It requires no additional hardware, removing the expense and hassle of the card-readers and dongles necessary with alternative solutions. PhonePOS is also being tested for deployment onto professional retail tablets with full terminal-management capabilities, extending support to larger retailers.
“The challenge of delivering a software-only solution has revolved around protecting the confidentiality and integrity of payment account data on consumer-grade mobile phones and tablets,” said Hermann Geupel, chief executive officer at Rubean. “With PhonePOS, we have developed a highly secure—and at the same time broadly usable—payment acceptance solution.”
Rubean and CCV have worked together to develop and deploy the seamless solution. Rubean’s security and monitoring software meets the high requirements of a smartphone-based card terminal. CCV’s acCEPT PaaS (Payment-as-a-Service) ecosystem, proven in thousands of live installations worldwide, is the optimum solution for the new tap-on-phone system as it deploys most parts of the POS functionality to the cloud. This makes PhonePOS a lightweight app with increased security and flexibility.
Günther Froschermeier, chief technology officer of CCV Germany, commented, “PhonePOS is an important breakthrough for electronic payments. As cashless payments explode, the benefits of POS integration are becoming paramount. For example, instead of using additional hardware micro-merchants can use their Android smartphone for card acceptance, hospitality providers can integrate electronic payments within their ordering devices, and even large corporations can extend their business with home delivery solutions.”
“Using smartphones as payment terminals means security is crucial,” added Tim Hartog, Director of Mobile Payments at Riscure. “A collaborative effort with Rubean and CCV through the development and certification process leveraged our powerful expertise and track record in mobile-payment security. PhonePOS makes optimal use of best-in-class software security to protect the solution, including secure PIN-entry through hardware-backed TEE technology.”
Intertrust’s whiteCryption solutions have been employed to protect the encryption keys and provide application hardening, bringing a higher level of tamper resistance to the application itself. Riscure provided sophisticated penetration testing and certification.
