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Most issuing banks are not allowing recent retailer data breaches to change their schedules for adopting EMV-chip cards, even though Target and other companies have said they would fast-track their own plans.

As U.S. issuers and financial institutions prepare for the shift to EMV, two significant benefits over traditional magnetic stripe cards are clear: increased security and reduced incidences of card fraud. However, the migration itself poses risks that must be addressed.

Visa has developed a new service that aims to reduce prepaid card fraud.

The U.S. payments industry has long agreed to disagree on the way to properly route EMV debit transactions, stalling the country's shift to chip-based cards. First Data hopes its decision to support and share Visa's technology will finally break the stalemate.

The payments industry still has much to do before anyone can claim mobile payments are secure. Many merchants, consumers, and processors are mistakenly comfortable with notion that encryption equals full security.

Visa Inc. and First Data's Star Network will share Visa's technology for routing debit transactions initiated through EMV chip-based cards.

After every major Samsung product unveiling this week, PayPal was quick to say: we have an app for that.

For years, the U.S. has been divided on whether EMV-chip cards should be deployed as chip-and-PIN cards or the simpler chip-and-signature. After the Target data breach drew attention to the threat of data theft, the PIN debate seems to have lost its edge but it hasn't gone away.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. will issue chip-and-PIN credit cards this year, a deviation from the company's earlier plans to issue only chip-and-signature cards.

Target's recent commitment to fast-track its conversion to EMV smartcard technology may not trigger an avalanche of U.S. retailers doing the same, but Target's move seems to have become a catalyst to resolve the payments industry's other issues around EMV adoption.