Mastercard Combination and Performance Pass Criteria update
Meet the Pass Criteria
During the combination testing session in accredited laboratory, series of tests are performed to measure the capability of the device to read several cards, at variable distances. If a payment terminal fails the combination testing and don’t reach the pass criteria defined by Mastercard, the laboratory cannot start the functional testing session. It is crucial for payment terminal manufacturers to design their RF antenna to fit with these measures.
The purpose of these tests is to ensure that contactless card readers are designed with an optimized capability to read many types of contactless cards, to minimize the risk of failed transaction in the field.
Indeed, to confirm the fastness and compliancy of the acceptance devices and improve continuously the customers experience, Mastercard has introduced new measures criteria for combination and performance testing procedure.
What changes ?
On the performance side, more transactions have to be performed per card while combination pass criteria for 4 cm high has been slightly changed with the introduction of success rate. If the success rate is not reached, the laboratory will retest with a different presentation time.
Applicability
The new Combination pass criteria will apply to new payment terminal as of 15th August 2025.
Visit MC Connect for more information, and to find all the related documentation for the certification process of your device.
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