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About the Forum
Purpose
The purpose of the Forum is to foster an atmosphere where the hospitality users share information so that the card schemes and acquirers can better understand how the hospitality operation works. Our aim is to ensure that the processes in hospitality can be accommodated and that the schemes and acquirers will marry the hospitality ways of working with their Chip & PIN requirements.
Empowerment with Knowledge
The Forum is totally focused on empowering the hospitality users with knowledge, such that they can make informed decisions as to what solutions should be used and how to implement the technology. This is also why we have produced this website.
The Industry Voice
The Forum also ensures the industry has a voice to influence the procedures proposed by the card scheme and issuers in the implementation of Chip & PIN. Through the Forum the users have been able to negotiate what they think and know is best for their business. The attendees at the Forum represent 60% of managed houses and 40% of hotel groups. The retailers were able to influence the process for Chip & PIN throughout 2002 and 2003 and made a big impact on how the technology was implemented in retail. They discussed their processes with the schemes and acquirers and together worked through the processes, in partnership, for the benefit of both. The Hospitality Users Discussion Forum aims to do the same. That process started by the involvement of some of the users in the changes to Recommendation 15 during 2004 and continues today with our involvement in the APACS committees. The hospitality industry is the only group represented on the inter acquirer APACS Group [APG] through the Chair of the Forum Connie Penn.
The Card Schemes have standard regulations to cover card acceptance at the point of sale wherever that point of sale may be, but in addition, they have what are known as the T & E regulations {Travel & Entertainment} to cover the special requirements of this industry. We aim to ensure that within the card scheme regulations, special arrangements that are currently made for the hospitality industry will be extended to include special arrangements for Chip & PIN as well.
Through the workings of the HCIMA Hospitality Forum for Chip & PIN, T & E considerations for Chip & PIN are being discussed, developed and agreed as part of the output for this industry moving forward.