January 21, 2015

January 21, 2015

For Immediate Release:
January 21, 2015
Contact: cara.battaglini@gsa.gov

GSA SmartPay Program Begins Roll Out of Secure, Chip & PIN Charge Cards

WASHINGTON, DC –– The U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) SmartPayⓇ Program will begin issuing Chip & PIN enabled charge cards in January.  The roll out of these cards with enhanced security features is a result of an Executive Order for Improving the Security of Consumer Financial Transactions, signed by the President on October 17, 2014. 

This Executive Order calls for the nationwide privacy and confidentiality protection of consumer data and transactions.  It further requires the U.S. Government’s credit, debit, and other payment card programs, including GSA SmartPay, to take the lead in strengthening the security of financial transactions and encourages the adoption of enhanced safeguards through the use of technology like Chip and PIN enabled cards and transaction terminals.

In January 2015, the GSA SmartPay program will begin rolling out Chip & PIN enabled charge cards to its purchase, travel, integrated, and some fleet card users.

GSA’s Federal Acquisition Services (FAS) Commissioner Tom Sharpe weighs in
"GSA’s government-wide SmartPay program is an extremely effective and successful payment solution that has proven to provide streamlined and secure ability for the government to conduct every-day business transactions.  By working with our industry partners on the addition of Chip & PIN technology to GSA SmartPay cards,  FAS is quickly and efficiently providing greater security and even more value to the payment products and services we offer our government agency customers."

Quick Facts:

  • The roll out of Chip & PIN cards begins in January 2015 with more than 1 million charge cards expected to be issued throughout the calendar year
  • Dynamic Data Authentication (DDA) standards for chip technologies will be used by all 3 contractor banks
  • Not all merchants will be Chip & PIN ready in 2015, but the cards will still work with merchants that do not have Chip & PIN terminals
  • Cardholders who receive their new Chip & PIN enabled card should cut up or shred their existing card and only use the new Chip & PIN enabled card

Next Steps:
To learn more about the Chip and PIN (EMV) enabled charge cards click here. 

GSA SmartPay Program Begins Roll Out of Secure, Chip & PIN Charge Cards