Hudson’s Bay will test chip cards

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 7/13/2007 12:23:00 PM

Toronto -- Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) will bring MasterCard chip card technology to HBC retail locations, including the Bay, Zellers, Designer Depot, Home Outfitters, and Fields stores.

In the first stage, a few locations will test chip cards in early 2008. Stephen Knight, svp, credit and business development, HBC, said, “By 2011, with the assistance of MasterCard Canada, we have committed to making our retail locations chip-ready by upgrading our proprietary payment processing systems and point-of-sale payment terminals.”

The cards are seen as a security-enhancer. Already more than 70% of payment cards issued in Europe are chip-enabled, the company said.