BDO soon to roll out chip-based credit cards

MANILA, Philippines - BDO Unibank Inc., the main banking arm of the SM Group, will start producing chip-based credit cards by early next year.

BDO has signed a contract with US-based Datacard Inc. and Omega Computer Corp. (OCC) to enable all its credit cards to carry the so-called Europay Mastercard Visa (EMV) software solutions.

OCC managing director Henry Diaz said the new chip technology would enable BDO credit cards to use encrypted data which will make it more secure.

“We are happy that we have entered into a contract with the country’s biggest bank. We are glad that they chose our technology,” he said.

Diaz said the contract will involve the supply of Datacard’s MX2000 card issuance system to deliver outstanding card quality, productivity and reliability, at a speed  of up to 1,2000 cards per hour.

The machine’s cost, Diaz said, could reach P50 million to P100 million per unit.

At present, only the reward cards of BDO are chip-based.

With the chip, BDO credit cards will benefit from the premium quality that MX 2000 system offers such as industry-leading embossing and indent printing, high quality single-step color printing, precise graphics printing, versatile smart card personalization and inline top coat application.

On its security features, MX2000 system uses a familiar Windows operating system that enables administrators to authenticate operators and restrict access to data, applications and jobs.

It would also track cards and perform detailed production audits.

On the design, the system can be configured with up to seven personalization modules. It also carries a complete card-to-envelope solution which seamlessly integrate with the MX2000 system to enhance overall card operations.