Credit card chip closeup macro photography of EMV chip

Closeup macro of an EMV chip, golden microprocessor detail on credit card plastic.

About this subject

The EMV chip (Europay, Mastercard, and Visa) is the global security standard for in-person payments. Introduced in the 1990s, it replaced the magnetic stripe with a cryptographic microprocessor that generates dynamic codes for each transaction, drastically reducing cloning. The golden chip visible in the macro photograph consists of electrical contacts that connect the card to the payment terminal. In Brazil, the migration to EMV accelerated after 2010, with all cards issued from 2015 onward containing the chip. The technology also enables contactless payments (NFC) when integrated with an antenna. The symmetric composition of the image highlights the standardized contact design, which follows ISO/IEC 7816 specifications. By 2022, over 10 billion EMV cards were in circulation worldwide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does EMV stand for?

EMV stands for Europay, Mastercard, and Visa, the three companies that created the chip standard for payment cards.

Is the EMV chip secure against fraud?

Yes, the chip generates a unique code for each transaction, making card cloning nearly impossible, unlike the magnetic stripe.

Do all cards in Brazil have an EMV chip?

Since 2015, all credit and debit cards issued in Brazil are required to have an EMV chip, as determined by the Central Bank.