CITGO Partners With Gilbarco to Enable EMV Acceptance on the Forecourt

HOUSTON — CITGO Petroleum Corp. officially released EMV acceptance software following extensive testing of Gilbarco Veeder-Root's Passport version 11.04B. The software brings both EMV acceptance and Passport EDGE to the CITGO network, and is now available to CITGO branded gas stations with Gilbarco dispensers.

Passport EDGE is a tablet-based point of sale (POS) system that is streamlined for small business, available as a low cost subscription and EMV-ready indoor and outdoor acceptance.

Over the past two years, CITGO performed thousands of indoor EMV transactions across the United Stated, according to the company. Passport POS sites with Version 11.04B software provides retailers with Gilbarco dispensers access to outdoor EMV card acceptance capabilities. The technology to install EMV chip-card readers at automated fuel pumps enables retailers to protect their customers, differentiate their brands and become EMV compliant ahead of the 2020 deadline, CITGO said.

In addition to the Forecourt EMV, the new software introduces several new features and benefits for CITGO branded locations, such as integrated EBT acceptance.

"We're proud to release both the Passport and the Passport Edge as EMV-ready solutions across our network," said CITGO Vice President Supply and Marketing Karl Schmidt. "Our customers' payment security is one of our greatest concerns, and protecting our customers' identity at the pump is something we take very seriously."

More than 70 percent of Passport customers now have forecourt EMV software available to upgrade.

"Our partnership with CITGO to rapidly enable outdoor EMV enables their marketers to get ahead of the pack for turning on Forecourt EMV," said Eric Bagden, director, retail solutions at Gilbarco Veeder-Root. "With the October 2020 liability shift fast approaching, we continue to prioritize our development efforts to ensure Gilbarco customers have great solutions available to maximize site profitability while getting compliant for EMV."

Headquartered in Houston, CITGO Petroleum Corp. operates three refineries in Corpus Christi, Texas; Lake Charles, La.; and Lemont, Ill., and wholly and/or jointly owns 48 terminals, nine pipelines and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. CITGO transports and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products and supplies a network of approximately 5,000 locally owned and operated branded retail outlets in 30 states and the District of Columbia.