TSYS, a global payments provider, and Ingenico Group Thursday announced a new agreement to offer merchants what the companies call an easy and secure product for accepting all payment types, including magnetic stripe, EMV, and NFC (including Apple Pay), according to a press release. TSYS is the first processor to Class A certify Ingenico Group's new PCI 3.0-certified smart products: The iCT 220 Contactless and iPP310 PIN pad.

TSYS has developed a new payment application, INGEMV2, which will run on selected versions of Ingenico Group smart terminals. The combined TSYS and Ingenico Group offering is intended to give businesses a complete product for securely processing EMV and NFC transactions while providing advanced security features such as encryption and tokenization to guard against credit card fraud, according to the announcement.

"Our relationship with Ingenico Group and its industry-leading expertise in EMV and NFC enabled TSYS to be among the first processors to be certified for Apple Pay," said Craig Ludwig, senior director and head of product for TSYS' Merchant Services segment. "Our INGEMV2 payment application takes full advantage of the rich Ingenico POS feature set so that our mutual customers may take immediate advantage of Apple Pay and other contactless payment methods in a secure manner."

“We're pleased that TSYS was the first to Class A certify our new PCI 3.0 products," said Bernie Frey, SVP Acquirer Sales, Ingenico Group North America. "These new products ideally position TSYS and Ingenico Group to address the unprecedented demand for field upgrades that EMV and Apple Pay are creating. This demonstrates a serious commitment to Ingenico Group payment solutions and gives TSYS customers access to the very latest in EMV and NFC technology. Together, we help merchants realize the value and security that EMV and NFC provide."