ShopKeep, the cloud-based technology and business management provider for more than 18,000 independent merchants, Thursday announced it will offer a free EMV contactless enabled credit card reader to qualifying customers, both new and existing, in advance of the October 1 deadline for the EMV liability shift. 

In order to qualify for the offer, new customers need to sign up for only three months of ShopKeep's services and submit an application for ShopKeep’s payment processing. Existing ShopKeep Merchants will also be eligible by signing up for an additional ShopKeep feature.

"ShopKeep's top priority is to help independent business owners across America run smarter and more efficiently by providing them with the latest technology and solutions that will help them future-proof their business," said Norm Merritt, ShopKeep's president and CEO. "This is our second year offering merchants a free EMV/Apple Pay reader; with the transition to EMV imminent and more consumers embracing mobile payments, we want to encourage independent merchants to stay agile, competitive, and more secure, in the face of these significant changes in the payment industry."