The deployment of the FRv6 standard in France has reached a significant milestone: 50% of standalone terminals in the field are now running on FRv6. This progress marks a notable step forward in modernizing the national payment terminal fleet, with the goal of meeting the current needs of merchants and consumers.
Why migrate to FRv6?
FRv6 is a technical evolution of the CB5.5 standard, designed to adapt to new market demands. This specification introduces practical improvements that make payments simpler and more efficient:
- Multi-scheme: FRv6 enables optimized support for all card schemes.
- PIN Online: Contactless payments are possible beyond €50, with PIN code verification.
- Extended functionalities: Management of tips and donations via the terminal, partial authorization to combine multiple payment methods, simplified or optional receipt printing, etc.
Migrating to FRv6 is not just a matter of compliance: it is an opportunity to modernize payment infrastructure and meet consumer expectations for speed and simplicity.
What is the status of the migration?
Here are the figures illustrating the deployment's progress:
- Nearly 750,000 terminals installed with FRv6, representing close to half of the total fleet.
- Among them, nearly 600,000 standalone terminals are operational under FRv6.
- And nearly 150,000 integrated terminals.
These data show encouraging momentum for standalone terminals, but significant work remains to be done, particularly regarding integrated equipment and unattended terminals (automates). For 2025, this will be a priority for FrenchSys.
The main challenges
While the transition to FRv6 is progressing, several challenges must still be overcome:
- Integrated systems: Supermarkets and retail chains must plan their migration, which involves coordination with multiple stakeholders.
- Complex equipment: Unattended terminals such as fuel dispensers or highway toll booths require specific technical updates.
- The unmanaged fleet of acquirers: Some merchants or their subcontractors have not yet fully realized the benefits of migrating to FRv6.
Next steps
To achieve full migration, efforts are focused on three main pillars:
- Technical support: Continue working with terminal manufacturers and maintenance providers to ensure smooth and rapid deployments.
- Migration monitoring: Maintain detailed tracking to quickly detect bottlenecks or delays, and intervene effectively when problems arise.
- Engagement with maintenance providers and merchants: Continue raising awareness about the specific features of FRv6 and its benefits.
Reaching this 50% milestone for migrated standalone terminals is a key step, but it is only the beginning.
Together, we will continue moving forward to achieve full adoption and lay the foundations for an even more efficient and innovative payment ecosystem.